Overview
Drone operations are sold for the aerial view, and the operator's licence is the line the customer's insurer wants to see
Drone operators (or UAV pilots, depending on the market) provide aerial photography, videography, surveying, inspections, and increasingly specialist work like roof inspections, agricultural surveys, and construction progress reports. The customer is a real estate agent, a wedding planner, a construction site manager, a farmer, a documentary producer, or a survey company that doesn't want to fly its own kit. The regulatory environment is heavy: most markets require a registered operator licence (CAA-PfCO in the UK, FAA Part 107 in the US, RPAS licence in Australia), insurance, and operating permissions for any commercial flight. A flat 'drone shoot, $480' quote without the licence reference and the airspace permission misses the regulated work.
QuoteGenio gives drone operators a quoting shape built for regulated aerial work. Site survey and airspace check (any flight restrictions, permission requirements) as the first line, drone class with the operator licence reference, flight hours, deliverables (stills, video, mapping, orthomosaic, 3D model), post-production by output type, weather contingency clause (a no-fly day requires a rebook), insurance reference for the customer's records, and any specialist add-ons (thermal imaging, LiDAR). Send via WhatsApp or email to the customer with the licence and insurance reference, take a deposit at booking, and the final invoice closes with the deliverables transferred and the flight log archived for the regulatory file.
Who it is for
Who uses QuoteGenio
Built for every type of licensed drone operator, from aerial photographers to inspection and mapping specialists.
The problem
The quoting headaches every drone operator knows
Every mission has a different airspace, licensing, and deliverable set. The quoting process should not be what stops you booking the next inspection or aerial job.
Airspace and permits vary by site
A 400ft aerial in a rural field is not the same as a congested-area waiver in a city. Redoing airspace checks and compliance wording for every quote eats your admin morning.
Deliverables get lumped together
Raw footage, edited video, orthomosaic maps, inspection reports, and thermal overlays are different deliverables with different labour. Bundled into a flat mission fee, they get negotiated away.
Clients compare on licence and price
Construction firms and insurance brokers ask three operators per mission. If your quote does not flag CAA Part 107 or EASA A1-A3 licensing and liability cover, the compliant operator wins the job.
The fix
QuoteGenio makes it simple
A fast quoting workflow that handles aerial, inspection, and mapping missions with licensing, deliverables, and post-flight editing priced clearly.
The payoff
What you get with QuoteGenio
The everyday wins that add up across a year of quoting and invoicing.
Built for aerial work
Line items for aerial stills, aerial video, orthomosaic mapping, 3D models, thermal inspection, roof inspection, and post-flight editing. Structured the way licensed drone operators actually scope a mission.
Licensing on every quote
Every quote states your licence (CAA Part 107, EASA A1-A3, SACAA ROC), drone model (DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise, DJI Matrice 300 RTK, DJI Mini 3 Pro), and public liability insurance cover. Clients see you are compliant before they compare price.
Works from the drone kit
Reply to a brief from a construction site manager on your phone while the drone is still packing up. Add an orthomosaic deliverable or a thermal pass to the quote on site and WhatsApp the PDF before you drive to the next job.
Track missions and progress
Construction clients book monthly progress flights and inspection clients book repeat passes. QuoteGenio tracks which sites are on a monthly pass, which deliverables are invoiced, and which reports are outstanding so the admin stays clean.
Built for your trade
Quoting calibrated to how drone operators actually work
Pick your trade in Settings and the entire quote flow switches to fit. Line item presets, compliance fields, on-the-quote calculators, and per-m² / after-hours pricing all change to match your industry.
Trade-specific line items
Quick add picker pre-fills the common items your trade quotes. Skip the blank rows.
Brand-specific catalogues
Pylontech, Hikvision, Canadian Solar, Sunsynk and others pre-named. Pick the brand, the description writes itself.
Compliance fields built in
IOPSA, ECASA, PIRB, PSIRA, NHBRC, SAQCC. Set once. Every quote prints them under FROM.
Registration expiry alerts
Dashboard notification 60 days before your PSIRA, CoC or any dated registration lapses.
Per-m² / hour / day billing
Unit selector on every line item: m², hr, linear m, days. Stop doing the maths externally.
After-hours and emergency
1.5× and 2× multipliers as a one-tap toggle. Customer sees the breakdown on the quote.
