Drone pricing by package
Most agents don't buy aerials one photo at a time — they pick a package. Here's what common drone packages cost at the calculator's default rates ($15 per edited aerial photo, $100 per video clip, $90 per aerial 360, $150 minimum):
| Package | What's included | Quote |
|---|---|---|
| Aerial stills, small | 5 edited aerial photos | $150 (minimum) |
| Standard listing add-on | 8 aerial photos + 1 video clip | $220 |
| Video-forward | 8 aerial photos + 3 video clips | $420 |
| Premium / luxury | 12 aerial photos + 1 clip + 2 aerial 360s | $460 |
The small package shows why the minimum matters: five photos at $15 is only $75, but the flight takes the same setup, airspace check, and travel as a full package.
What your drone minimum has to cover
Drone work carries costs that ground photography doesn't. Your minimum charge should absorb them:
- Licensing. The FAA Part 107 certificate, plus the recurrent training that keeps it current.
- Insurance. Drone liability coverage — many brokerages and commercial clients ask for a certificate of insurance before you fly.
- Airspace checks. Properties near airports sit in controlled airspace and need an authorization (usually through LAANC) before you launch. Some locations can't be flown at all.
- Equipment. Drones, batteries, and props wear out faster than cameras, and a crash means replacing the aircraft.
- Time. Pre-flight checks, the flight itself, and editing aerial stills and video.
Weather and reschedules: price the risk
Wind, rain, and low clouds ground drones more often than they stop a ground shoot. Decide up front whether a weather reschedule is free, whether the ground photos go ahead without the aerials, and whether a second trip costs extra. Put it in writing — the free contract template has a reshoot clause you can adapt.
Worked example: a luxury listing on acreage
- 8 edited aerial photos × $15 = $120
- 1 aerial video clip × $100 = $100
- 2 aerial 360 panoramas × $90 = $180
- Total: $400 (well above the $150 minimum)
- Listing goes live tomorrow: rush × 1.5 = $600
Aerial 360s pair well with a 3D tour, since they give buyers the lot and neighborhood context the interior scan can't. Price the tour with the 3D tour price calculator, the ground stills with the photography pricing calculator, and combine them into tiers in the package builder.