Insurance carriers have long relied on aerial imagery to assess property risk, but not all imagery offers the same level of insight. Oblique imagery—angled aerial photos that show the sides of buildings, not just the rooftops—is gaining traction as an essential tool for property underwriting, inspections, and claims.
ZestyAI is proud to now offer oblique imagery from major imagery providers directly within our platform. That means carriers get access to the most comprehensive, up-to-date, and high-resolution views available, streamlined into a single interface, and always in context with our industry-leading property risk insights.
Why Oblique Imagery Matters
Unlike traditional top-down (orthogonal) imagery, oblique views provide side-angle perspectives that reveal critical features often missed from above. This added dimension helps insurers:
- Spot more risk factors: Identify decks, porches, attached structures, handrails, and overhangs—details that are often invisible from above but meaningful for underwriting and rating.
- Gain a more complete picture: Assess roof geometry and slope, siding condition, and visible maintenance issues without needing an in-person inspection.
- Underwrite with confidence: Reduce uncertainty in borderline or complex risks by giving underwriters a full visual context.
- Support faster claims verification: Pre-loss oblique imagery strengthens documentation, helps reduce disputes, and expedites claim handling.
As Rick Smith, Underwriting Manager at Standard Casualty, explains:
“We can get overhead and oblique shots of those locations. We can accomplish through aerial photography what we do through an on-site inspection at a fraction of the cost, which is really important for us.”
The Problem: Fragmented, Outdated, or Incomplete Views
Many carriers still rely on patchwork imagery or public sources like Google Street View.
The result?
- Coverage gaps: Rural, coastal, or wildfire-prone regions may not be frequently or adequately captured, leaving insurers with limited visibility in high-risk areas.
- Stale or seasonal views: Images can be several years old or captured in winter conditions, where snow, shadows, or vegetation obscure key features. Public tools like Google Street View are often even more outdated, sometimes by five years or more.
- No risk context: Raw imagery alone doesn't tell the full story. Without integrated risk scores or property intelligence, it’s just a picture, not a decision-making tool.
These challenges lead to slower decisions, higher inspection costs, and greater exposure to unknown risks.
ZestyAI’s Advantage: A Complete, Unified View
ZestyAI removes these roadblocks by offering a seamless, integrated oblique imagery experience, built directly into our property risk platform. Here’s what sets us apart:
- Aggregated imagery from major providers: No more relying on a single source. We deliver the widest available footprint and intelligently surface the best imagery for each property.
- Highest recency and resolution: Our platform automatically displays the most recent, clearest, and most relevant imagery available, so you never miss what matters.
- Contextualized insights: Oblique views are shown alongside our AI-powered risk scores and property features, empowering faster and more informed decisions.
- Workflow-ready: Designed for use across underwriting, inspection triage, and claims support, with full scalability for enterprise teams.
Real Impact for Carriers
Insurers using ZestyAI’s oblique imagery capabilities are already seeing measurable improvements:
- Reduced reliance on field inspections
- More accurate roof and structure classifications
- Faster quote turnaround with fewer touchpoints
- Better risk segmentation and fewer surprises at renewal
Combined with ZestyAI’s property-level risk models for perils like wildfire, severe storms, and water damage, oblique imagery helps carriers make decisions with more confidence and clarity every step of the way.
See What You’ve Been Missing
Oblique imagery adds a critical dimension to property assessment, and when it’s seamlessly integrated with ZestyAI’s AI-powered insights, the result is faster decisions, better risk selection, and more confident underwriting.
See your risk from every angle.