Quote-flow calculators
Solar size, battery backup, cable run cost. Compute on the spot, drop straight onto the quote.
Staged payments
Deposit on acceptance + balance on completion as two separate amounts on the quote PDF.
Scope-of-work checklist
Structured Included / Not included lists. Client acceptance = signing the scope.
Site-survey mode
Log a location per line item: camera positions, fixtures by room, sensors by zone.
Regional rate hints
Pricing ranges per item per currency shown as you quote.
Free on every plan
All of the above included on the free plan. Premium is for capacity, not the trade tooling.
Why QuoteGenio
Why Drone Operators choose QuoteGenio
The tools that matter most when you are quoting on-site, under pressure, and between jobs.
Quote from your phone
Most Drone Operators build and send quotes directly from the job site. No laptop, no office, no delays.
Win more jobs, faster
The first professional quote a client receives usually wins. Respond in minutes, not hours.
Quote to invoice in one click
When the job is accepted, convert to an invoice instantly. No retyping, no double entry.
Pricing guide
Typical Drone Operators job pricing
A rough guide to what licensed drone operators charge for common aerial, inspection, and mapping missions. Pricing varies with site size, licence tier required (standard VLOS versus BVLOS waiver), deliverable complexity, and travel. Use these as a reference when you build your own mission rate card.
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Aerial photo mission (30 stills, edited) | $ 180 - $ 420 |
| Aerial video mission (60-90 second edit) | $ 420 - $ 1,100 |
| Roof inspection (residential, report included) | $ 220 - $ 480 |
| Orthomosaic map (site up to 10 hectares) | $ 380 - $ 1,200 |
| Thermal inspection (solar, industrial) | $ 480 - $ 1,800 |
| Construction progress flight (monthly pass) | $ 280 - $ 650 |
| Full inspection package (thermal + orthomosaic + report) | $ 1,400 - $ 4,500 |
Pricing shown in USD as a rough benchmark. Rates vary significantly by country, region, currency, and market.
Call-out fees
An airspace check and site reconnaissance should be a paid or bundled line for congested-area missions. Most operators charge $ 80 to $ 240 for an AirMap or aeronautical chart check plus a site recce where a waiver application is likely. List it so clients see the pre-flight compliance work is real labour.
Hourly vs fixed pricing
Use hourly pricing ($ 120 to $ 220 per hour) for mobilisation time on multi-day sites, post-flight editing beyond the included scope, and report annotation. Use fixed pricing for aerial photo and video missions, roof inspections, and orthomosaic maps where the scope is locked by hectarage or property size. Combine both on complex inspections with a provisional for weather delays.
See it in action
Example quote breakdown
Here is what a clean, itemised drone mission quote looks like. Aerial capture, orthomosaic, edited video, airspace check, site recce, travel, and gallery hosting are all priced separately. Transparent quotes win construction progress missions because the site manager can sign off every line with their project ledger instead of arguing over a lump sum.
Try it yourself
Job size
Region
Sample quote
Construction progress mission, 6 hectare site, monthly pass with orthomosaic
Aerial progress photo and video mission (DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise)
Orthomosaic map (6 hectare site, 3cm GSD, DJI Matrice)
90 second edited progress video for client comms
Airspace check and NOTAM notification (CAA Part 107)
Site reconnaissance (congested-area assessment)
Travel (site 85km from base, 45km beyond free radius)
Gallery hosting and download link (12 months)
| Description | Qty | Rate | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aerial progress photo and video mission (DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise) | 1 | $ 480 | $ 480 |
| Orthomosaic map (6 hectare site, 3cm GSD, DJI Matrice) | 1 | $ 720 | $ 720 |
| 90 second edited progress video for client comms | 1 | $ 420 | $ 420 |
| Airspace check and NOTAM notification (CAA Part 107) | 1 | $ 120 | $ 120 |
| Site reconnaissance (congested-area assessment) | 1 | $ 180 | $ 180 |
| Travel (site 85km from base, 45km beyond free radius) | 45 | $ 2.20 / km | $ 99.00 |
| Gallery hosting and download link (12 months) | 1 | $ 140 | $ 140 |
| Subtotal | $ 2,159 | ||
| Tax (10%) | $ 216 | ||
| Total incl. tax | $ 2,375 | ||
Totals recalculate as you change the controls above. Tax rate inferred from the sample quote.
