How Much Does a Drone Survey Cost?
In recent years, drones have transformed industries by making tasks faster, safer, and more efficient. Yet, when people talk about drone surveys, many still assume that this high-tech solution must come with a high price tag.
The truth is, while drones may seem a costly form of technology, they can actually offer a more affordable alternative to traditional surveying methods. In this article, we’ll break down the cost of a drone survey in 2024/5 and debunk the myth that advanced technology is always out of reach for the average budget.
How Much Do Residential Drone Surveys Cost?
Starting with the lowest priced first, drone surveys for residential properties are often the most straightforward to complete, hence the cheaper service price. Residential properties, spanning from traditional townhouses to rural cottages, are often simple structures with smaller roofs, meaning drone pilots won’t experience many difficulties during the survey.
The industry average for a residential drone survey can vary largely, depending on the size of the property, the complexity of the roof, the location in the country where the survey is taking place, and the quality of the survey undertaken. The cheapest residential drone surveys you can find are just pictures taken by a drone, with no analysis. Meanwhile the highest quality, and often the most expensive, capture real-time footage and data and use specialist software that shows a model of the residential property with expert analysis.
This is why drone surveys you find online can range from £100, all the way up to £1,000+. Here at Full View, our residential drone surveys typically start at £400, because we use the highest quality drones, imaging software and data analysis, as well as give you our experienced and expert roofing analysis that comes from a background in roofing.
How Much Do Commercial Drone Surveys Cost?
Commercial properties can be a little more tricky for drone pilots to navigate during a survey since these structures are often much larger, leading to the need for extra preparation, more time spent on-site and analysing the data, and other additional requirements; this is reflected in the cost of this service. Drone surveys for commercial properties usually start at £700 but can become more expensive for bigger warehouses with complex geographies!
Again, the industry average prices for commercial drone surveys can range from £450 to thousands of pounds, depending on the quality of your commercial drone roof report. If you’re simply receiving pictures of the roof condition, or if you receive a full drone roof condition report with detailed analysis from both complex drone software and a roofing expert, as we provide here at Full View.
How Much Do Heritage/Listed Building Surveys Cost?
Given the specialised nature of heritage and listed buildings, such as town halls and cathedrals, these surveys often require more detailed imaging, greater analysis, and an even higher level of care. This, in turn, raises their price point.
More straightforward, smaller listed buildings often start around £500 for a survey, whereas more complex structures (such as a church) start at around £700 but can cost more for large churches with many spires and towers.
How Much Do Drone Thermal Surveys Cost?
Drone thermal surveys are another example of innovative technology that improves the information gathered from each assessed property. Drone services which use thermal imaging, often known as “thermographic surveys”, are typically more expensive due to the complex and expensive hardware and software required, and the expertise needed for data capture and analysis.
The industry average cost for drone thermal surveys usually starts at £500 for simple properties but can reach upwards of £2,000+ for more complex, larger structures. Here at Full View, we provide a fair estimate of the cost of any drone thermal survey we do, before work starts so you know you’re getting a fair price for your drone roof survey. As well as confident that you’re receiving expert opinion and analysis from our experience team.
If you’re looking for a more accurate estimate of the drone survey cost of your property, whether residential or commercial, get in touch below to get an estimate.
Why Choose a Drone Survey Over a Traditional Survey?
There are several advantages to choosing a drone for property surveys instead of traditional roof surveys. Some of these benefits include:
- Speed and Efficiency: Drones can cover large areas in a fraction of the time it takes for a human-based team to conduct a traditional property survey.
- Cost Effectiveness: Traditional methods often involve extensive manpower and various equipment, such as ladders or scaffolding. Using a drone reduces labour and equipment costs significantly.
- Access to Difficult Areas: Drone surveys allow for the inspection of high-rise buildings, rooftops, and hard-to-reach areas without putting surveyors at risk.
- Minimal Disruption: A drone survey is non-invasive, meaning it can be conducted with little to no disruption to building occupants or surrounding activities.
- Precision and Documentation: The images and data captured by drones provide a precise and documented record of the building's current condition.
- Comprehensive Visual Data: Equipped with high-resolution cameras and sensors, drones capture detailed images and video footage that provide a complete view of the building’s exterior, easily detecting issues.
- Reliable Reports: With your roof inspection report in hand, you can confidently present it to a roofing maintenance company, ensuring you won’t be pressured into unnecessary repairs.
What Factors Affect the Cost of a Drone Survey?
Several factors can influence the cost of a drone survey, depending on the complexity and scope of the project. Here are some of the key elements that affect pricing:
- Type or Size of the Survey Area: The bigger the area that needs to be surveyed, the longer the flight time, and the more data will need to be processed. Surveying a small building will cost less than covering an expansive industrial site.
- The Complexity of the Area Being Surveyed: If an area has a complex layout with many different levels and complicated structures this will involve more planning, a complex flight path, and more time spent on analysis.
- Use of Specialised Software: Surveys that involve creating detailed 3D models or 2D orthomosaic mapping from aerial data will also add to the cost; they require more time in both data capture and processing, as well as the use of expensive software.
- Amount of Preparation Required: Most of the preparation work is done in advance, but if a site needs a greater amount of preparation, this may cause the cost to increase. Such examples include if there are nearby restriction zones, requiring an initial site visit.
- Operator Expertise and Experience: Hiring a more experienced company specialising in advanced surveys, such as those requiring thermal imaging, can increase the cost, but it also ensures a higher quality of work and data accuracy.
For Cost-Effective, Concise, and Accurate Drone Surveys, Choose Full View
Drones are already playing an important role in ensuring properties are up to standard, and at Full View, our experienced team ensures that every survey is comprehensive, accurate, and above all, won’t leave you out of pocket.
We are roofing specialists with a background in roofing, but we don’t offer roofing services ourselves. As a result, we know what to look for, but you can relax knowing that we don’t have any interest in finding issues which aren’t there! If you’d like to discuss your needs further, please get in touch with us today.
