Across the U.S., insurance companies are using aerial images of homes as a tool to ditch properties seen as higher risk.

Nearly every building in the country is being photographed, often without the owner’s knowledge. Companies are deploying drones , manned airplanes and high-altitude balloons to take images of properties. No place is shielded: The industry-funded Geospatial Insurance Consortium has an airplane imagery program it says covers 99% of the U.S. population.

The array of photos is being sorted by computer models to spy out underwriting no-nos, such as damaged roof shingles, yard debris, overhanging tree branches and undeclared swimming pools or trampolines. The red-flagged images are providing insurers with ammunition for nonrenewal notices nationwide.

…Aerial images are expected to become increasingly detailed and frequent. If satellite launches go as planned, images could be updated daily by 2030, according to Neil Pearson, a consultant who works with imagery companies.

“It could get interesting from a privacy standpoint as…a property could be monitored daily at high resolution,” he said. “It is a bit Orwellian.”

Read more:

Tambunan, A. (2024, April 6). Insurers Are Spying on Your Home From the Sky. Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com/real-estate/home-insurance-aerial-images-37a18b16