Drone roof inspections in Evanston, with no FAA red tape
Evanston sits in uncontrolled Class G airspace. The nearest controlled shelf, Class B for Chicago O'Hare International, starts about 6 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 Evanston?
Every roof inspection we fly has to clear the FAA first. The answer is different in every town, and in Evanston it comes out like this.
Evanston, Illinois
- Airspace class
- Class G (uncontrolled)
- Maximum altitude
- 400 ft above ground
- Approval route
- None needed
Why Evanston is one of the easy ones
Evanston 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 6 miles from the centre of Evanston. Cross that line and every flight needs authorization.
- Distance to controlled airspace
- 6 mi
- Nearest shelf
- ORD
What this means for your appointment
Nothing stands between booking and flying. We can put a Evanston 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 Evanston
Send your address and we will come back with a firm price and a flight window.
What has actually hit Evanston roofs since 2021
Evanston sits close to the middle of our service area for severe weather, with 29 hail events and 137 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 biggest stone logged near Evanston 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.
137 damaging wind events near Evanston, with the strongest gust at 70 knots, roughly 81 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 Evanston. These are reported events, so busier areas generate more reports. Read them as exposure, not a complete storm census.
Where we fly in Evanston
Evanston covers 8.5 square miles and about 75,000 people, and we cover all of it. These are the areas we get called to most.
- Downtown Evanston
- South Evanston
- North Evanston
- West Evanston
Evanston at a glance
- Population
- 75,000
- Area covered
- 8.5 square miles
- Airspace
- Class G (uncontrolled)
- Maximum drone altitude
- 400 ft AGL
- Inspections from
- $150
Evanston roof inspection questions
Do you need FAA permission to inspect a roof in Evanston?
Evanston sits in uncontrolled Class G airspace. The nearest controlled shelf, Class B for Chicago O'Hare International, starts about 6 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 Evanston roof?
Up to the standard Part 107 limit of 400 feet above ground. Evanston has no airport shelf overhead, so nothing lowers that ceiling. A typical two-story roof is photographed from well under 150 feet anyway.
Has Evanston had enough storm damage to justify an inspection?
The National Weather Service logged 29 hail events and 137 damaging wind events within 10 miles of Evanston between 2021 and 2025. The largest hailstone reported was 1.75 inches, golf-ball sized, and the strongest gust hit 70 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 Evanston roof inspection take?
The flight itself runs 30 to 45 minutes for a typical Evanston home. Your full report, with annotated photos and thermal imagery, arrives within 24 hours.
Do you serve all of Evanston?
Yes. Evanston has a population of about 75,000, 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 Evanston and where they stand.
Ready when you are, Evanston
Inspections start at $150. Report in 24 hours.