Drone Technology in Insurance

Published evidence showing how aerial inspection accelerates claims, improves underwriting accuracy, reduces fraud, and lowers loss adjustment expense

AT A GLANCE

SERVICE

Independent  Aerial Evidence for Property Insurance

INDUSTRIES

Insurance -  Property Claims, Underwriting, Risk Assessment

REGIONS

South East  Queensland & Victoria (storm, hail, flood exposure)

TECHNOLOGY

DJI Matrice 4T  - 48MP Zoom, Thermal, 3D Mapping

30%

Lower Loss Adj. Expense (AWS)

40%

Faster Underwriting (AWS)

10x

Faster Than Manual (CBInsights)

$7B

Potential Annual Savings (Intellias)

⚡  KEY TAKEAWAY

An Amazon Web Services case study found insurers using drone technology achieved approximately 30% reduction in loss adjustment expense and 40% faster  underwriting inspection turnaround. CBInsights data shows drone inspections  are 10x faster than traditional methods. [1] [2]

WHYINSURANCE NEEDS BETTER INSPECTION DATA

Property insurance depends on accurate assessment of building condition - for underwriting, claims adjustment, and fraud prevention.Traditional methods require adjusters to physically climb roofs or hire cherry pickers, creating safety risks, scheduling delays, and inconsistent documentation.

After catastrophic weather events - hailstorms, cyclones,flooding - the volume of claims overwhelms traditional inspection capacity.Queensland and Victoria are among Australia’s most weather-exposed states, with frequent severe storm events driving high volumes of property claims.

THEEVIDENCE: PUBLISHED RESULTS

Hastings Mutual Insurance Company, serving six US states,documented their implementation of EagleView Assess™, an autonomous drone-based roof inspection system. They reported elimination of costly ladder-assistservices, faster claims resolution by removing scheduling delays, improvedadjuster report consistency, and greater safety. Critically, the drone system provided complete roof anomaly analysis, removing reliance on intermediaries’ subjective interpretation. [3]

FlyGuys, a national US drone inspection network, reported thatdrones are now being used across the entire policy lifecycle - from initialproperty assessments through to post-storm inspections. For underwriters,aerial imagery documents roof conditions and structural wear. For adjusters,drones reduce physical roof access needs and provide complete site coverage.Pre- and post-event imagery comparison enables fraud detection by validating whether damage is new or pre-existing. [4]

Ethos Risk reported that AI-powered drone analytics can nowclassify damage severity automatically, enabling adjusters to focus on complexcases. They noted that systematic underwriting surveys using drones make it practical to inspect hundreds of properties on a recurring basis. [1]

💰   FINANCIAL IMPACT

Intellias estimated that better aerial data collection could save the insurance  industry up to $7 billion annually through faster processing, reduced fraud,  and more accurate risk assessment. Drone inspections in oil and gas have  proven 85% faster and cheaper than human-led methods. [2]

INSURANCE APPLICATIONS FOR DRONE DATA

•  Pre-risk underwriting - aerial assessment of roof condition, structural wear, and property hazards before policy issuance [4]

•  Post-event claims - rapid damage documentation after storms, hail, or flooding with timestamped, geotagged imagery [1]

•  Fraud prevention - pre/post comparison imagery validates whether damage is new or pre-existing [4]

•  Thermal moisture detection - identify water ingress beneath membranes that may not be visible in standard photos [5]

•  Portfolio risk monitoring - recurring aerial surveys flag deterioration across property portfolios before claims occur [1]

•  Loss adjustment - comprehensive photo evidence reduces disputes and accelerates settlement [3]

HOW ALTIMAR SOLUTIONS DELIVERS THIS

Altimar Solutions provides independent aerial inspection data for insurance applications:

•  Pre-risk property surveys with 48MP zoom imagery documenting roof condition, structural wear, and site hazards

•  Post-event damage assessment with timestamped, geotagged aeria levidence for claims support

•  Thermal imaging to detect moisture ingress and insulation damage not visible in standard photography

•  3D models enabling accurate area measurements for damage quantification without return site visits

•  All data delivered via the Altimar IQ dashboard(iq.altimar.com.au) with exportable reports for claims files

SOURCES & REFERENCES

[1]  Ethos Risk — “Drone Advancements in Claims Investigations” (AWS case study: 30% lower LAE, 40% faster underwriting,2025)

https://ethosrisk.com/blog/drone-advancements-in-claims-investigations/

[2]  Intellias — “How to Use Drones for Insurance Inspections” ($7B potential savings, 10x faster)

https://intellias.com/how-to-use-drones-for-insurance-inspections/

[3]  EagleView — Hastings Mutual Insurance Case Study (drone-based roof claims)

https://www.eagleview.com/insurance/hastings-mutual-insurance-company-and-eagleview-assess-a-case-study-for-successful-drone-based-roof-claims/

[4]  FlyGuys — “How Insurance Companies Are Using Drones to Transform Claims” (2025)

https://flyguys.com/how-insurance-companies-are-using-drones-to-transform-claims-and-inspections/

[5]  InsurTech Digital — “Investigating Insurance Claims: A Drone’s Point of View” (2022)

https://insurtechdigital.com/insurtech/investigating-insurance-claims-a-drones-point-of-view

Want to see what this technology could find on your building?

Altimar Solutions provides drone-based aerial intelligence for commercial and industrial buildings, environmental sites, and coastal areas across South East Queensland and Victoria. We use a DJI Matrice 4T with thermal, zoom, and 3D mapping to help you detect problems before they become emergencies.

Book a free 15-minute consultation  → hello@altimar.com.au

altimar.com.au  |  iq.altimar.com.au

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