// Services
Drone LiDAR Scanning Services
Dense, classified aerial point clouds captured by sensor-equipped UAVs — the raw material for terrain models, contours, and design surfaces, flown by FAA-certified pilots anywhere in the US.
- FAA-Certified Pilots
- Licensed Surveyor Partners
- Serving All 50 States
- 24-Hour Quote Turnaround
01// The Service
What Drone LiDAR Scanning Is — and When You Need It
Drone LiDAR scanning mounts an active laser sensor on a UAV and measures the terrain directly: hundreds of thousands of pulses per second, each timed to centimeter precision and positioned by an onboard GNSS/IMU. Unlike camera-based mapping, LiDAR doesn't reconstruct the surface from photos — it measures it. Because each pulse records multiple returns, points reach the ground through gaps in vegetation, which is why LiDAR is the tool of choice for wooded sites, brushy ROWs, and anywhere a true bare-earth surface matters.
You need a LiDAR scan when decisions depend on elevation you can trust: pre-design terrain for a development, drainage studies, earthwork planning, vegetated-site topo where field crews would spend weeks cutting line, or a current-conditions model of an active site. If the deliverable is a surface, contours, or a point cloud — rather than just pretty imagery — start here.
02// Method
How We Capture and Process a Scan
Step 01
Flight Planning
Altitude, speed, and line spacing are planned from your accuracy and point-density requirements, with overlapping flight lines so relative accuracy can be verified between passes.
Step 02
Ground Control
Ground control points and independent checkpoints are observed with RTK/PPK GNSS, and the sensor trajectory is post-processed against base station data before the cloud is built.
Step 03
Classification
Points are classified to the ASPRS LAS scheme — ground, vegetation, buildings, noise — with automated routines followed by manual review of the ground class.
Step 04
QA & Delivery
The cloud is checked against control residuals and flight-line alignment, then delivered on your coordinate system — typically NAD83 state plane with NAVD88 elevations.
03// Output
Deliverables, Formats & Who Uses Them
The core deliverable is a ground-classified point cloud in LAS or LAZ. From it we derive whatever your workflow needs: DTM and DSM rasters as GeoTIFF, TIN surfaces, 1-ft contours in DWG/DXF or SHP, and planimetric linework. Need the derived products as a standing service? See our point cloud processing and deliverables page.
Our scans feed engineering firms building design surfaces in Civil 3D, land surveyors using us as a white-label aerial capture partner, and developers scoping raw land before committing to full design. When a project needs certified survey control, licensed surveyor partners provide it.
Coverage is genuinely nationwide: FAA-certified pilots near your site in all 50 states, flying to one national capture and QA standard — so a scan in Montana matches a scan in Georgia, file for file.
04// FAQ
Drone LiDAR Scanning Questions
How accurate is drone LiDAR scanning?
With precision sensors, RTK/PPK trajectory processing, and ground control points, drone LiDAR routinely delivers engineering-grade vertical accuracy suitable for design. Every project ships with a QA report comparing the point cloud against independently observed checkpoints, so accuracy is verified on your site — not just quoted from a sensor spec sheet.
Can drone LiDAR see through trees and vegetation?
LiDAR does not see through solid canopy, but because each laser pulse records multiple returns, enough pulses find gaps in the vegetation to reach the ground beneath it. After ground classification, we build a bare-earth terrain model even under heavy tree cover — the main reason LiDAR is chosen over photogrammetry for wooded sites.
What does a drone LiDAR scan cost?
Most projects fall between $2,500 and $15,000, driven by acreage, vegetation density, required point density, deliverables, and whether certified survey control is needed. Small open sites come in at the low end; large or heavily wooded sites cost more. Send a KML/KMZ of your boundary and we return an exact quote within 24 hours.
When should I choose LiDAR over photogrammetry?
Choose LiDAR when you need bare earth under vegetation, thin features like powerlines, or reliable accuracy on low-texture surfaces such as fresh grading or snow. Photogrammetry can be more economical for open, hard-surface sites where orthophoto imagery is the priority. Our guide to LiDAR vs photogrammetry walks through the decision in detail.
How long does a drone LiDAR scan take?
A typical single-site scan is one day in the field — often just a few hours of flying — with processed deliverables following within days, depending on site size and scope. Because our pilots are local to your project, scheduling usually comes down to the next suitable weather window rather than crew travel.
Still weighing sensor options? Read our full comparison: LiDAR vs photogrammetry.
05// Start a Project
Get Your LiDAR Scanning Quote
Upload a KML/KMZ of your site and tell us the deliverables you need — quote back within 24 hours.
- Direct line
- (877) 729-5311
- team@prolidar.com