Getting your site ready to fly
Most drone jobs that go wrong go wrong before take-off: a locked gate, a car in the shot, a crane swinging, a neighbour who was not told. Here is what to prepare, and what the pilot checks on their side.
The flight is short. The preparation is the job.
A listing shoot might have twenty minutes of flying in it. A mapping mission on a small lot might have forty. The pilot can only use those minutes well if the site is ready: access open, people briefed, the right things in the frame and the wrong things out of it.
Preparation also decides whether the flight is legal. A pilot has to keep a set distance from people who are not involved, cannot fly over them without the right aircraft and certificate, and must have airspace authorization where it is required. An unexpected crowd, a school pickup next door or an event down the street can ground a flight that was fine on paper. The rules are set out in Canada's drone rules and the US rules.
Everything below applies whether you booked real estate media, a construction map or a roof inspection. The detail changes with the job type; the principle does not.
Strata buildings, occupied homes and active sites
Strata and multi-family buildings. Common property belongs to the strata corporation, so the council or its property manager decides where the drone can take off and land, and whether residents need notice. Many councils want a notice posted a few days ahead and proof of insurance on file. Ask whether balconies should be cleared and blinds closed on the elevations being captured; residents appreciate being asked, and it keeps personal items out of the images. See property managers and strata.
Occupied homes and rentals. Tenants have a right to notice before anyone enters, and in most provinces and states that notice is set by the tenancy rules. Even for exterior-only work, tell the tenant when the drone will be overhead and what it will capture. Photographs of the inside of a tenant's home need their cooperation and care with personal items, documents and family photos.
Active construction sites. The drone is one more thing moving on a site full of moving things. The site superintendent should know the flight window, the take-off spot and the flight path, and the crane operator should know when the drone is up. Some sites require the crew to complete a site orientation and wear site PPE. Build the flight into the morning coordination meeting so nobody is surprised.
What to do before the pilot arrives
Confirm the address and the boundaries
Give the exact civic address, the lot lines if they are not obvious, and a map pin for the gate or access point. For rural and construction sites, mark the area of interest on the order so the pilot plans the right coverage.
Arrange access and keys
Gate codes, lockbox codes, the site superintendent's phone number, roof access, and who to call if the door is locked. For inspections and roof work, confirm who can open the roof hatch. For interiors and 3D tours, confirm lights, blinds and every room are unlocked.
Name one contact on the day
One person who can answer the phone, move a car, pause a crane or speak to a neighbour. Put their name and number in the project record, and give them the pilot's number too.
Clear people and vehicles
For media, move cars out of the driveway and off the street frontage if you can, bring in bins, put away hoses, toys and tarps. For construction sites, tell the crew when the drone will fly and agree where people will not be during the flight.
Tell the neighbours
A short note or message the day before: when, how long, what the drone will capture and who to call. It prevents most complaints, and it is the courteous thing to do for the people who live there. For strata buildings, post it in the lobby and send it to the council.
Book the right time
Exteriors usually look best with sun on the front of the building. Twilight shoots have a short window after sunset. Mapping wants even light and low wind. Thermal roof work often wants evening or early morning with a temperature difference. The pilot will suggest the time; agree it early.
Flag hazards you know about
Power lines, guy wires, cranes, tall trees, flag poles, dogs, livestock, a helipad next door, a nearby school. Anything you know that the pilot cannot see on a map.
What to prepare for each kind of flight
| Job | Prepare | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Real estate exterior and aerial | Lawn cut, driveway clear, cars moved, blinds even, lights on for twilight | Garbage bins, construction debris, open garage doors, people in the frame |
| Interior photos and 3D tour | Every room open and lit, surfaces cleared, pets out, toilet seats down | Moving through the house during the scan, mirrors covered in clutter |
| Construction progress | Site superintendent informed, crane schedule known, safe take-off area | Flights during a lift, workers directly under the flight path |
| Mapping and survey | Ground control locations agreed, targets not moved, stockpiles not being worked | Trucks driving over targets, equipment parked on the area being measured |
| Roof inspection | Roof hatch access, list of known leaks, drawings if you have them | Crews on the roof during the flight |
| Thermal | Heating or cooling running normally, windows closed | Direct sun on the surface just before the flight, rain in the previous hours |
What the pilot checks before every flight
- Airspace. Controlled airspace, airports, heliports, restricted areas and notices. In Canada that means NAV Drone and, where needed, NAV CANADA authorization; in the US, LAANC or FAA DroneZone and any temporary flight restrictions.
