Drone roof inspections in Elmhurst, flown to your block's altitude limit
Elmhurst is split across 4 different FAA altitude bands, from 100 ft up to 400 ft. Which one your house falls in decides how we fly it, so we check your address before we schedule.
Can a drone legally fly over your roof in Elmhurst?
Every roof inspection we fly has to clear the FAA first. The answer is different in every town, and in Elmhurst it comes out like this.
Elmhurst, Illinois
- Airspace class
- Class B
- Controlling airport
- Chicago O'Hare International (ORD)
- Maximum altitude
- 400 ft above ground
- FAA grid squares over town
- 38
- Approval route
- LAANC, usually under a minute
How high we can fly, block by block
The FAA cuts Elmhurst into 38 grid squares and assigns each one a maximum drone altitude. Here is how the whole city breaks down.
What this means for your appointment
Your address decides the flight plan. On a 400 ft block we photograph the whole roof in one pass. On a 100 ft block we fly lower and tighter, which takes longer but produces the same report. We confirm which one you are on before we quote you a time.
Source: FAA UAS Facility Map, the dataset LAANC providers check before approving a flight. Grid effective 1/26/2023. 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 Elmhurst
Send your address and we will come back with a firm price and a flight window.
Wind is what damages roofs in Elmhurst
Wind is the story in Elmhurst. 200 damaging thunderstorm wind events against an area average of 151, with hail running closer to normal. Wind damage tends to be missed entirely, because a lifted shingle usually lays back down looking fine.
The biggest stone logged near Elmhurst was 1.75 inches, golf-ball sized. It is the size that fools people. It bounces off, the roof looks untouched, and the bruised mat underneath fails two winters later.
200 damaging wind events near Elmhurst in five years, peaking at 83 knots, about 96 mph. At that speed tabs lift and reseat, breaking the seal strip underneath. The roof looks identical afterwards and is measurably weaker.
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 Elmhurst. These are reported events, so busier areas generate more reports. Read them as exposure, not a complete storm census.
Where we fly in Elmhurst
Elmhurst covers 10 square miles and about 46,000 people, and we cover all of it. These are the areas we get called to most.
- Downtown Elmhurst
- North Elmhurst
- South Elmhurst
Elmhurst at a glance
- Population
- 46,000
- Area covered
- 10 square miles
- Airspace
- Class B
- Maximum drone altitude
- 400 ft AGL
- Inspections from
- $150
Elmhurst roof inspection questions
Do you need FAA permission to inspect a roof in Elmhurst?
Elmhurst is split across 4 different FAA altitude bands, from 100 ft up to 400 ft. Which one your house falls in decides how we fly it, so we check your address before we schedule.
How high can your drone fly over my Elmhurst roof?
It depends on your block. Elmhurst's grid runs from 100 feet up to 400 feet. We look up your address on the FAA map before the visit, and a lower ceiling never means a worse report, only a slower flight.
Which airport controls the airspace over Elmhurst?
Chicago O'Hare International. Elmhurst sits under its Class B airspace, which is why a drone flight here needs authorization at all. We file that request through LAANC as your FAA-certified operator, so there is nothing for you to submit.
Has Elmhurst had enough storm damage to justify an inspection?
The National Weather Service logged 28 hail events and 200 damaging wind events within 10 miles of Elmhurst between 2021 and 2025. The largest hailstone reported was 1.75 inches, golf-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 Elmhurst roof inspection take?
The flight itself runs 30 to 45 minutes for a typical Elmhurst home, a little longer on the lower-ceiling blocks where we fly closer to the roof. Your full report, with annotated photos and thermal imagery, arrives within 24 hours.
Do you serve all of Elmhurst?
Yes. Elmhurst has a population of about 46,000, 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 Elmhurst and where they stand.
Ready when you are, Elmhurst
Inspections start at $150. Report in 24 hours.