I'm using my drone now for commercial use and charge for my services. I'm not sure what rates I should go with. What rates would you have ?
Drone for commercial use
- Thread starter sh4mar
- Start date
Rates will vary from location to location & from job to job. What type of commercial work will you do?
Are you in the USA? If so I assume you have a 333 exemption from the FAA and a pilots license?
If not you will need to have those things to legally fly for commercial usage.
Are you in the USA? If so I assume you have a 333 exemption from the FAA and a pilots license?
If not you will need to have those things to legally fly for commercial usage.
FAA Giidelines
Model aircraft operations are for hobby or recreational purposes only.
The FAA has partnered with several industry associations to promote Know Before You Fly, a campaign to educate the public about using unmanned aircraft safely and responsibly. Individuals flying for hobby or recreation are strongly encouraged to follow safety guidelines, which include:
Fly below 400 feet and remain clear of surrounding obstaclesKeep the aircraft within visual line of sight at all timesRemain well clear of and do not interfere with manned aircraft operationsDon't fly within 5 miles of an airport unless you contact the airport and control tower before flyingDon't fly near people or stadiumsDon't fly an aircraft that weighs more than 55 lbsDon't be careless or reckless with your unmanned aircraft – you could be fined for endangering people or other aircraft
The statutory parameters of a model aircraft operation are outlined in Section 336 of Public Law 112-95 (the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012) (PDF). Individuals who fly within the scope of these parameters do not require permission to operate their UAS; any flight outside these parameters (including any non-hobby, non-recreational operation) requires FAA authorization. For example, using a UAS to take photos for your personal use is recreational; using the same device to take photographs or videos for compensation or sale to another individual would be considered a non-recreational operation.
Model aircraft operations are for hobby or recreational purposes only.
The FAA has partnered with several industry associations to promote Know Before You Fly, a campaign to educate the public about using unmanned aircraft safely and responsibly. Individuals flying for hobby or recreation are strongly encouraged to follow safety guidelines, which include:
Fly below 400 feet and remain clear of surrounding obstaclesKeep the aircraft within visual line of sight at all timesRemain well clear of and do not interfere with manned aircraft operationsDon't fly within 5 miles of an airport unless you contact the airport and control tower before flyingDon't fly near people or stadiumsDon't fly an aircraft that weighs more than 55 lbsDon't be careless or reckless with your unmanned aircraft – you could be fined for endangering people or other aircraft
The statutory parameters of a model aircraft operation are outlined in Section 336 of Public Law 112-95 (the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012) (PDF). Individuals who fly within the scope of these parameters do not require permission to operate their UAS; any flight outside these parameters (including any non-hobby, non-recreational operation) requires FAA authorization. For example, using a UAS to take photos for your personal use is recreational; using the same device to take photographs or videos for compensation or sale to another individual would be considered a non-recreational operation.
I live in the Caribbean where we don't have laws against drones. And taking pictures and videos for hotels to advertise
I have no first hand knowledge but as an example some people have mentioned $500 USD per house for real estate work here in the US but I assume those are high dollar properties. A resort would be more I would think. It really depends on your market. If nobody else is doing it in your area you may be able to get a higher price. Sell your professionalism & operator skills for a fair price. Don't sell yourself short, especially if no one else is doing it because you will set a bar that others will gauge the cost by.
We go buy "MLS" listing value and acreage if there is a lot of land to encompass. We won't do anything less than $250 and it goes up from there. Whatever you do don't give your work away.
Also you want to factor in any time needed post flight. Your time has a value so don't cheap it out.
Also you want to factor in any time needed post flight. Your time has a value so don't cheap it out.
Looks good I would say "and up" or "starting at" with each price. Use those as a starting price and go up as needed. I mean if you look at your 'event' charge, what if the event is large, or for a long period of time, and your 'additional video' could be almost anything so I would not want to tag a set price to it. Construction could be several days or several weeks.
Leave more options in your pricing so you can adjust as needed.
Leave more options in your pricing so you can adjust as needed.
Just my thoughts on this
Onsite visits @ $50.00 per hour within 50km, even now still not happy on the pricing
Single stills from $30.00, this needs a big re-think, just to ambiguous
Real Estate packages ranging from $500-$1000 and always charge at least $900
Take away Additional Videos , these will be included in the “range”
Weddings (I presume flyovers) this can be a long day and post processing, I’d think it would become a “wedding package” starting at $300 with a max at $500 on my very little experience, this would scare me to do, on reflection I wouldn't do weddings
Construction is an easy day, always is for me, but compiling does take a good while, ask them if they want reports done as well (they will) this one is the real money maker and a full time job, compliance jobs for us is early retirement, getting on with the owners is an art.
Write down exactly what they wish as an end result and don’t annoy them with questions, they will not have thought it through but you will.
Events, I wouldn’t go there personally, things never turn out the way they are thought through, it’s good to know where the traps lay and let those who don't go there.
Feel free to dismiss any or all of this as it's just mostly off the cuff quick answers with no real depth, a bit like the wife says I am..
Onsite visits @ $50.00 per hour within 50km, even now still not happy on the pricing
Single stills from $30.00, this needs a big re-think, just to ambiguous
Real Estate packages ranging from $500-$1000 and always charge at least $900
Take away Additional Videos , these will be included in the “range”
Weddings (I presume flyovers) this can be a long day and post processing, I’d think it would become a “wedding package” starting at $300 with a max at $500 on my very little experience, this would scare me to do, on reflection I wouldn't do weddings
Construction is an easy day, always is for me, but compiling does take a good while, ask them if they want reports done as well (they will) this one is the real money maker and a full time job, compliance jobs for us is early retirement, getting on with the owners is an art.