Items often forgotten
The airspace check and NOTAM notification for congested-area missions, the site reconnaissance before flight day, the travel per km beyond the free radius, the orthomosaic GSD specification, and the 12 month gallery hosting for the client team to download imagery on demand. Add these as named lines on your progress template so they do not quietly disappear from the mission fee.
Peer snapshot
How Drone Operators actually use QuoteGenio
Indicative activity for Drone Operators on the platform. Use it as a benchmark for how often to quote and how fast to respond.
30
Quotes sent per month
44%
Average quote acceptance
4 min
Median time to send quote
$ 2,375
Typical quote value
Figures are indicative platform averages for this trade segment.
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Avoid these
Common quoting mistakes
We talk to a lot of licensed drone operators. The same scoping gaps come up across construction, inspection, and aerial photography. Fixing these protects your margin, keeps project managers rebooking you for monthly progress flights, and stops the orthomosaic processing from being absorbed into a flat mission fee.
Mistake: Flat mission fee with no licence stated
Better: State your licence (CAA Part 107 in the US, EASA A1-A3 in Europe, SACAA ROC in South Africa) and public liability cover on every quote. Compliant clients will not book an unlicensed operator, and stating the licence up front locks out cheap-and-cheerful competitors.
Mistake: Forgetting airspace and NOTAM work
Better: Airspace checks via AirMap or a local equivalent, NOTAM notification, and congested-area waivers are real pre-flight work. Price them as named lines ($ 80 to $ 240) so the pre-flight compliance time is paid on every mission where it applies, rather than absorbed.
Mistake: Bundling orthomosaic with aerial photos
Better: Orthomosaic mapping is a separate deliverable with flight-plan software (DJI Pilot 2, Pix4Dcapture), processing time in Pix4D or DroneDeploy, and a specified ground sample distance. Price per hectare or per site tier ($ 380 to $ 1,200) as its own line so the processing hours are paid.
Mistake: No travel line for out-of-radius sites
Better: State a free radius (typically 40 to 60km) and charge per km for anything beyond. Add overnight allowance and accommodation for multi-day inspection missions so a 300km farm site is not run on a suburban day rate.
Mistake: Missing weather contingency on outdoor missions
Better: Drone missions need wind, rain, and cloud within limits. State a weather contingency on the quote (typically a no-cost reschedule within 14 days if conditions abort the flight) so both sides have a pre-agreed mechanism and the trip fee is protected.
Mistake: No line for post-flight editing
Better: Edited aerial video (60 to 90 seconds), annotated inspection reports, and thermal overlay reports all take hours of post-flight labour. Price each as its own line or state the included edit length so extra editing bills at an hourly rate without argument.
Mistake: No rights clause for aerial images
Better: State on the quote that the client gets full marketing or operational use of the deliverables, and that you retain portfolio rights. If the imagery is to be licensed to a national broadcaster or sold in a stock library, that is a separate fee. Call it out so the client knows up front.
Mistake: No follow-up after sending the quote
Better: Most quotes that don't close, don't close because nobody followed up. Send a polite check-in 48 hours after the quote lands, and a second nudge at day 7. Two of every three accepted quotes get there because someone followed up.
Step by step
How to quote drone missions
Before you price a mission, do the airspace check. Use AirMap, SkyVector, or your local aeronautical authority's tool to confirm airspace class, proximity to airfields, controlled airspace restrictions, and whether a waiver is required for congested area, beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS), or operations over people. Confirm your licence covers the mission (CAA Part 107 plus waivers in the US, EASA A1-A3 or specific category in Europe, SACAA remote pilot licence with commercial ROC in South Africa). Check the site for access, takeoff and landing areas, and obstacles. Confirm drone selection (DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise for most aerial and inspection, DJI Matrice 300 RTK for mapping and industrial, DJI Mini 3 Pro for sub-250g residential). Verify public liability insurance cover for the specific site type.
Itemise aerial capture, post-flight editing, specialised deliverables, airspace and compliance work, travel, and contingency on separate lines. Price aerial photo missions per site ($ 180 to $ 420 for 30 edited stills) and aerial video per site with an edit length stated ($ 420 to $ 1,100 for 60 to 90 second 4K edit). Orthomosaic mapping belongs on its own line per hectare or per site tier ($ 380 to $ 1,200 for up to 10 hectares) with a specified ground sample distance. Thermal inspections ($ 480 to $ 1,800 per site) need thermal overlay processing and a PDF report. Price airspace check ($ 80 to $ 240) and site recce as named lines for congested-area missions. Travel beyond a free 40 to 60km radius bills per km, and weather contingency is typically a no-cost reschedule within 14 days.
