Who we are
Drone Building Inspection and Surveying Services Ltd (DBISS), company no. 13629883, 8 Ritcroft Street, Hemel Hempstead HP3 8PF, is the controller of your personal data. Our data protection contact is Andrew Parker: info@dbiss.uk, 07572 190983.
What we collect
- Enquiry and booking details: your name, email address, phone number, the property address and postcode, its value or agreed price, the survey you want, preferred dates, access arrangements, how you heard about us and anything you tell us in a message.
- Details from estate agents and conveyancers: if your agent or conveyancer refers you, they give us your name and contact details and the property details, at your request.
- Details from survey comparison websites: if you ask for quotes through a lead website (for example Local Surveyors Direct, Compare My Move, Local Building Surveyors, reallymoving or RICS Find a Surveyor), that website passes us your contact details and the property details.
- Other people at the property: our photographs and drone images are of the property, but sellers, occupiers or neighbours may sometimes appear in them. We avoid this where we can and do not use images to identify anyone.
- Survey records: the surveyor's notes and dictation, photographs and drone images of the property, measurements, the report and our correspondence with you.
- Payment and accounting records: fees, invoices and payment confirmations. Card payments are handled by our payment provider; we never see or store your full card details.
- Website data: our website does not use advertising or analytics cookies. Our hosting and security provider processes technical data, such as IP addresses, to deliver the site and protect it from abuse.
Why we use it, and our lawful basis
| Purpose | Lawful basis |
|---|---|
| Giving you a price, arranging and carrying out your survey, issuing the report and answering questions | Contract, or steps you asked us to take before a contract |
| Keeping the records RICS requires, dealing with complaints and defending legal claims | Our legitimate interests (meeting our regulatory duties and defending claims) |
| Invoicing, accounting and tax | Legal obligation |
| Contacting clients referred by an agent or conveyancer | Our legitimate interests (you asked them to refer you) |
| Telling your agent or conveyancer when the inspection is booked and the report issued | Your consent, which you can withdraw at any time |
| Up to two reminders about your quote, and one request for a review after your survey | Our legitimate interests. You can opt out on the booking form, by the link in each email, or by replying "stop" |
| Occasional maintenance tips and news | Your consent, which you can withdraw at any time |
| Improving our service, including anonymised analysis of our reports (for example our construction map, which shows no addresses) | Our legitimate interests |
Do you have to give us your details?
We need your contact details and the property address to give you a price and carry out the survey. Without them we cannot provide the service. Everything else is optional.
Who we share it with
We share personal data only where needed:
- Service providers who act for us, under contracts that require them to protect your data: our online booking, e-signature and payment system; our email, file storage and website hosting and security providers; our accounting software and accountants; and IT support.
- AI tools used for transcription and report drafting under the surveyor's control. See our AI statement.
- Your agent or conveyancer, only with your consent, and only about progress.
- RICS, CEDR, our professional indemnity insurers and legal advisers, where needed for regulation, complaints or claims.
- Authorities, where the law requires it.
We do not sell your data.
International transfers
Some of our providers, including AI and software providers, may process data outside the UK, for example in the United States. Where they do, we rely on UK adequacy regulations (such as the UK extension to the EU–US Data Privacy Framework) or the safeguards approved by the Information Commissioner, such as the International Data Transfer Agreement or Addendum.
How long we keep it
| Record | Retention |
|---|---|
| Survey reports, notes, photographs and correspondence | 15 years after the report, because claims can be made for many years |
| Drone images not used in a report | Up to 30 days |
| Audio dictation | Until transcribed, and never more than 6 months |
| Invoices and accounting records | 7 years |
| Enquiries and quotes that do not go ahead | 2 years |
| Complaints | 7 years after the complaint is resolved |
| Marketing consent | Until you withdraw it, and then only a record that you did |
Your rights
You have the right to ask for a copy of your data, to have it corrected, erased or restricted, to object to our use of it, to data portability, and to withdraw consent at any time. Some rights are limited where we must keep records, for example for RICS or tax purposes. To make a request, contact info@dbiss.uk. We respond within one month.
Complaints about how we use your data
Please contact us first at info@dbiss.uk or through our complaints procedure. We acknowledge data protection complaints within 30 days and respond without undue delay. You can also complain to the Information Commissioner's Office: ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint, 0303 123 1113.
Security
We protect personal data with appropriate technical and organisational measures, including access controls, encrypted connections and secure storage. Reports are sent to you directly and are not published.
Changes
We update this notice when our services or suppliers change. The date at the bottom shows when it was last updated.
Updated 23 September 2026