How Much to Charge for Drone Photography
Drone photography typically runs $150–$400 for a real estate shoot, $300–$800 for a commercial or construction progress flight, $400–$1,200 for a roof or infrastructure inspection with a report, and $500–$2,000+ for mapping and orthomosaic deliverables. Price the deliverable and the processing time, not the 20 minutes of flight — and price Part 107 certification and insurance into every job.
Pricing by job type
| Job type | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Real estate aerial stills | $150–$400 |
| Commercial / construction progress | $300–$800 |
| Roof or infrastructure inspection + report | $400–$1,200 |
| Mapping / orthomosaic | $500–$2,000+ |
Price the deliverable, not the flight
Twenty minutes in the air can mean eight hours of processing. Mapping, stitching, and report writing are the actual labor — a per-flight-hour rate systematically underprices the work that matters.
Certification and insurance are part of the price
Part 107 certification, recurrent training, and liability coverage are real costs you pay every year. They’re also what separates you from the neighbor with a hobby drone — so price like the licensed operator you are, not like you’re doing someone a favor.
Recurring beats one-off
A construction site photographed monthly for 14 months is one sale and 14 invoices — that’s the whole pitch for chasing contracts instead of one-off shoots.
Related: drone services invoicing software.
Frequently asked questions
Why is inspection work priced higher than real estate?
Because you're delivering findings, not images. An inspection includes a structured flight plan, a written report, and professional liability for what you did or didn't identify. That's a different product than 12 pretty photos.
Should I price by flight time?
No. A 20-minute flight can produce eight hours of processing on a mapping job. Price the deliverable — the images, the report, the orthomosaic — with processing time built in.
How do I price recurring construction flights?
As a monthly contract at a per-flight rate with a term commitment. Progress documentation runs the length of the build, and a recurring contract is worth more to you than the same flights sold one at a time.