Set a 30 day validity with clear compliance terms. State licence number, drone model, and public liability cover on every quote so the client does not have to ask. Ask for a 30 percent deposit on booking for single missions and net 30 after delivery for framework clients. For monthly construction progress clients, issue a framework quote with locked per-flight and per-deliverable rates so each month is a one-click booking. State cancellation tiers: 48 hours notice no charge, less than 48 hours 50 percent, no-show 100 percent because you block out a flight window and often turn away other bookings. Include a no-fly clause for weather, airspace closure, or NOTAM conflicts with the reschedule mechanism clearly stated.
Reply to briefs within the hour. Construction site managers and property agents compare three operators in one afternoon and the first quote that shows licensing, clear deliverables, and same-week flight availability usually wins. Build the quote on your phone from a mission template, send the branded PDF as a WhatsApp link, and confirm the booking same day. For recurring monthly construction sites, issue a 12 month framework then each flight is a variation quote that references the framework. Use QuoteGenio to track which sites are on a monthly pass, which orthomosaics have been processed and delivered, and which reports are outstanding so the end-of-month invoice run goes out without chasing.
FAQ
Common questions from drone operators
Everything you need to know before getting started.
Yes. QuoteGenio lets you add line items at whatever granularity you want. Quote the aerial capture as one line, the edited video as another, the orthomosaic map as a third, the thermal overlay as a fourth, and airspace and travel as named lines. All on the same branded quote with your licence stated at the top.
Yes. Every quote is a branded PDF with your licence number, drone model, insurance cover, and itemised deliverables. Share it as a link via WhatsApp and the site manager or agent gets the full document instantly. Much faster than emailing a PDF that sits in a busy site inbox for two days.
Price an airspace check and NOTAM notification as a named line ($ 80 to $ 240) where the mission is in controlled or congested airspace. If a waiver application is needed (BVLOS, operations over people, night operations), price it as its own line with a realistic timeline (typically 30 to 90 days for CAA Part 107 waiver, variable for EASA specific category).
Yes. Every quote has a unique public link with a time-stamped accept button. The client opens it on their phone, accepts online, and converts the quote to a deposit invoice with one click. The acceptance is logged so there is no argument about which deliverables were agreed.
Yes. Issue a deposit invoice on booking (typically 30 percent) and a balance invoice on delivery of the edited footage and reports. For framework clients with monthly flights, issue a monthly consolidated invoice with every mission in the period as a named line.
Yes. The free plan gives you 5 quotes and 2 invoices per month with no credit card required. Upgrade to Premium for unlimited quotes, invoices, statements, and reports.
Price per hectare or per site tier ($ 380 to $ 1,200 for up to 10 hectares) with a specified ground sample distance (typically 2 to 5cm GSD for construction, 1 to 2cm for high-precision mapping). State the flight-plan software (DJI Pilot 2, Pix4Dcapture) and the processing software (Pix4D, DroneDeploy, Agisoft Metashape) on the quote so the client understands the workflow and expected output.
Price per property ($ 220 to $ 480) including up to 1 hour on-site, 30 to 50 annotated images, and a PDF report flagging damage, wear, and areas of concern. Use a high-resolution camera (Mavic 3 Enterprise with 20MP Hasselblad or zoom module) for close-up detail shots. State that the inspection is visual only and does not replace a structural engineer's report where one is legally required.
State the licence applicable in your jurisdiction: CAA Part 107 (US), EASA A1-A3 or specific category (Europe), CAA (UK), SACAA remote pilot with commercial ROC (South Africa), or CASA RePL with ReOC (Australia). State your public liability insurance cover (typically $ 1m to $ 5m for commercial work). Clients in construction, industrial, and insurance will not book an operator who cannot show both on the quote.
State a weather contingency clause on the quote: if wind, rain, cloud, or visibility falls outside drone flight limits on the booked day, the mission reschedules at no extra cost within 14 days. This protects both sides. For urgent missions like construction progress where the date is fixed, price a weather standby fee so a late cancellation is covered.
Still have questions? We would rather answer them now than after you have signed up.
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