How to Procure a Utility or Industrial Drone Inspection
A step-by-step procurement path: define the asset and objective, set acceptance criteria, shortlist on evidence and compare like-for-like quotes.
Start with the asset and the decision
Write down exactly what is being inspected (for example 40 km of distribution line, a 120 MW solar farm, six storage tanks) and what decision the data must support: routine condition survey, defect confirmation, vegetation management, insurance claim, shutdown planning or emergency damage assessment. The objective drives the sensor, accuracy, deliverables and review level.
Describe the operating environment
Tell providers whether assets will be energised, operational or shut down; whether the site is offshore, indoor, GPS-denied, a confined space or a hazardous atmosphere; and whether flights are near controlled airspace, public roads or populated areas. These conditions decide which providers are genuinely qualified.
Set acceptance criteria before you buy
Agree what a finished job looks like: the defect classes to report, image resolution or ground sample distance, thermal conditions, coverage, file formats, the system the output must load into, and turnaround. Ask for a sample report from a similar asset and use it as the benchmark.
Shortlist on evidence, not claims
Check the remote pilot credential, insurance, safety management approach, and any advanced permissions such as a BVLOS waiver with its scope and expiry. Separate sensor ownership from interpretation competence — a thermal camera does not prove thermography skill, and a pilot certificate is not an engineering, surveying or NDT credential.
Compare quotes on the same scope
Send every provider the same structured brief using our quote form. Ask each to state their pricing basis, what is excluded (travel, processing, engineering review, re-flights) and whether any part of the work is subcontracted.
Ready to compare providers?
Describe your project once and get quotes from suitable inspection providers.