Purchase Your Own Drone or Hire a Service Provider?

The decision should not be based on the purchase price, but on the ongoing effort involved. The drone is the smaller part of the total cost.

What Owning a Drone Involves

• Drone certificates for everyone who flies – plus refresher training if someone leaves
• Liability insurance with commercial coverage
• Registration, labelling and, where applicable, approval procedures
• Maintenance, spare batteries and spare parts
• Software for data analysis – and someone who knows how to use it
• Practice: anyone who flies four times a year does not fly safely

The Rule of Thumb

Own a drone if you need to fly regularly and on a predictable basis (several times a month), need to respond at short notice, handle sensitive data or document your site continuously anyway. At this frequency, the investment pays for itself, and regular practice comes naturally.

Hire a service provider if you need data once or twice a year, the project requires specialised sensors (LiDAR, multispectral), the operation requires a complex approval process or you need results of a quality that requires experience – surveying subject to mandatory documentation, for example.

The Often-Overlooked Middle Ground

Many customers find it effective to combine both options: an easy-to-use drone of their own for ongoing day-to-day documentation – and a service provider for the two or three demanding flights each year. This keeps the barrier to entry low while maintaining the required standards where necessary.

We sell drones and operate them ourselves. That is why, in a consultation, we will also tell you if purchasing one does not make financial sense for you.

Not sure which option to choose? We provide manufacturer-independent advice – Book an appointment.