Surveying has always been about accuracy, but new tools are expanding what that accuracy can achieve. In a recent article for Construction Today, BL Companies Senior Land Surveyor and Principal Donald Smith shares how Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are transforming the field from a behind-the-scenes function into a strategic partner in development. From reducing safety risks on hazardous sites to accelerating decision-making and providing visual data for stakeholders, drones are changing the equation for clients. Here’s an excerpt on how drones bring efficiency and safety together:
One of the biggest advantages UAVs bring to surveying is efficiency. A drone can complete in 20 minutes what might otherwise take a team an entire day — especially on large or complex sites with challenging access or environmental sensitivities. That speed doesn’t just reduce labor costs; it accelerates decision-making and keeps projects moving.
The value goes beyond time saved. UAVs also improve safety by reducing the need to put surveyors in hazardous or hard-to-reach environments. Surveying is a labor-intensive job, and certain tasks — like accessing rooftops, navigating active construction zones, or traversing wetlands — have always carried risk. Drones are changing that equation. When safety and speed improve together, so does client value. UAVs let us deliver accurate data faster with less risk.
A few years ago, we were asked to survey the rooftop of a public school in preparation for a solar panel installation. Traditionally, this would have meant climbing ladders and walking the roof with tripods and prisms, a slow, potentially dangerous process. Instead, we flew a drone equipped with high-resolution photogrammetry cameras, capturing the data quickly, safely, and without any disruption to the school day.
Read the full article here to learn more about how drone technology elevates the role of surveying. This article was also published for U.K. readers in Construction & Civil Engineering Magazine.