- Site survey. The take-off and landing area, obstacles, people, traffic, alternate landing spots and emergency plan. For Canadian Advanced operations a site survey is a regulatory requirement, and operators flying for DroneLink document one for every job.
- Land permission. Who owns the take-off spot and whether a park, city or strata rule applies.
- Weather. Wind at altitude and gusts, precipitation, visibility, cloud, temperature and the battery performance that comes with it.
- Aircraft. Batteries, propellers, firmware, sensors, return-to-home height set above the tallest obstacle, and the aircraft's declarations for the operation.
- Crew. Who is pilot, who is visual observer, how they talk to each other, and who talks to the public.
- Privacy. What is in frame, which neighbours' yards and windows to avoid, and what will be blurred or discarded.
Why flights get moved, and how to plan for it
Wind is the usual reason. Most small drones can fly in moderate wind, but gusts near buildings, over ridgelines and along the coast are what matter, and they make smooth video and sharp mapping images hard. Rain grounds most aircraft and ruins lenses. Low cloud and fog break the visual line of sight rules. Cold shortens battery life. On Vancouver Island, coastal wind and changeable spring and fall weather mean a flexible date is worth more than a fixed one.
The fix is to plan for it. Book a primary date and a backup. Tell the pilot what depends on the date (a listing launch, a pour, a council meeting) so they can call the weather early and move the flight before it becomes a problem. For work tied to a sequence, such as progress mapping before a slab is poured or a roof inspection before new roofing goes on, agree what happens if the weather does not clear in time: fly the next good day, or capture only the critical area in a short window. DroneLink records the reschedule in the project so everyone sees the new date.
The most common day-of problems
Nobody can open the gate
The pilot arrives, the site is locked, the contact is in a meeting.
A neighbour objects mid-flight
The flight stops while the pilot explains. It can end the job for the day.
The listing photos show the moving truck
Clutter and vehicles in aerial shots are hard to remove after the fact.
Survey targets moved
A loader drives over a ground control point and the accuracy of the map is lost.
Who to tell, and what they need
Homeowner or tenant
- They need from you
- Time, what rooms and areas will be captured
- You need from them
- A tidy, open, lit property
- On the DroneLink record
- The realtor forwards the prep list from the order
Site superintendent
- They need from you
- Flight time and where the drone will be
- You need from them
- A pause in crane lifts and clear areas under the path
- On the DroneLink record
- Scheduled in the project with a call on the morning
Strata council
- They need from you
- Notice for residents and proof of insurance
- You need from them
- Permission to use common property
- On the DroneLink record
- A notice they can post, attached to the booking
Neighbours
- They need from you
- To know what is happening and who to call
- You need from them
- No surprises
- On the DroneLink record
- A short note the day before
Questions
Do I need to be home for a drone shoot?
Not for most exterior work, as long as access is arranged and the pilot has a contact who answers the phone. For interiors and 3D tours, someone needs to let the photographer in.
Do I need to tell my neighbours about a drone flight?
It is not always a legal requirement, but it prevents most complaints and delays. A short note with the date, the time and the pilot's contact is enough.
What happens if it rains on the day of my drone shoot?
The flight is moved. Drones do not fly well in rain, and the images would not be usable. Book a backup date and tell the pilot what depends on the timing.
Can a drone fly if people are on site?
Yes, if the pilot can keep the distances the rules require, or the people are briefed and involved in the operation. On busy sites the flight is planned around where people are working.
How windy is too windy to fly a drone?
It depends on the aircraft and the job. Gusts near buildings and on the coast matter more than the average wind. The pilot makes the call on the day, and for mapping and video the limit is usually lower than what the aircraft can handle.
How long does a drone flight take on site?
A real estate exterior may take under an hour on site. Mapping and inspection take longer depending on area and detail. Ask for an on-site estimate when you book.
Does the pilot need permission to take off from my property?
The pilot needs the owner's permission to use the land for take-off and landing. On strata, park or municipal land, the council or authority decides.
Tell us about your Miami site.
An address and what you need is enough to start. We reply with what it will take, who will fly it and when.