Drone roof inspections in Skokie, with no FAA red tape
Skokie sits in uncontrolled Class G airspace. The nearest controlled shelf, Class B for Chicago O'Hare International, starts about 2.3 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 Skokie?
Every roof inspection we fly has to clear the FAA first. The answer is different in every town, and in Skokie it comes out like this.
Skokie, Illinois
- Airspace class
- Class G (uncontrolled)
- Maximum altitude
- 400 ft above ground
- Approval route
- None needed
Why Skokie is one of the easy ones
Skokie 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 2.3 miles from the centre of Skokie. Cross that line and every flight needs authorization.
- Distance to controlled airspace
- 2.3 mi
- Nearest shelf
- ORD
What this means for your appointment
Nothing stands between booking and flying. We can put a Skokie roof on the schedule for the next clear-weather day and have your report out within 24 hours of the flight. Worth knowing: at only 2.3 miles from the ORD shelf, Skokie is close enough to the boundary that neighbouring addresses a few streets over can fall under it. We check yours rather than assume.
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 Skokie
Send your address and we will come back with a firm price and a flight window.
Skokie gets more hail than most of the towns we fly
Skokie takes it from both directions. Hail and damaging wind both run above the average for our service area, and the two rarely arrive separately. A roof here has been worked on 226 separate occasions in five years.
The biggest stone logged near Skokie 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.
189 damaging wind events near Skokie in five years, peaking at 75 knots, about 86 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 Skokie. These are reported events, so busier areas generate more reports. Read them as exposure, not a complete storm census.
Where we fly in Skokie
Skokie covers 10 square miles and about 65,000 people, and we cover all of it. These are the areas we get called to most.
- Downtown Skokie
- North Skokie
- West Skokie
Skokie at a glance
- Population
- 65,000
- Area covered
- 10 square miles
- Airspace
- Class G (uncontrolled)
- Maximum drone altitude
- 400 ft AGL
- Inspections from
- $150
Skokie roof inspection questions
Do you need FAA permission to inspect a roof in Skokie?
Skokie sits in uncontrolled Class G airspace. The nearest controlled shelf, Class B for Chicago O'Hare International, starts about 2.3 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 Skokie roof?
Up to the standard Part 107 limit of 400 feet above ground. Skokie has no airport shelf overhead, so nothing lowers that ceiling. A typical two-story roof is photographed from well under 150 feet anyway.
Has Skokie had enough storm damage to justify an inspection?
The National Weather Service logged 37 hail events and 189 damaging wind events within 10 miles of Skokie between 2021 and 2025. The largest hailstone reported was 1.75 inches, golf-ball sized, and the strongest gust hit 75 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 Skokie roof inspection take?
The flight itself runs 30 to 45 minutes for a typical Skokie home. Your full report, with annotated photos and thermal imagery, arrives within 24 hours.
Do you serve all of Skokie?
Yes. Skokie has a population of about 65,000, 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 Skokie and where they stand.
Ready when you are, Skokie
Inspections start at $150. Report in 24 hours.