Commercial roofing estimates are won or lost at the takeoff—and today, owners and estimators are being asked to move faster with fewer resources, fewer site visits, and less margin for error.
That’s why GeoSpatial Integrations (GSI) and Innovative Roofing Systems are bringing an estimator-first session to the 2026 International Roofing Expo (IRE): a practical workflow for using drones + 3D models to produce estimate-grade roof deliverables your team can actually use. IRE 2026 runs January 20–22, 2026, at the Las Vegas Convention Center (West Hall).
See us at IRE 2026
· Session: Drone Innovation in Roof Estimating and 3-D Modeling
· When: Wednesday, January 21, 2026 | 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM
· Where: Show Floor Education — Booth #5245
· Session Code: P4
· Track: Listed under the Pro Contractor Pavilion schedule
What you’ll learn: an estimator-friendly workflow (not “cool tech”)
We’ll break down a repeatable, estimator-first process for turning drone capture into estimate-grade outputs—so your team gets usable takeoff inputs without adding chaos to the day.
You’ll see how to produce:
· Measurable ortho imagery for takeoff, markup, and scope clarity
· Clean roof overviews that make complexity and access constraints obvious (fast)
· A usable 3D model that improves collaboration—without becoming a “science project.”
Two lenses: the practical roofer’s view and the technical “make it easy” view
David Bolin leads with the part most contractors care about first: how simple this can be when it’s built for estimating. He’s not approaching it like a tech demo—he’s approaching it like a roofer who needs the takeoff done, the scope clean, and the team aligned. He’ll show how he uses the outputs on flat commercial roofs to estimate faster and collaborate with confidence—without turning your process into something you have to babysit.
Kerrick Willis will address the technical implementation, prioritizing workflow adoption and usability for roofing teams. He will simplify key aspects of aerial data and 3D modeling for estimating, highlight methods for maintaining consistent deliverables, and show how scalable approaches can benefit multifamily projects—helping reduce ladder setups, streamline scope work, and facilitate easy sharing across teams.
(You’ll find the session listed with both speakers in the IRE program.
Who this is for
If you’ve ever said any of these, you’re in the right room:
· “We need the takeoff faster, but we can’t afford mistakes.”
· “We’re doing too many site visits just to answer basic questions.”
· “We have photos… but they don’t translate into a clean scope.”
· “We need something estimators can use—not a new internal tool to babysit.”
Quick takeaway promise
You’ll leave with a clear blueprint you can apply immediately:
· What to capture
· What deliverables to generate
· How to utilize results so that estimating, ops, and leadership stay aligned