Drone Surveys & 3D Photogrammetry

A drone flight does not just produce beautiful images from above: it produces measurable data. With photogrammetry we turn hundreds of georeferenced shots into a faithful model of reality — orthophotos, 3D point clouds, surface models — on which you can measure distances, calculate volumes and track the progress of a construction site without setting foot on the ground again.

We work within our data engineering division: every survey is built to end up inside your design software, not in a drawer. That is why we deliver results in industry-standard formats — LAS/LAZ for point clouds, GeoTIFF for orthophotos, DWG/DXF and PDF for CAD drawings, all the way to IFC for BIM environments.

This page explains in concrete terms what we survey, how we work, who it is useful for and what drives the price of a drone survey with photogrammetry. No generic promises: only the technical output you need to design, account for and oversee your works.

What we survey with the drone

Aerial photogrammetry (and, where needed, integrated with ground-based shots) reconstructs the real geometry of an area or a structure starting from high-resolution images with controlled overlap. The products we deliver:

• High-resolution georeferenced orthophotos — geometrically corrected aerial images you can measure directly to scale, perfect as an up-to-date base for site plans and projects.
• 3D point clouds and photogrammetric models — millions of elevation-tagged points describing terrain, buildings and infrastructure; the basis for sections, profiles and 3D modelling.
• Digital terrain and surface models (DTM/DSM) — for morphological analysis, slopes and preliminary hydraulic studies.
• CAD drawings (DWG/PDF) — vector restitution of what was surveyed, ready for your design workflow.

Aerial surveying can cover in a few hours surfaces that on the ground would take days, while keeping a uniform data density across the entire area.

Volume analysis, earthworks and work progress

The value of a photogrammetric survey is not only "seeing": it is measuring and comparing. From the 3D models we extract the information needed by those who manage construction sites, quarries, depots and infrastructure:

• Volume calculation of stockpiles, excavations and stored materials, with cut/fill reports.
• Earthworks and balances between as-built and as-designed states.
• Work progress documented over time: repeated flights over the same area allow you to compare successive states and keep an objective record of the site — useful for progress reports (SAL), accounting and claim management.
• Tracking of areas of interest, exportable profiles and sections.

It is the same repeatable monitoring approach we apply in our data engineering projects: compare, track, anticipate — instead of relying on spot measurements.

How we work: from the flight to the deliverable

A reliable survey is a process, not a single shot. Our typical workflow:

1. Site visit and flight planning — we define the area, altitude, overlap and the required accuracy based on the goal (a volume calculation and a detailed restitution do not call for the same flight plan).
2. Field acquisition — georeferenced aerial imagery; where greater metric precision is needed we integrate ground control points (GCP) to anchor the model.
3. Photogrammetric processing — generation of point cloud, orthophoto and surface models, with data quality control.
4. Restitution and export — delivery in the formats you actually use: LAS/LAZ, GeoTIFF, DWG/DXF, XYZ, OBJ/PLY, IFC and PDF drawings, so the survey goes straight into your CAD, GIS and BIM environments.

We operate from our base in Caggiano (SA) and throughout Italy.

Who it is for and what you get

The drone survey with photogrammetry is designed for those who need to design, account for or oversee based on reliable data:

• Construction companies and works supervision — up-to-date as-built status, volumes, progress and documentation for tenders and inspections.
• Technical practices, engineers and surveyors — a georeferenced base and CAD drawings on which to set up the project.
• Quarries, earthmoving and aggregate management — periodic volume measurement and excavation/fill balances.
• Public bodies, network and infrastructure operators — extensive territory surveys integrable into GIS and digital twins.

The concrete benefits: high metric precision, data immediately integrable into design software, reduced survey times, greater safety (less operator presence in difficult areas) and complete technical documentation that is repeatable over time.

Pricing: what it depends on and how to start

The most common question is "how much does a drone survey with photogrammetry cost?". There is no single price, because a single flight for an orthophoto and a detailed 3D restitution with ground control points are different jobs. The quote depends on a few clear factors:

• Size and morphology of the area (hectares, elevation differences, obstacles).
• Required accuracy and whether or not ground control points (GCP) are needed.
• Expected deliverables (orthophoto only, or point cloud, models, CAD drawings, BIM format).
• Repetition over time for monitoring work progress.

The principle holds across all our data engineering: measuring in a planned way costs far less than deciding by estimate and correcting in an emergency. Tell us about the area and the goal: we will organise a site visit and send you a transparent quote, with the exact list of deliverables and delivery formats.