What actually drives the number
No rate card, because a rate card would be wrong for most sites. Here is every factor that moves the price, which direction it moves it, and what makes it cheaper.
Every quote is a number for a defined scope, not a range you have to interpret. You get the figure, what it covers, and the date it holds through, within 24 hours of a complete request.
| Driver | Effect | Why | What lowers it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acreage | Largest single factor | Flight time and processing both scale with area, but not linearly — the second 100 acres costs less than the first. | Flying phases together rather than separately |
| Ground control | Adds a half to a full day | Control points have to be physically set, tied and checked. How many depends on the accuracy the deliverable has to hold. | Existing site control we can tie to |
| Required accuracy | Drives GSD and control count | Progress tracking and design-grade surfaces are different jobs. Flying tighter means lower altitude, more passes, more control. | Telling us the real use rather than asking for the tightest number |
| Deliverable complexity | Hours in the office | A surface and contours is straightforward. Breaklines, multiple design surfaces and machine-ready models are modeling work. | Clean, current plan sets |
| Site conditions | Can change the method entirely | Vegetation, standing water, active equipment and traffic control all affect the flight. Heavy canopy may put a site out of reach of photogrammetry entirely. | Flying before the site gets busy |
| Turnaround | Rush quoted case by case | A normal window costs what it costs. Compressing it means reordering other work, and that is what the rush premium pays for. | Sending the request when the bid lands, not the day before it's due |
| Mobilization | Flat, by distance | Quoted per site against the drive from Caddo Mills. Sites near the metro edge cost the same as sites in it. | Multiple sites on one trip |
| Flight frequency | Lowers per-flight cost | Recurring progress work reuses one flight plan and one control set, so each flight after the first is cheaper. | Committing to a cadence up front |
Rush and mobilization are quoted per job rather than published — the figures behind them are not settled, and a rate we would have to walk back is worse than none.
In every quote, no line item
§ What's included- Format conversionWhatever your software reads
- Coordinate systemPlan or site coordinates, no charge
- Airspace authorizationLAANC where the site requires it
- Portal accessEvery bid and deliverable, indefinitely
- Weather reschedulesNext clear day, price unchanged
How payment runs
§ BillingNothing is billed until you approve the bid, and nothing is scheduled until then either. Terms are stated on every bid sheet — placeholder pending confirmation of the payment schedule and net days.
Change orders are quoted before the work happens, never after. If site conditions force a re-flight, you get a number first.
Pricing questions
§ FAQ- Why isn't there a price list on this page?
- Because a rate card would be wrong for most sites. A 40-acre pad with existing control and a 400-acre corridor with none are not the same job, and quoting them from the same table means one of you overpays.
- Does the number change after I get it?
- Not on our side. The number on the bid holds through the stated date, and weather holds and airspace delays do not change it.
- What would make the price go up after I approve?
- Only a change you ask for — added acreage, an added deliverable, a re-flight after site conditions changed. Each one is quoted before it's done.
- How fast can I get a number?
- Within 24 hours of a complete request. If you're bidding this week, put the bid date on the request and call.
- Do you charge for format conversion?
- No. Tell us what software you're loading into and you get the format that works in it, at no additional charge.
Send the plan set. Get a number back.
Scope stated · holds through the date on the bid