When you picture drone mapping, what usually comes to mind? A lot of the construction professionals we’ve talked to initially focus on the drone itself. We get it—it's important. But drone mapping involves so much more than just the hardware. To shed some light on this, we sat down with Dan Veres, a drone mapping advisor at Identified. Dan knows everything about what drone mapping can offer and how it benefits construction projects.
Here’s what you’ll learn:
Below, Dan shares his insights on how drones are influencing job sites in ways many construction and earthwork companies may not have considered yet. Keep reading to discover what Dan has to say about staffing, data accuracy, safety, and more!
**Q: Finding good people is tough. How does drone mapping help construction businesses take on more work without needing to hire more staff?**
A: The labor shortage in construction is a growing issue. Many companies are asking themselves, "How can I expand my business without adding more employees?"
They quickly realize that drones are the answer. For firms conducting their own surveys and mapping, drones allow maximum productivity. Traditional methods often limit crews to how much area they can cover on foot in a day.
Maximizing the output of your internal survey teams is one of the key advantages of using drones in construction. If you manage 10-15 job sites, it usually takes one or two weeks—or even longer—to map each location. With drone mapping, you could easily map all those sites in a single day with your existing team.
**Q: Is it worth creating a drone map before submitting a bid? What’s the main goal here?**
A: For nearly every project, it’s worth conducting a drone flight either before bidding or afterward to confirm quantities.
The goal is to understand how much earth needs moving to determine if your initial bid was accurate. It’s not about sending a surveyor to walk the entire site or measure every 20-25 feet.
A mapping drone can capture a point every few inches if needed. We’ve seen incredible value in this for construction companies already using drones.
By extracting precise insights from drone data and comparing it to your final grade model or original surface, you gain clarity about the project. This comparison helps you see how closely the two surfaces align.
**Q: For construction companies already using drones, what challenges do they often encounter during various stages of a project?**
A: Capturing high-quality survey-grade drone data at the start of a project aids in project planning.
How often do we begin a project only to realize halfway through that we need more help? Usually, this realization comes too late, and the damage is done.
But that’s not the case with a drone mapping solution. You fly the drone at the very beginning, capturing an accurate map of how much dirt needs moving. This makes it easier to plan the project and set realistic timelines. Ideally, there won’t be any surprises requiring additional manpower, but if there are, at least you’re prepared.
**Q: How does drone mapping influence cash flow?**
A: The aim is always to collect payments as quickly as possible while billing for the actual work completed. Drone mapping immediately benefits construction companies by eliminating guesswork around earthwork quantities.
All you need to do is have the drone capture data on a Friday (or Saturday), then send it to the billing team the following Monday. They’ll know the exact quantities moved during that week, month, or day.
With a construction drone solution, there’s no guessing whether you’ve billed too much or too little, nor do you worry about potential issues months down the line. Now, you can accurately inform clients of the completed work for the current billing cycle and what is owed. This approach improves project management, both in terms of progress and cash flow.
**Q: What factors primarily affect drone mapping accuracy?**
A: Every job site has some elevation or obstacles. When it comes to flight planning, if you're using ground control points, it’s not about how many you use but rather where you place them.
Their placement is almost more critical than the number of points. This plays a huge role in achieving data accuracy and precision.
If you're unsure or new to this, your customer success representative from your drone mapping provider can guide you on where and how to position the ground control points for the best results.
Your final results can only be as accurate as the data you collect. Proper flight setup is just as crucial as post-processing and analytics.
**Q: How does wind impact accuracy? What weather conditions should operators consider?**
A: My usual advice is that if you'd send a person out in those conditions, you can likely send a drone out as well.
Flying on a perfect 70-degree day is easy, but what happens when it’s -13 degrees? Or -20 degrees with 30 mph winds? Those are the real tests.
One of my earliest drone flights was in Wisconsin in mid-December under less-than-ideal conditions. We had to adapt to ensure a safe flight.
In less-than-perfect conditions, my best advice is to plan smaller drone flights when temperatures are between 20-30 degrees on-site. Battery life won’t last as long. During colder conditions, make sure to use battery heaters and keep them warm near the dashboard in a truck until it’s time to fly. Your drone mapping provider should supply heaters upon request.
**Q: When discussing drone mapping with executive leadership versus operational specialists, how do their priorities differ?**
A: I think every executive has different use cases in mind, but it’s crucial for them to recognize the speed, safety, and cost-saving benefits that drone mapping offers over traditional methods.
Construction is a field where embracing innovation and staying updated with technology is essential for survival. If you're not implementing these solutions, one of your competitors surely is.
For operational specialists, a significant benefit I highlight is enhancing safety culture. Many have suffered injuries trying to climb piles. Drone mapping pays for itself by preventing such scenarios and keeping everyone safe.
If it prevents even one accident or injury, the technology more than pays for itself. No one wants to see the number of injury-free days reset to zero on the chalkboard.
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