Every general contractor evaluating drone services eventually asks two related questions in the wrong order. The first is “should we just buy a drone and do this ourselves?” The second — usually asked much later, after a flight has already happened — is “what exactly is this file, and why won’t it open in our software?” Answering the second question first actually makes the first one easier, because most of what determines whether a drone program is worth owning or worth hiring out comes down to what the finished deliverables are, not what the aircraft can do.
Here are the questions we hear most often, answered directly.
What am I actually receiving after a flight — a picture, or something more?
Usually both, but the picture is the least useful part for most technical purposes. A finished aerial mapping package typically includes an orthomosaic — a single, geometrically corrected image of the whole site — delivered as a GeoTIFF file. Unlike a normal photo, a GeoTIFF carries embedded geographic coordinates baked into the file itself, which is what lets it load into GIS or CAD software already scaled and positioned correctly on your site’s coordinate system, rather than as a picture you’d have to manually align. That embedded referencing is the entire reason the format exists.
What’s a point cloud file, and do I need one?
A point cloud is a dense set of individually positioned 3D points that reconstruct a site’s shape — elevations, depths, and spatial relationships across the whole footprint. These are standard-formatted as LAS or LAZ files, a point cloud standard originally developed by the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. LAZ is simply a compressed version of LAS, shrinking file size by roughly 90 percent without losing data, which matters once a site’s point cloud runs into the hundreds of millions of points. You need one if your team is doing volume calculations, grading checks, or importing conditions into civil or BIM software — you don’t if you only need a visual progress record.
Why does the file format actually matter, beyond opening correctly?
Because the format determines what the data can do, not just whether it opens. A JPEG of a site looks fine on a screen but can’t be measured. A GeoTIFF can be measured directly in GIS software because its geographic reference is built in. A LAS file can be queried, filtered by elevation, and used for cut-and-fill math because it’s structured as coordinates and attributes, not pixels. Asking a provider “what format will this come in” before a flight, not after, is what prevents a finished deliverable from turning into a second project: converting a format that doesn’t do what your team needs into one that does.
Should we just buy a drone and bring this in-house?
For some contractors, yes — if there’s steady, recurring need and someone on staff willing to own the regulatory and data-processing side. For a lot of contractors, the math doesn’t work out that way. A May 2026 survey from Associated Builders and Contractors found that only about 36 percent of member firms currently operate drones on their job sites at all, and among firms not yet using them, regulatory and compliance requirements were cited as the leading barrier, followed closely by training and staffing constraints. Owning a drone program means an FAA Part 107-certified pilot on staff, airspace authorization awareness for every site, and someone who can actually process raw imagery into a usable orthomosaic or point cloud — a skill set distinct from flying the aircraft itself. Hiring a specialized provider shifts that equipment, licensing, and processing burden off your team, in exchange for scheduling a flight when you need one rather than owning the capability year-round.
What should I actually ask before hiring a provider?
Start with deliverables, not equipment. Ask what file formats you’ll receive by default, whether those formats match the software your team already uses (Civil 3D, ArcGIS, QGIS, Bluebeam, or otherwise), and what the turnaround time is from flight to finished files. A provider who can answer those specifically, rather than generally, is one who has done this enough times to know what actually gets used on a construction site versus what looks impressive in a sales deck.
What does Dragonfly Aerials deliver, and how fast?
For most active construction sites, a standard flight produces a GeoTIFF orthomosaic, a LAS or LAZ point cloud when volumetric or elevation data is needed, and a straightforward summary report for anyone who just needs a quick visual reference. We scope file formats during intake specifically so what you receive opens correctly in whatever software your team already runs, rather than requiring a conversion step afterward. All of it is delivered within 2–3 business days of the flight. On accuracy: our processing workflow is built to produce sub-centimeter-per-pixel imagery, delivering sub-centimeter-level work ready for engineering review — if your project requires a licensed survey stamp, that remains a separate deliverable from a licensed surveyor, and we’re glad to coordinate around it.
Every flight operates under 14 CFR Part 107, the FAA’s rule for commercial drone operations, which requires a certified remote pilot, visual-line-of-sight operation, and adherence to the altitude and airspace limits that apply across the Front Range’s mix of controlled and uncontrolled airspace.
If you’re still deciding between building an in-house program and hiring it out, our How It Works page walks through exactly what a flight-to-delivery engagement looks like. For the full range of what we offer, see our services page. Ready to see what deliverables would fit your project? Get a quote now.
Sources:
https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/part-107-summary