Being able to capture precise and accurate visual representations of a worksite quickly and efficiently is a major benefit of using drones for surveying. But you can find other advantages as well.
Take the guesswork out of pre-bids and progress tracking
Bills of quantities in construction allow for quick and easy comparison of contractor proposals. Since all bidders are quoting the same level of work, it?s easy to identify differences in cost. Bills of quantities are also used to clearly define the scope of focus on a project. Since quantities and amounts are given, there?s no room for misinterpretation and less chance of mathematical errors. Utilizing Have a peek here to survey materials on a prospective jobsite helps to ensure that the contractor pricing you submit is accurate, and you also?ll be compensated for the task you complete. Comparing your initial site survey to the original ground file provided enables you to request a change-order upfront to secure more income for the project in the event that you spot an unfavorable variance between the two.
Avoid rework
Based on the Construction Industry Institute, rework is estimated to represent 2%-20% of total costs. It impacts project timelines, costs, schedules, machine resources, and person hours. All of which erode profitability. A significant cause for rework is a insufficient information or using outdated information in decision making. Technology, just like the Propeller Platform, makes solving this issue easier with an increase of accurate and timely data. Drone surveying enables site supervisors and superintendents to receive up-to-date maps with accurate specs approximately 1 day after requesting them, which plays a part in better decision making and ultimately less rework.
Improve site-to-office communications
Survey data captured by drones and processed by software platforms like Propeller help centralize project documentation and increase collaboration with surveyors, engineers, foremen, and site managers. Collaboration challenges span the complete life of any project and it?s important that stakeholders at each stage have the data they need to understand if a project is on the right track, on budget, and on schedule. Platforms like Propeller centralize all your information in one place including present and past surveys, designs and iterations, and all of your notes, reports and files.
Minimize change orders
According to the Independent Project Analysis Group, typically 35% of most construction projects will incur a major change. One study indicated that change orders led to project cost overruns of 11-15% on average and delayed projects up to 20% beyond scheduled completion dates
Avoid disputes
A 2022 study found that 87% greater than 500 respondents from architecture, engineering, and construction firms had handled disputes in the past 12 months, a considerable increase from 63% in 2021. Within their annual Global Construction Disputes Report (2022), Arcadis found that the leading cause of disputes in THE UNITED STATES was poor record keeping and documentation.
Resolving disputes requires a clear communication and documentation plan. Drone surveys conducted at the start of a project and at regular intervals throughout the course of the task provide a historical record and a frequent (and reliable) record of progress as time passes. Should a dispute arise, contractors can revisit the relevant site survey to handle any concerns.

Accurate records established with drone data also enable contractors to quickly identify and address project errors or concerns and offer clear, accurate, unbiased, and easy-to-understand documentation of every stage in the project.
Save money and time
Measuring quantities and progress manually does take time, resources, and frequently a full-time dedicated person. And in Helpful hints , a large chunk of time is spent just accessing a niche site. When survey data could be captured and processed in hours, not days or weeks, projects go smoother with less rework, added expense, and overhead. Using cloud-based processing also eliminates the necessity for server and computer costs and is a lot more scalable.
Site balancing
Among the major costs in earthworks is importing or exporting dirt from the site. A way to spend less because of this operation is determining if the project can be done by only using the dirt that?s currently on site, referred to as site balancing. When creating a grade design for a civil construction or earthworks project, a key goal would be to ensure the dirt on the job site balances whenever you can. This means that the cuts and fills are relatively equal, in order that contractors don?t have to import or export dirt in trucks to finish a job, which may be costly. Moving the prevailing earth around on site with excavation machinery is less expensive. When you survey your worksite with a drone, the data you obtain allows you to track your dirt quantities more accurately and balance your site.
Reduce safety risks
Flying a drone enables surveyors to remain on stable ground while safely navigating dangerous terrains and slopes or avoid close contact with busy highways. Drone surveying keeps crews onsite for less time than traditional survey methods, reducing the chance for an injury to occur. Mapping a niche site becomes as simple as programming a flight path and piloting the drone, and it yields in the same way accurate results.