Drone roof inspections in Downers Grove, with no FAA red tape
Downers Grove sits in uncontrolled Class G airspace. The nearest controlled shelf, Class B for Chicago O'Hare International, starts about 7.3 miles away, so no FAA authorization is needed over your roof and we can fly the day you book.
Can a drone legally fly over your roof in Downers Grove?
Every roof inspection we fly has to clear the FAA first. The answer is different in every town, and in Downers Grove it comes out like this.
Downers Grove, Illinois
- Airspace class
- Class G (uncontrolled)
- Maximum altitude
- 400 ft above ground
- Approval route
- None needed
Why Downers Grove is one of the easy ones
Downers Grove does not fall under any airport's controlled airspace shelf. The FAA publishes no altitude grid over the town at all, which means there is no authorization to request and no ceiling below the standard 400 ft limit. We launch, we fly the roof, we land.
It is closer than you would think, though. The nearest controlled airspace is the Class B shelf for Chicago O'Hare International, whose edge sits about 7.3 miles from the centre of Downers Grove. Cross that line and every flight needs authorization.
- Distance to controlled airspace
- 7.3 mi
- Nearest shelf
- ORD
What this means for your appointment
Nothing stands between booking and flying. We can put a Downers Grove roof on the schedule for the next clear-weather day and have your report out within 24 hours of the flight.
Source: FAA UAS Facility Map, the dataset LAANC providers check before approving a flight. Altitudes are feet above ground level. We hold FAA Part 107 certification and file every authorization ourselves, at no extra charge to you.
Book a drone roof inspection in Downers Grove
Send your address and we will come back with a firm price and a flight window.
What has actually hit Downers Grove roofs since 2021
Downers Grove sits close to the middle of our service area for severe weather, with 31 hail events and 155 damaging wind events reported in five years. Steady exposure rather than dramatic, which is exactly the pattern that gets ignored until a ceiling stains.
The largest stone reported near Downers Grove measured 2.5 inches, between a hen egg and a tennis ball. That is comfortably past the threshold where asphalt shingles bruise, and bruising is the damage that costs you a claim deadline because nobody spotted it in time.
155 damaging wind events near Downers Grove, with the strongest gust at 83 knots, roughly 96 mph. Enough to break seal strips on older shingles, not usually enough to strip a slope.
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, 2021-2025. Every hail and thunderstorm wind event whose reported location falls within 10 miles of Downers Grove. These are reported events, so busier areas generate more reports. Read them as exposure, not a complete storm census.
Where we fly in Downers Grove
Downers Grove covers 14 square miles and about 49,000 people, and we cover all of it. These are the areas we get called to most.
- Downtown Downers Grove
- North Downers Grove
- West Downers Grove
Downers Grove at a glance
- Population
- 49,000
- Area covered
- 14 square miles
- Airspace
- Class G (uncontrolled)
- Maximum drone altitude
- 400 ft AGL
- Inspections from
- $150
Downers Grove roof inspection questions
Do you need FAA permission to inspect a roof in Downers Grove?
Downers Grove sits in uncontrolled Class G airspace. The nearest controlled shelf, Class B for Chicago O'Hare International, starts about 7.3 miles away, so no FAA authorization is needed over your roof and we can fly the day you book.
How high can your drone fly over my Downers Grove roof?
Up to the standard Part 107 limit of 400 feet above ground. Downers Grove has no airport shelf overhead, so nothing lowers that ceiling. A typical two-story roof is photographed from well under 150 feet anyway.
Has Downers Grove had enough storm damage to justify an inspection?
The National Weather Service logged 31 hail events and 155 damaging wind events within 10 miles of Downers Grove between 2021 and 2025. The largest hailstone reported was 2.5 inches, hen-egg to tennis-ball sized, and the strongest gust hit 83 knots. Hail that size bruises shingles without breaking them, which is why roofs in this area tend to fail a few years after the storm that actually caused it rather than during it.
How long does a Downers Grove roof inspection take?
The flight itself runs 30 to 45 minutes for a typical Downers Grove home. Your full report, with annotated photos and thermal imagery, arrives within 24 hours.
Do you serve all of Downers Grove?
Yes. Downers Grove has a population of about 49,000, and we cover the whole municipality. Inspections start at $150.
Closest towns we also fly
The FAA rules change as you cross municipal lines. These are the nearest towns to Downers Grove and where they stand.
Ready when you are, Downers Grove
Inspections start at $150. Report in 24 hours.