Commercial drone services

Drone Stockpile Measurement

Traditional measurement puts a worker on loose material with a prism pole. A drone flies an automated grid over the pile, captures overlapping images from elevated angles, and renders a 3D model the volumes come out of — more data points, in less time, without the climb.

1–2%Typical volume accuracy against ground truth, matching or beating ground survey.
30–60 minFlight time for a typical 5-acre yard; most sites finish in a single day.
2–3 daysProcessing and the volume report land within two to three business days.
No shutdownFlights happen above active operations — loaders, trucks and crews keep working.
Get a quote for your yard Call 587-532-9000

From $650 / site · PDF volume report, orthomosaic, contours; 3D point cloud on request

Photogrammetry

Geometric properties determined from photographs: the same pile captured from many angles yields the point cloud the 3D model — and the volume — comes from.

Ground control points

Objects of known measurement placed in shot. Measured on site and checked against the model, they prove the baseline — and if the baseline holds, the rest of the measurements do too.

Interior barn measurement

Storage enclosures measured from the inside, safely, in almost any indoor environment — the same accurate data as an outdoor survey.

Transport Canada Advanced RPAS$5M aviation liabilityAvettaISNetworldComplyWorksSince 2014

Frequently Asked Questions

How accurate is drone stockpile measurement?
Drone-based photogrammetry typically delivers volume accuracy within 1-2% of ground-truth, comparable to or better than traditional ground survey methods.
How long does a drone stockpile survey take?
Most yards finish in a single flight day. A typical 5-acre site is captured in 30-60 minutes; processing and the volume report ship within 2-3 business days.
Do operations need to shut down during the flight?
No. Drone flights happen above active operations, so loaders, trucks and crews keep working.
What does the deliverable include?
A PDF volume report per stockpile, an orthomosaic map, contour lines and a 3D point cloud are available on request.
Is drone stockpile measurement weather-dependent?
Light rain and moderate wind (under ~40 km/h) are usually acceptable. Heavy snow, fog or sustained high winds postpone the flight.
Call 587-532-9000Get a Quote