The client wants progress reports. The insurer asks for documentation. And you want to keep track of a construction site that changes every week. Construction site monitoring by drone gives you an objective picture of the whole site at fixed moments.
What it is
A drone flies over the construction site at fixed moments: weekly, fortnightly or monthly. Every flight delivers the same set:
- Orthophoto: a georeferenced, scaled image of the whole construction site
- Progress images: from the same angles, so you can put survey moments side by side
- Elevation model and volumes: optional, to calculate earthworks and stockpiles
What determines the effort
Four factors: the size of the construction site, the frequency, the type of output and the airspace. A construction site in a controlled zone around an airport requires a permission for each flight, with a fixed application lead time. A construction site in open country does not.
A series of survey moments agreed in advance as a whole requires less effort per capture than individual flights. The flight plan, control points and airspace file are set up once and reused. That is why we prefer to propose construction site monitoring as a series with a fixed schedule.
What it delivers
- Objective progress reporting. One orthophoto shows more than ten pages of text. The client sees the state of play without visiting the site.
- Early sight of deviations. Material in the wrong place or a phase that is falling behind stands out before it becomes a problem.
- A timeline. After handover you have a complete image archive of the construction process, usable for warranty files and disputes.
- Accurate volumes. Earthworks and stockpiles calculated rather than estimated, which helps with correct final accounts.
When it pays for itself
Not through the price per flight, but through what one avoided dispute or one correctly calculated volume is worth. A claim for extra work that you refute in a quarter of an hour with a dated orthophoto. An earthworks settlement that is correct without a re-survey. A project manager who no longer spends half a day every week taking photos. The longer the construction site runs and the more parties are involved, the sooner that point is reached.
Which construction sites
Sites running for at least four to six weeks, and sites where an image from the air shows more than a walk round on the ground: large sites, linear infrastructure, earthworks and shell construction.
FAQ
Can I use the data in my own software?
Yes. We deliver PDF reports, GeoTIFF orthophotos and point clouds in formats that most GIS and CAD software opens, in your coordinate system.
How long does a flight on the construction site take?
Depending on the size, usually 15 to 45 minutes. Disruption to the works stays limited.
Related service: Construction site monitoring on the Surveys page