/strata/aerial-drone-inspections-bc
Certified drone inspections, and what they mean for your building.
SENTiNEL operates under Transport Canada Advanced Operations certification. That is not a piece of trivia about our equipment. It determines where we are permitted to fly, how much of your building can be examined without access equipment, and how defensible the resulting record is.
Advanced Operations is the level buildings require.
Transport Canada separates drone flight into categories. Basic operations keep the aircraft away from people, away from built areas, and out of controlled airspace. Advanced operations permit flight near people and near structures, and permit controlled airspace with authorization. Getting there requires a written exam, an in-person flight review, and a registered aircraft appropriate to the operation.
A residential building in the Lower Mainland is, almost by definition, near people and near structures, and it is frequently inside controlled airspace around Vancouver International or Abbotsford. Basic certification cannot cover that flight. Advanced can.
In 2025 Transport Canada restructured the framework again, expanding the rules for medium drones and lower-risk operations while tightening registration and pilot certification. The direction of travel is consistent: more capability for certified operators, less tolerance for uncertified ones.
Six practical consequences for the buildings we cover.
We can legally fly where buildings actually are
Advanced Operations covers flight near people and near structures, and permits operation in controlled airspace with authorization. That is the airspace most of Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley sits in.
Assessment stops depending on access equipment
A roof field or a fifth-floor parapet can be documented without booking a lift, a swing stage, or a crew tie-off. Access budget gets spent on the repair, not on finding out whether a repair is needed.
Nobody stands on a failing surface to check it
Aging membranes, iced walkways, and unverified anchor points are the reason routine checks get deferred. Aerial capture removes the reason to defer.
Findings enter the same building record
Aerial imagery is filed with the walk-through observations, dated and rated on the same Priority 1 through 4 scale, so a roof condition can be tracked across quarters instead of re-examined from scratch.
Evidence holds up in a scoping conversation
A dated, geolocated image of the actual condition is a stronger basis for a trade quote or a contribution decision than a verbal description from someone who saw it once.
Compliance is documented, not assumed
Certification, drone registration, and the operating conditions of each flight are recorded. Insurers and decision-makers can see the basis on which the flight was made.
Roof, envelope, and everything above reach.
Membrane and shingle condition, ponding and drainage behaviour, flashing and parapet detail, chimney and vent penetrations, upper cladding and sealant joints, gutter and downspout terminations, and elevated walkway or balcony surfaces that cannot be viewed from grade. Everything reachable on foot is still inspected on foot. Aerial work extends the walk-through, it does not replace it.
Questions about aerial inspection.
- What is an Advanced Operations drone pilot certificate?
- It is the Transport Canada certificate required to fly close to people, near or over built environments, and inside controlled airspace. It requires a written exam, a flight review with a certified reviewer, and a drone registered for the operation being flown.
- Why does that matter for a building in BC?
- Most residential buildings in Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley sit near people, near other structures, and often inside controlled airspace around airports. Those are exactly the conditions that require Advanced Operations. A basic certificate cannot legally cover the flight.
- What changed in the 2025 drone regulations?
- Transport Canada expanded and restructured the rules covering medium drones and lower-risk operations, tightened registration and pilot certification requirements, and clarified operating conditions near people. The practical effect is that certification and compliance now matter more, not less, for anyone flying over occupied property.
- Does a drone replace a walk-through inspection?
- No. Aerial capture covers what cannot be safely reached: roof fields, upper envelope, parapets, flashings, and elevated drainage. Everything reachable is still inspected on foot. The two feed the same building record.
- Is this an engineering assessment?
- No. SENTiNEL documents observed condition and assigns urgency. Where a finding requires engineering analysis or a licensed specialist, it is referred out and the referral is recorded.
- Do we still need lift or swing stage access?
- Sometimes, but far less often for assessment. Aerial capture removes most of the cost of simply finding out what is going on up there, so lift access can be reserved for the repair itself rather than the diagnosis.
Find oversight in your area.
In-person inspections and project attendance run across the Lower Mainland and the Fraser Valley. Confirm your building's location with us before scheduling.
Greater Vancouver
Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, North and West Vancouver, New Westminster
Tri-Cities and Ridge Meadows
Coquitlam, Port Moody, Port Coquitlam, Pitt Meadows, Maple Ridge
Fraser Valley
Surrey, Delta, Langley, Abbotsford, Mission, Chilliwack
Rest of British Columbia
Remote document and report review province-wide, travel arranged case by case
Local contact
Include the building address, age, and unit count. We reply within two business days.
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