Drone usage is a recent development that’s making waves in the insurance industry. Companies continue to look to incorporate cutting edge technologies to improve their services, and drones allow Insurers to assess property conditions more quickly and precisely. By simplifying the insurance process, this electronic integration aims to improve client satisfaction while also increasing operational efficiency. However, many policyholders are not happy to find out that their insurance provider is looking at their home with a drone to determine their home insurance rates.
Can Insurance Companies Use Drones To Survey My House?
Although it may appear to many as a breach of privacy, the use of drones by home insurance providers is completely legal. Insurance policies typically state that the homeowner agrees to allow the insurer to perform inspections under the signed contract. These documents most likely include broad enough language to allow the use of drones and other new technologies to gather information about a home’s condition.
What Are Insurers Looking For With Drones?
Drones are mainly used by insurance providers to look for deferred maintenance to your home. In these situations, the insurer will contact you if they find evidence of deferred maintenance and inform you that you must fix the issue or risk losing insurance coverage for your home. This typically includes inspecting the condition of your roof, siding, and yard (including other structures on the property).
The overall goal for insurers is to avoid claims. Let’s say a home’s roof is getting old and is considered deferred maintenance by the insurance company. They do not want to continue providing coverage for this home because if a storm were to occur, the roof would likely incur damage. As a result, the homeowners would file a claim seeking compensation to repair or replace their roof. Insurance companies are starting to use drones to avoid having to pay for claims that could have been prevented with proper upkeep and regular roof replacement.
Issues Arising With Drone Usage By Insurers
The majority of policy holders are not happy with the fact that insurance carriers are using drones to inspect the condition of their homes. Aside from the obvious privacy concerns, homeowners are concerned with the accuracy of drone and aerial imaging for insurance purposes. Distortion and shadows are common issues that impact the quality of images captured by these devices. This becomes an issue when artificial intelligence (AI) computer models are tasked with analyzing the images and flagging potential issues. As with any new technology, this method does not come error free.
How To Reduce The Impact Of Insurer’s Drone Usage
Despite the hiccups of using new technologies for insurance purposes, there are a few steps you can take as a homeowner to protect yourself from unjustly losing your insurance coverage:
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Maintain complete and accurate records of home maintenance and renovation projects. This can be in the form of receipts and/or invoices from contractors who completed the jobs. Having records will help you refute findings from your insurance company, should they arise, and prevent you from having to make unnecessary repairs and changes.
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Keep your insurance advisor informed of home renovations that improve the condition and safety of your home. Not only will this help maintain accurate records of projects, as mentioned above, but it can lower your insurance premium in certain situations.
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If you are notified of a change in your home insurance policy, ask for a copy of the inspection report used to reach this decision. It’s important that you, the homeowner, confirm the details contained in this report to maintain the proper coverage. If inaccuracies are present you can use your accurate project records to dispute the change to your premium.
Strickler Insurance: Your Trusted Insurance Partner
Policyholders’ reservations over accuracy and dependability of drone technology is understandable, given their growing role in the insurance industry’s home inspection processes. As technology continues to evolve, it’s crucial for insurance providers to ensure policyholders receive the comprehensive coverage they need for their homes. Contact us at Strickler Insurance to learn how our experienced team can fulfill your home insurance needs.
