Business · Mapping drones

Making money with mapping drones

Two recurring mapping services for builders and farmers. Each has a monthly model you can edit.

Uses 2
Calculators 2
Price free teaser

Please read: These are simplified teaching models with assumptions you can change. Real results depend on your market, labor laws, insurance and taxes. Nothing on this page is investment, legal or tax advice.

Robot prices, where shown, are store prices from our guide. Everything else is an editable assumption.

01Now

Construction progress mapping

The opportunityFly active job sites on a schedule and deliver orthomosaics and 3D models that show progress and stockpiles.

Who pays

General contractors, developers and lenders, per site per month.

Key risks

Contractors may train their own pilots
Airspace limits near airports and cities
Weather delays

Simplified modelRevenue = sites × monthly fee. Variable cost = hours × rate. The drone kit is up-front.

Try the numbers (per month)

Sites under contractEditable assumptionMonthly fee per site ($)Editable assumptionHours per site per month (h)Editable assumptionCost per hour ($/h)Editable assumptionFixed costs per month ($)Editable assumption (software, insurance)Up-front drone kit ($)Editable assumption (enterprise drones are dealer-quoted)

Revenue / month: –
Costs / month: –
Profit / month: –
Margin: –
Break-even: – sites
Payback on up-front cost: –

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02Now

Crop-health mapping for farms

The opportunityFly multispectral surveys in the growing season and deliver NDVI-style maps that show where crops are stressed.

Who pays

Farmers and agronomists, per acre or per season.

Key risks

Seasonal work
Satellite imagery is a cheaper competitor
Value depends on agronomy advice, not just maps

Simplified modelRevenue = acres × price per acre. Variable cost = acres × cost per acre. The drone is up-front.

Try the numbers (per month)

Acres mapped per month (ac)Editable assumptionPrice per acre ($)Editable assumptionCost per acre (labor, processing) ($)Editable assumptionFixed costs per month ($)Editable assumptionUp-front multispectral drone ($)Editable assumption (dealer-sold)

Revenue / month: –
Costs / month: –
Profit / month: –
Margin: –
Break-even: – acres per month
Payback on up-front cost: –

These are simplified teaching models with assumptions you can change. Real results depend on your market, labor laws, insurance and taxes. Nothing on this page is investment, legal or tax advice.