Drone Surveys for Construction, North East & UK

Core services

Construction & Earthworks Surveys

Six surveys for housebuilders, earthworks contractors and civil engineers. Each one answers a practical question about your site.

How much material is on site?Stockpile Volume SurveysMeasured stockpile volumes in cubic metres, with outlined piles and repeat measurements for stock reconciliation.View service
How much has been dug, and how much fill is still needed?Cut & Fill SurveysCut, fill and net volumes with heat maps, comparing surveyed ground with design levels or an earlier survey.View service
What are the existing ground levels?Topographical MappingTerrain and surface models, contours, spot levels and point clouds that show the shape and levels of your site.View service
How has the site changed since the last visit?Construction Progress MonitoringRepeat aerial mapping and fixed-viewpoint photography that gives a dated, measurable record of the build.View service
Can the whole site be recorded in one visit?Drone Mapping & OrthomosaicsDetailed, georeferenced aerial maps of your whole site that you can measure from and share.View service
Can the team inspect it from any angle?3D Modelling & PhotogrammetryRealistic, measurable 3D models and point clouds of buildings, construction sites and structures.View service

Examples

Example Survey Outputs

Measured outputs rather than just aerial photographs. Each example links to the full service.

3D view of a quarry floor from a drone survey, with eight stockpiles each outlined in a different colour and labelled with its measured volume, from 13.2 m³ to 830.4 m³

Stockpile Volume Measurements

Each pile is outlined on a 3D surface model and its volume calculated in cubic metres (m³) against an agreed base surface. Measured figures support stock reconciliation, ordering and material planning.

Stockpile volume surveys

Cut and fill heat map comparing surveyed ground with a design surface: red where the ground is above design, blue where it is below

Cut & Fill Against Design

The surveyed ground is compared with your design surface. Colours show where the ground sits above or below design, and the report gives cut, fill and net quantities in cubic metres.

Cut and fill surveys

The same quarry as a colour-shaded elevation model, with contour lines and height labels — Drag the handle, or use the arrow keys, to compare.Full size:Orthomosaic Elevation model + contours

Orthomosaic of a quarry from a drone survey, showing benches, haul roads, ponds and measured stockpiles — Drag the handle, or use the arrow keys, to compare.Full size:Orthomosaic Elevation model + contours

Site Mapping & Elevation Models

A dated orthomosaic and an elevation model with contours, from the same capture, show what is on site and how the ground rises and falls, so engineers can review levels, slopes and likely drainage from the office.

Topographical mapping

Deliverables

What You'll Receive

Measurable, georeferenced data in standard formats for CAD, GIS and project reporting.

Georeferenced orthomosaicsGeoTIFF, ECWMeasurable aerial maps of the whole site, typically 1 to 5 cm per pixel.
Elevation and terrain modelsGeoTIFF, LandXMLSurface and ground models for levels, slopes and design.
Point clouds and 3D modelsLAS, LAZ, OBJDense 3D data and textured models of sites and structures.
Volume reportsPDF, CSVStockpile, cut, fill and net volumes in cubic metres.
Design comparisonsPDF, GeoTIFFSurveyed ground and site layout compared with design levels and drawings.
CAD and GIS exportsDWG, DXFContours and spot levels for your software, with fully drafted drawings by arrangement.
Dated progress recordsGeoTIFF, JPEGComparable maps and fixed viewpoints from every visit.
Interactive online modelsBrowser linkDetailed 3D models to explore and share in a web browser.

Featured project

Housing Development, North East

View the project

A residential development in the North East, captured across multiple visits to document construction progress and provide accurate, up-to-date site records.

Aerial view of a housing development at an earlier stage: foundation slabs, blockwork and timber roof trusses under construction — Drag the handle, or use the arrow keys, to compare.

The same housing development at a later stage: houses roofed, solar panels fitted and roads surfaced — Drag the handle, or use the arrow keys, to compare.

What was captured: Repeat flights over the whole development on the same flight plan, oblique photographs from fixed viewpoints, and overlapping imagery for a 3D model.
What was produced: Georeferenced orthomosaics from each visit, matched before-and-after views and a textured 3D model of the development.
Why it is useful: Repeat captures on the same flight plan allow plots, roads and earthworks to be compared between dates, and the whole site can be examined from any angle without a site visit.
How it could help your project: The same approach gives housebuilders and contractors a dated record for progress meetings, valuations and client updates, and a baseline for measured earthworks, as-built records or design comparisons.

Site monitoring

Repeat Surveys Throughout Construction

The most useful records come from returning at agreed intervals or milestones. Surveys use consistent capture and control methods to support reliable comparisons between visits.

BaselineBefore work starts: existing ground, site condition and a reference map.
EarthworksStrip, cut, fill and stockpiles recorded as the ground is shaped.
SubstructureFoundations, drainage and roads recorded across the site.
SuperstructureRegular maps and fixed viewpoints as buildings go up.
CompletionA final dated record of the finished site for handover.

Benefits of regular visits

Consistent, site-wide records on every visit
Ground and site changes compared between dates
Earthworks quantities and material movement tracked where measured surveys are included
Material for monthly reports and progress meetings
Stakeholders kept informed without extra site visits
Progress reviewed at agreed project milestones

Preferential rates for repeat visits

Regular surveys at agreed intervals or project milestones are priced at a preferential rate per visit, because planning and set-up are shared and the same capture and control methods are used each time.

Ask for a recurring survey quote

Why Droneacres

One Point of Contact, Start to Finish

Your enquiry goes straight to the person who plans the survey, flies the site and processes the data. From our base in Northumberland we work across Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, County Durham and the wider North East, and travel across the UK for commercial projects.

Flexible scheduling

Surveys are planned around your programme and site activity, from a single visit to regular monitoring.

Measured, not just photographed

Outputs are georeferenced and checked, so your team can measure from them, not only look at them.

Consistent repeat surveys

The same flight plan, control and processing methods on every visit, to support reliable comparisons between dates.

Clear about limits

Photogrammetry measures what the camera can see. Where ground is hidden by dense vegetation or structures, we say so plainly.

Measured surveys use RTK positioning, GNSS ground control and independent checkpoints. Accuracy depends on site conditions, method and control, so it is checked on each project rather than promised in advance. How survey data is controlled.

From enquiry to delivery

How It Works

DiscussTell us about the site and what you need to know. You do not need to know which survey you need.
PlanWe agree the outputs and coordinate system, check the airspace and prepare RAMS for the visit.
CaptureThe site is flown to a planned pattern, with survey control where measurement matters.
Process and checkImagery is processed into maps, models and measurements, then checked before anything is delivered.
DeliverMaps, models, reports and data files in your formats. Inspection imagery can often be supplied the same day and mapping outputs within a few working days, with timescales agreed for each project.

Projects