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Aerial Surveys

Aerial Survey equipment.

Aerial Imaging

With their ability to capture data from above, drones are able to perform land surveys, photogrammetry, 3D mapping, topographic surveying, and more, with increased efficiency.

The Benefits of Drone Mapping

Using drones for surveying offers the following advantages:

  • Speed – Drones can scan acres of land in a fraction of the time it takes to manually survey on the ground, especially in areas of challenging terrain.
  • Reduced Cost – A drone can capture data faster and safer, which may reduce costs.
  • Improved Quality of Data – Drones are constantly scanning and creating thousands of measurements, resulting in incredibly detailed and highly accurate point files within a few millimeters, when paired with traditional survey methods.

Types of Aerial Drone Surveys

  • Base Mapping/Preliminary site assessment – Used to determine the most suitable land-use in terms of development and planning, or for construction purposes. It uses the drone to collect imagery and topographic relief of the land to give an idea of the current condition of the land, slope, and relief to better enable an architect or land developer to make decisions on its use.
  • ALTA Surveys – Using a drone and a combination of software, including PIX 4D/PIX 4D Survey and AIRworks, we are able to decrease the cost of large ALTA surveys if the project is a good candidate for drone imagery. The drone is able to fly the site and draw in many of the features on the parcel, reducing the need for the crew to manually measure all of the property improvements and significantly decreasing the number of man hours required.

Stock Pile Monitoring

Traditional stockpile measuring methods that involved a surveyor needing to climb up a stockpile to generate data points with a GPS was time consuming, inaccurate and expensive. Drone-based volume measurement, however, allows for substantially lower cost, faster and more accurate information in just a few clicks. A top down angle view enables one to see every detail on the stockpile, allowing in turn, a much more accurate output.


Have questions about Aerial Surveys? Contact the McSteen Team for answers, or request an aerial survey quote.

Get an Aerial Survey Quote