California woman loses home insurance after drone spots mess during renovations... anyone else have this happen?

So I just came across this article about a woman who had her home insurance dropped after a drone flew over her house and spotted a mess during renovations. Has anyone else had this happen? It seems pretty wild that drones are now being used like this.

I know someone who works for one of these companies. They’ve been using drones to ‘inspect’ roofs for a while now. You’ll get a letter saying your roof needs replacing or they’ll cancel your policy. It’s happening a lot more lately.

@Teal
To be fair, home insurance companies have done this forever. They used to send someone to physically check the roof, but now drones just make it easier. My parents had to replace their roof this way about 10 years ago.

@Max
Yeah, the big difference is they can do way more inspections with drones. One person with a drone can check 20 houses in the time it used to take them to inspect just one roof.

Emory said:
@Max
Yeah, the big difference is they can do way more inspections with drones. One person with a drone can check 20 houses in the time it used to take them to inspect just one roof.

And don’t forget AI. Sometimes there isn’t even a person reviewing the photos before they send you a notice.

@Corey
I can confirm that! I know someone who worked for a company developing AI to estimate insurance costs using satellite images. It’s one thing if they use it to set an initial price, but changing your policy based on AI images? That’s a bit much.

@Timber
I remember a story where someone was told to replace their roof because of ‘extensive damage’ that turned out to be a shadow in a satellite photo. It’s ridiculous.

@Max
But they can’t just inspect your roof without telling you, right? I thought an inspector had to arrange a visit.

Wes said:
@Max
But they can’t just inspect your roof without telling you, right? I thought an inspector had to arrange a visit.

They don’t have to go inside. Lots of appraisals are done without anyone entering the home.

@Ren
True, but drones still need to have line of sight, so you won’t see them flying around in the woods or super remote areas.

Scout said:
@Ren
True, but drones still need to have line of sight, so you won’t see them flying around in the woods or super remote areas.

Yeah, just imagine someone walking up with a giant camera on a stick to inspect your roof instead of a drone. Same idea, though!

@Max
In the old days, they’d send a ‘psychic’ inspector to check out the roof? Just kidding… but really, didn’t they just do physical inspections before drones?

Arden said:
@Max
In the old days, they’d send a ‘psychic’ inspector to check out the roof? Just kidding… but really, didn’t they just do physical inspections before drones?

Haha, no, not psychic. They would just send an inspector when your policy was up for renewal. It’s totally normal.

@Max
Psychic vs physical – funny mix-up there!

Lane said:
@Max
Psychic vs physical – funny mix-up there!

Here’s a video about that for anyone curious! https://storage.googleapis.com/gtv-videos-bucket/sample/TearsOfSteel.mp4

Dallas said:

Lane said:
@Max
Psychic vs physical – funny mix-up there!

Here’s a video about that for anyone curious! https://storage.googleapis.com/gtv-videos-bucket/sample/TearsOfSteel.mp4

Haha, yeah, I was just making a joke, but the reply was serious, so I had to clear that up.

@Max
So, no palm reading involved? :joy:

@Teal
I had an inspector use a phone on a long stick to check my roof once. They said some algae was ‘damage’ and that I needed a whole new roof. I just hired someone to clean the roof and switched insurance companies. They really make you jump through hoops.

@Bailey
Yeah, the insurance company probably wanted you to switch. They’re either not making enough money off you or they want to get you onto a more expensive plan. I bet your new plan costs more or covers less.

@Kirby
Spot on. My first company left the state, so my policy was taken over by another company. When I made a claim, the process was awful, and then they tried to raise my premium from $1,700 to $5,500! Eventually, I found another company that worked out better, but it’s still more expensive than what I had originally.