Drone Photography Pricing: What To Know

Other expenses for a drone photography business

While your drone is arguably your most important piece of equipment as a drone photographer, it won’t be your only business expense. If you want to charge a premium for edited photos and videos, you’ll also need to invest in editing software.

Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop are industry-standard editing software for professional photographers. A basic photographers subscription on Adobe Creative Cloud will run you $10 per month.

For video editing, your computer’s standard editing software might be enough to get by while you’re still a beginner. If you’re looking to upgrade to a more professional option, Adobe Premiere Pro and Vegas Pro 18 are popular options. Both offer tons of premium features that will allow you to polish your raw drone footage into high-quality cinematic videos. 

If you haven’t already, you’ll also need to register your drone with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and get an aerial drone photography license. The process is similar to obtaining a driver’s license and costs a small fee. You can learn more about what you’ll need to get your license on the FAA’s website. 

Some cities have restrictions on drone flight for safety, as well. Unless you want to get hit with a hefty fine, always stay mindful of your local laws and only fly your drone where you know it’s safe and legal to do so. On the chance that something goes wrong, liability insurance is a worthwhile investment for your drone photography business. All of your expenses will impact your final drone photography pricing, so track them all using software like Intuit Quickbooks. 

Set your business goals

To set your drone photography rates, you’ll need to formulate your business goals. What kind of projects do you want to take on? Will you shoot aerial overviews for real estate agents or builders? Do you want to film commercials for local companies or music videos for up-and-coming musicians? Or maybe you’d like to shoot fly-overs of weddings or other special events? 

Decide on your business goals as a drone photographer early on. This will allow you to tailor your website and marketing towards your ideal clients, and you’ll be able to set clear rates for your services. You can offer different tiers of pricing packages, depending on the services you’ll offer. The more time you spend shooting and editing the finished project, the higher your fee should be.

Drone photography pricing packages

Drone photography pricing varies widely depending on your experience level, equipment, location, and the nature of the project. The average drone pilot earns around $70 to $250 per hour for their work, but that number is flexible depending on the kind of work you’ll be doing. You can also choose to charge a flat fee for your services, such as $150 for a basic 60-90 minute aerial overview with no editing. 

For real estate photography, most drone photographers charge anywhere from $50 to $400 per project. This fee typically includes a brief flyover of the property and a quick 30-second to one-minute video, where you can grab plenty of still images.

For weddings, many basic drone photographers often start at $500 for a simple overview flight with no editing. For longer videos with cinematic editing, many professional drone photographers charge upwards of $1,000-$5,000 for 4k edited videos. 

When deciding how to price your work, take a look at the competition in your area and see how your work compares. Are your skills comparable to theirs, or do you need a bit more practice piloting your drone or learning how to edit for impactful shots? Choose a competitive rate that reflects your current skill set and expertise without undercutting your value as a professional. 

Remember that it takes time to earn top-level rates in any career field. But if you’re willing to put in the effort, you can take your business to new heights!

Check out the 8 best drone videographers shooting aerial in Washington, DC for inspiration!