Write down exactly what they wish as an end result and don’t annoy them with questions, they will not have thought it through but you will.
Events, I wouldn’t go there personally, things never turn out the way they are thought through, it’s good to know where the traps lay and let those who don't go there.
Feel free to dismiss any or all of this as it's just mostly off the cuff quick answers with no real depth, a bit like the wife says I am..
How much should I charge if someone asked for a half hour to hour jobJust my thoughts on this
Onsite visits @ $50.00 per hour within 50km, even now still not happy on the pricing
Single stills from $30.00, this needs a big re-think, just to ambiguous
Real Estate packages ranging from $500-$1000 and always charge at least $900
Take away Additional Videos , these will be included in the “range”
Weddings (I presume flyovers) this can be a long day and post processing, I’d think it would become a “wedding package” starting at $300 with a max at $500 on my very little experience, this would scare me to do, on reflection I wouldn't do weddings
Construction is an easy day, always is for me, but compiling does take a good while, ask them if they want reports done as well (they will) this one is the real money maker and a full time job, compliance jobs for us is early retirement, getting on with the owners is an art.
Write down exactly what they wish as an end result and don’t annoy them with questions, they will not have thought it through but you will.
Events, I wouldn’t go there personally, things never turn out the way they are thought through, it’s good to know where the traps lay and let those who don't go there.
Feel free to dismiss any or all of this as it's just mostly off the cuff quick answers with no real depth, a bit like the wife says I am..
Meta4
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That one's to hard to give a simple answer.
It all depends on what the job is, how difficult it is and how important it is to the client.
It's really the same work for a 1/2 hour job as a 2 hour job, the amount of pre/post work is in the degree of the work input.
Having a minimum rate based on the type of work would be a good start, a portfolio of sorts then you can set a Job/type rate and not an hourly rate (if you can get way with it)
As a viable answer to your question. To say, filming a house venture you could set a job rate at $500.00 that way you avoid an hourly rate (a bad way to do business for us), you would then build up different "Job Rates" based on that as a starter business
It's just one way of the same problem with charging, we all find it difficult to charge but setting "standard" charges helps.
Hope that helps a little and good luck
(never sell yourself cheap, never discount and never give apologies for a cost)
Having a minimum rate based on the type of work would be a good start, a portfolio of sorts then you can set a Job/type rate and not an hourly rate (if you can get way with it)
As a viable answer to your question. To say, filming a house venture you could set a job rate at $500.00 that way you avoid an hourly rate (a bad way to do business for us), you would then build up different "Job Rates" based on that as a starter business
It's just one way of the same problem with charging, we all find it difficult to charge but setting "standard" charges helps.
Hope that helps a little and good luck
(never sell yourself cheap, never discount and never give apologies for a cost)
Thinking on this, what is a 1/2 hour job, it must be a quick drive, film for 10 minutes and give them the raw SD card on site, ?? really
If we are going to charge for a "job" then lets call it a proper job, we film we edit, we do stuff or we are just playing and or cowboys.
The uninformed customer sees a 1/2 hour job, us "professionals" see the real work involved, perhaps a wee A4 of an explanation of this work would help them to see that their 1/2 hour is our 3 hours, the minute we have to justify our position we are on he back foot. Not good
If we are going to charge for a "job" then lets call it a proper job, we film we edit, we do stuff
or we are just playing and or cowboys.The uninformed customer sees a 1/2 hour job, us "professionals" see the real work involved, perhaps a wee A4 of an explanation of this work would help them to see that their 1/2 hour is our 3 hours, the minute we have to justify our position we are on he back foot. Not good
I create video for a living (but not the aerial type, yet). A client will often tell me their shoot will only require an hour and ask what's the cost. That would be my half-day rate. What? Considering the time it takes to gather and pack the gear, travel to the site, set up and do the shoot, pack up, go home and unload, half my day is gone. Any editing or handling is an additional hourly charge. Take it or leave it. Besides, most "one hour shoots" generally take two or more.
What YOU charge is dependent on many factors: your expertise/experience, equipment used, market forces, etc. Fact is, price collusion is illegal. Charge what you're worth and hope you get enough work to pay the bills. Works for me.
What YOU charge is dependent on many factors: your expertise/experience, equipment used, market forces, etc. Fact is, price collusion is illegal. Charge what you're worth and hope you get enough work to pay the bills. Works for me.
I want to know how much I should charge a company that requested I fly my drone over the hillsides to monitor for weed. They said they normally take choppers to get that done and that's quite expensive for an hour. Anyone knows what kind of prices these chopped charge so I can know how much to charge them?
Is that the slang "weed" or standard weeds (must be my background that has to ask).
Here I believe it's $5000.00 per hour for a helicopter but I may be out of touch these days, that sounds like a pretty good score you have going on.
Do ask them if they simply want the SD card or if you have to do anything apart for fly and film.
Parts/ labour/ processing, if it's going to be used in evidence then hopefully you get to do that end as well.
Anything to get away from an hourly rate if you can
A Bulk lot or parts thereof means more money.
Here I believe it's $5000.00 per hour for a helicopter but I may be out of touch these days, that sounds like a pretty good score you have going on.
Do ask them if they simply want the SD card or if you have to do anything apart for fly and film.
Parts/ labour/ processing, if it's going to be used in evidence then hopefully you get to do that end as well.
Anything to get away from an hourly rate if you can
A Bulk lot or parts thereof means more money.
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