Introduction
Drone surveys are best when they address a clear need: faster coverage, safer access, or regular monitoring. This article explains when to use drone surveys and when ground-based methods may be better. Our drone survey and drone survey cost pages give more detail.
Good fit for drones
Large or open sites, roof and building inspections, earthworks and stockpile volumes, progress monitoring and visual reporting are all strong use cases. Drones can reduce time on site and often cost less than traditional survey for big areas.
When to choose ground survey
Small urban plots, dense tree cover, fine internal detail and ultra-high precision setting out are often better served by total station or GNSS. Many projects combine both: drones for context and coverage, ground survey for control and critical detail.