Every roofing photo is taken at someone's home. Before-and-after shots and drone footage can show house numbers, cars, backyards, children's toys and the neighbours' windows. The simple rule is to ask first, in writing, explain where the footage will be used, keep personal details out of the frame, and store the permission next to the photos. That protects the homeowner, protects your company and keeps the referral goodwill you earned on the job.
Important: Roofing.Media is a marketing service, not a law firm. This guide gives practical marketing practices and links to official sources. For legal questions about privacy, consent or property, speak to a lawyer in your province.
Why consent matters for roofing marketing
Consent is the right thing to do and the practical thing to do. Three reasons stand out.
- Trust is your product. A homeowner who finds their house in your ads without being asked will tell neighbours, and that is the opposite of the referral you want.
- Drones raise the stakes. An aerial view shows far more than a ground photo: backyards, pools, neighbouring properties. Transport Canada's privacy guidelines for drone users make clear that privacy laws apply to images and video a drone collects, even when the laws do not mention drones by name.
- Your library outlives your memory. Photos get reused for years. Written permission in the job folder answers the question "were we allowed to use this?" long after the crew lead has moved on.
What Transport Canada's privacy guidelines ask of drone users
Transport Canada's guidance, summarised in our own words:
- Be accountable. The pilot is responsible for the personal information the drone collects.
- Limit collection. Do not capture personal information you do not need, and anonymise people captured without consent, for example by blurring faces or licence plates.
- Give notice and get consent. If you are likely to capture personal information, take reasonable steps to inform people and get their consent. Commercial operators should make sure people understand what they are agreeing to.
- Store securely. Take reasonable steps so no one else can access recordings that contain personal information.
- Be open and responsive. Respond to privacy complaints with respect and courtesy.
Transport Canada's where-to-fly page also recommends getting permission from building owners or occupants before flying near or over buildings. For the aviation side, see our drone rules guide.
Which privacy laws are in the background
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada explains that the federal private-sector law, PIPEDA, covers commercial activity in most provinces and territories. Alberta, British Columbia and Quebec have their own private-sector privacy laws, and in those provinces PIPEDA generally does not apply to organisations operating entirely within the province, unless personal information crosses provincial or national borders. Transport Canada's guidance notes the same split.
We name these laws so you know they exist. We do not interpret them. If you need to know exactly what applies to your company, ask a lawyer or the relevant privacy commissioner.
A practical consent routine for every job
- Ask at contract signing. Add a plain-language line to your quote or contract asking permission to photograph and film the work for marketing, with a tick box for yes or no.
- Offer limits. Let the homeowner choose: aerials only, no house number, no people, no street view, or full permission.
- Confirm before filming. A short text the day before the shoot, using a template, reminds them and gives a last chance to change their mind.
- Record it. Save the signed line or the text reply in the job folder in your photo library, with the date and any limits.
- Respect it in the edit. Blur what was excluded. If permission was "no", the footage stays internal.
- Honour removal requests. If a homeowner later asks for removal, take the content down promptly and note it in the folder.
A sample consent text (template)
Replace the bracketed placeholders with your own details:
Hi [Homeowner first name], this is [Your name] from [Business name]. Before we start your roof on [Date], may we take photos and video of the work, including drone shots from above, to show on our website and social media? We never show faces, licence plates or your house number unless you say it's okay. Reply YES, NO, or tell us any limits. Thanks!
Keep it short and friendly, and never pressure. A "no" costs you one gallery entry; a forced "yes" can cost you a reputation.
What to keep out of frame or blur
- Faces of homeowners, family members, neighbours and passers-by (unless specific permission is given)
- Licence plates in driveways and on the street
- House numbers and street signs that identify the address
- Anything visible through windows
- Neighbouring backyards, pools and patios
- Your own crew's faces, if a crew member has asked not to appear
Neighbours: the overlooked part
Neighbours have not agreed to anything. A courtesy knock or a note on the door before a drone flight goes a long way, and the pilot should frame and fly to keep their property out of shot. If a neighbour objects, stop and talk; no aerial shot is worth a complaint.
Storing footage safely
Consent covers what you publish; storage covers what you keep. Transport Canada asks drone users to keep recordings with personal information away from anyone who should not see them. In practice:
- keep job footage in one company account with access limited to the people who need it
- avoid leaving raw drone files on personal phones or shared laptops
- delete obviously unneeded personal footage, such as accidental shots of neighbours, during the edit
- keep the consent record in the same folder as the footage it covers
Common mistakes
- Relying on a verbal "sure, go ahead" with no record.
- Publishing a wide aerial that shows half the street.
- Using a homeowner's words in a caption as if they were a review. Do not script or publish quotes; let real reviews happen on Google.
- Forgetting that crew members are people too: ask before featuring their faces.
Consent is built into every shoot we plan through our drone photo program and project films. To set up a routine your office can run, call, text or email.
Frequently asked questions
Is a verbal yes from the homeowner enough?
It is better than nothing, but a written record is far safer. A short text or a line in the signed contract, kept in the job folder, means nobody has to rely on memory when a photo is used two years later.
Can we photograph the outside of a house from the street without asking?
Whatever the legal position in a given case, asking is better practice and better business. A homeowner who discovers their house on your website without being asked is unlikely to recommend you. Ask a lawyer if you need a legal answer.
What about neighbours who appear in drone footage?
Frame them out wherever possible and blur anything identifiable that remains, such as faces, licence plates and house numbers. Transport Canada's privacy guidelines ask drone users to limit collection and anonymise people captured without consent.
Can a homeowner change their mind later?
Plan for it. Record the date of permission, and if a homeowner asks you to remove their photos, take them down promptly and note it in the library. Being responsive to privacy concerns is part of Transport Canada's guidance too.
Which privacy law applies to my roofing company?
It depends on where you operate. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada explains that Alberta, British Columbia and Quebec have their own private-sector privacy laws, while PIPEDA applies in most other provinces and territories. A lawyer can tell you which applies to you.