Drone surveying
Drone surveying: your site as orthophoto, 3D model and point cloud.
We fly sites from half a hectare to well over 60 hectares from Zürich, process the images photogrammetrically on our own hardware and deliver measurable data with about 3 cm absolute accuracy. Fixed price in two minutes, binding quote within 24 hours.
What is drone surveying?
In drone surveying, a drone captures a site in hundreds of overlapping aerial photos. Photogrammetry computes a three-dimensional model from them: every point on the ground is seen from several angles and located in space. The results are an orthophoto (a true-to-scale aerial image without distortion), a point cloud, a surface and a terrain model, and a textured 3D model.
The difference to classic surveying: instead of single points with a total station, the drone captures the whole area in a flight of a few minutes. Every distance, area and height can be measured afterwards in the model without returning to site. Setting-out and cadastral surveying remain with the licensed surveyor; for as-built capture, planning bases, volumes and documentation the drone is faster and cheaper.
What you get
All deliverables come from the same flight and therefore fit together exactly. You download them in common formats, ready for QGIS, ArcGIS, AutoCAD, Revit or your construction software.
Orthophoto
- A rectified, georeferenced aerial image with 1 to 3 cm ground resolution. True to scale like a plan, detailed like a photo. GeoTIFF, optionally as map tiles for the browser.
3D model
- Textured mesh of terrain and buildings, rotatable in the browser and importable into CAD and BIM software (OBJ, GLB). For visualisation, planning and evidence.
Point cloud
- Millions of georeferenced, coloured points classified into ground and non-ground. LAS/LAZ for CAD, GIS and engineering offices.
DSM and DTM
- Digital surface model with everything on it, and digital terrain model with the ground only. Basis for contours, slopes, drainage analysis and volumes.
Volumes and quantities
- Excavation, fill, stockpiles and landfills as the difference of two models or against a reference plane. Details on the volume calculation page. Go to volume calculation
Processing report
- Accuracy, control points, camera calibration and overlap documented, so every delivery is traceable and verifiable.
How accurate is a drone survey?
It depends on three things: the ground resolution of the images, the georeferencing and the on-site control. We fly DJI Matrice 4E and 4T at 1 to 3 cm ground resolution. Georeferencing uses the onboard RTK GNSS with RTK fix and reaches about 3 cm absolute accuracy without ground control points. For projects with higher demands we additionally survey control points with GNSS RTK and place check points against which we verify the finished model.
What you need depends on the purpose. For visualisation and documentation, GNSS accuracy of about one metre is enough (“visual” in the calculator). For planning bases, volumes and construction monitoring you choose RTK. The report states what was achieved, in numbers rather than adjectives.
How a drone survey works
Request
Area, location and purpose into the calculator: fixed price immediately, binding quote within 24 hours.
Preparation
We check airspace and permits (FOCA, Zürich airport, nature reserves), plan the mission and agree the date with you.
Flight
Autonomous grid mission with terrain following and 80 to 90 % overlap. One hectare takes minutes, 60 hectares a morning.
Processing
Photogrammetry on our own GPU cluster: point cloud, ground classification, models, orthophoto, report.
Delivery
Download portal with all files within a week, available for three months, follow-up questions included.
Who benefits from drone surveying
- Contractors and site management — As-built capture before construction, progress, quantities for invoicing.
- Architecture and planning — True-to-position basis for designs, context models, visualisations.
- Agriculture and municipalities — Areas, tracks, drainage, documentation after storms.
- Gravel, landfill, quarry — Survey stockpiles and extraction regularly, prove volumes.
- Golf and sports facilities, estates — Overview of 60 hectares and more in one morning.
- Insurers and assessors — Damage capture as a measurable 3D model, verifiable at any time.
What does a drone survey cost?
The price depends on area, accuracy and the deliverables you need, not on hours. The calculator gives you a fixed price in two minutes; processing is always included. Travel from Zürich, expenses only beyond 100 km. Solar thermography and pure inspections have their own prices.
Example: landfill, 7.0 hectares, one morning
An active 7.0 ha landfill, mapped on 1 August 2026 with a DJI Matrice 4E. 443 photos in 7 minutes of flight time, 1.6 cm ground resolution, relief from 428 to 533 m. Georeferenced by RTK with about 3 cm absolute accuracy, no ground control points. Processed into a point cloud (384 million points), DSM, DTM, 3D model and orthophoto, plus the report. The showcase page shows the original data in the browser.
See the landfill showcaseFrequently asked questions about drone surveying
- Does a drone survey need ground control points?
- Not necessarily. With RTK fix we reach about 3 cm absolute accuracy without control points. For higher demands or as an independent check we survey control and check points with GNSS RTK.
- Which site sizes make sense?
- From about half a hectare to over 60 hectares in one morning; larger estates in several flights. For a single building, a drone inspection is often the better choice.
- Does this replace the licensed surveyor?
- No. Cadastral surveying, boundaries and setting-out stay with the surveyor. Drone surveying delivers as-built data, planning bases, volumes and documentation, faster and area-wide.
- Which formats do you deliver?
- GeoTIFF (orthophoto, DSM, DTM), LAS/LAZ (point cloud), OBJ/GLB (3D model), PDF (report), on request DXF contours and map tiles. Coordinate system LV95 or as specified.
- Can you fly anywhere?
- No. We check airspace and permits beforehand, for example Zürich airport, nature reserves and crowds. The pilot is registered with FOCA; liability cover is CHF 3 million.
- How fast is delivery?
- Flight by appointment, processing usually within two to five working days, delivery within a week of the flight.
Have your site surveyed?
Fixed price in two minutes, binding quote within 24 hours. Or send us area and location and we will come back with a date proposal.