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Roof survey with a drone / Roof Measurement with a Drone

How to fly over roofs with a DJI drone to create accurate 3D measurements with the 3D building survey service.

Written by Simon Heuschkel

This guide explains step by step how to survey roofs accurately with the DJI Mini 3 Pro or newer DJI Mini Pro models. Our 3D building survey service then turns the photos into a 3D model for PV planning.

For general operating instructions, see the DJI Mini 4 Pro user manual.

1. On-site preparation

  1. Choose a safe take-off spot (flat, free of obstacles).

  2. Carefully take the drone out of its case or bag and remove the gimbal protector.

  3. Controller with smartphone: Connect the smartphone to the controller and open the DJI Fly app. A tablet also works and gives you a better overview.
    ​Controller with screen: Turn on the controller.

  4. Turn on the drone, link it to the controller and make sure GPS and compass are calibrated and active.

  5. In the DJI Fly app, go to Settings > Camera > Hyperlapse and select JPEG as the photo type. Only then does the drone save the original photos and not just the hyperlapse video.

2. Survey with a Hyperlapse circle flight

The Hyperlapse mode Circle works best for square buildings such as detached or terraced houses.

  1. Fly into position: Position the drone to the side of the building and set the gimbal tilt (the camera angle) to −45° to −60°. The roof and facades must be in view.

  2. Select the circle flight: Tap the shooting mode icon on the right of the screen (e.g. Single) and select Hyperlapse > Circle. Set:

    • Interval: 2 s

    • Length: 3–4 s (approx. 75–100 photos)

    • Speed: 0.5–1 m/s (max. 2 m/s)

  3. Select the subject (POI): Drag-select the centre of the roof on the screen or press the C1 button on the controller. Under Rotation you set the direction in which the drone circles.

  4. Start recording: Press the record button. The drone automatically flies around the building and takes photos. You can adjust the height and camera angle during the flight.

Tips:

  • Adjust the tilt with the gimbal dial on the back left of the controller.

  • A gimbal angle of −90° points straight down. At −45° to −60° the camera looks at the roof at an angle and also captures the facade.

  • More tilt shows more facade and less roof.

  • Don't fly too close to the roof: more context (roof + facade) improves the model.

  • Make sure every relevant element is in the photos. Anything that isn't in the photos can't be built in the model.

  • All photos need GPS coordinates, because we use them to calculate the dimensions of the 3D model. Photos without GPS coordinates are filtered out.

  • If an error message appears, you can select the subject again.

  • Watch out for obstacles before and during the flight (trees, birds, vehicles).

2B. Interval shots as an alternative to the circle flight

The non-Pro models of the DJI Mini series and drones older than the DJI Mini 3 don't support the Hyperlapse circle flight. Fly the drone around the building manually and use interval shots: the drone takes photos at a fixed interval, we recommend every 2 to 3 seconds.

2C. Large, rectangular buildings (apartment blocks, industrial sites)

Circle flights are usually not suitable for large buildings or sites. Here we recommend the flight modes Oblique, Smart Oblique or 3D photogrammetry (Double Grid), which are mostly only supported by enterprise drones:

  • Draw the flight area as a polygon in the flight app or on the controller.

  • Gimbal angle: −45° to −60°

  • Overlap: side 70 %, forward 80 %

  • Flight altitude: not too close, so that roof and facade are in the frame together.

3. Quality check after the flight

Open the photos and check:

  • Are all roof areas and their details fully visible?

  • Is the facade clearly visible?

  • Are no edges cut off?

  • Are the images sharp and correctly exposed?

  • Are there individual JPEG images with GPS data (no video)?

  • Do all images form one continuous series?

4. Saving and uploading the photos

  1. Photos from a Hyperlapse circle flight: The DJI Fly app only shows the finished hyperlapse video. Transfer the individual photos directly from the microSD card:

    1. Remove the microSD card and connect it to your computer. Alternatively, connect the drone to the computer via USB-C.

    2. Open the folder DCIM > Hyperlapse.

  2. Photos from interval shots: You can also download these to your smartphone or tablet with the DJI Fly app. Open the album in the app, select the photos and download them.

  3. Optional: put the files into a ZIP file.

  4. Upload the photos to the 3D building survey service. It turns your drone photos into a 3D building survey.

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