At least one company uses computer models to inspect these photos and flag moldy roofs, askew tree branches and missing shingles. Insurers then notify homeowners their policies may not be renewed.
While it’s unclear how many homes are under surveillance, the number could be massive — and growing. One aerial imaging technology company common among insurers says it has eyes on 99.6% of the country’s population.
Faced with more extreme weather and costlier damage to homes, insurers are increasingly relying on new technologies like aerial images to evaluate policies — and in some cases, to forgo risk. Between 2020 and 2023, the rate at which insurers in Texas chose to not renew home insurance policies almost doubled.
A bunch of people in California have already lost coverage due to this and claiming fire risk. Fucking bullshit.
And don’t think hiding your address on maps will help. We had a helicopter circle every neighborhood photographing houses earlier this year.
The insurance denial market is in full swing.
It’s not just helicopters. Commercial satellite imaging is good enough to detect mold and askew shingles (usually more through running the image over multiple angles and finding reflectance differences)
I worked for a company that does large scale construction updates based on SAR and Maxtor reflectance data, it’s pretty terrifying how accurate it is.