Guide · Part 107 pilots
Hourly vs Flat-Rate Pricing for Drone Jobs
Hourly and flat-rate pricing aren't competing philosophies — they're tools for different jobs. Pick the wrong one and you either scare off the client or work for free.
Ready to put this into a quote? Rotor Rate does the math.
When hourly works
Use hourly (or half-day / day-rate) when scope is genuinely uncertain: events, film support, exploratory inspections, anything where the client doesn't yet know what they need. Always quote a minimum so a 20-minute callout doesn't lose money.
When flat-rate works
Use flat-rate when you've done the job before and can predict total time within ~20%. Real estate shoots, single-tower inspections, standard mapping deliverables. Clients prefer it because it's easy to compare; you prefer it because efficiency gains land in your pocket.
Hybrid models
A flat base (covers your minimum site time and standard deliverable) plus hourly overage for anything beyond a defined scope. This is how most experienced pilots end up quoting — predictable for the client, protected for you.
Whichever model you pick, know your number
Hourly only works if you know your true cost per hour (equipment + overhead + post-production + margin). Flat-rate only works if you know how long the job actually takes. Track both — Rotor Rate's job history makes this easy after a few jobs.
Related guides
Pricing well means understanding the whole job — from what you offer to where you can fly.
How to Price Drone Services
The full pricing framework — factors, models, and the bid formula.
Drone Services Pilots Get Paid For
Real estate, inspection, mapping, film, agriculture — what each service involves and what it pays.
LAANC & Airspace Authorization
How LAANC works, when you need it, and how airspace class should change your quote.
LAANC vs Part 107 Waiver
Which FAA approval pathway you need for each airspace scenario — and how long each one takes.
UAS Facility Map: Find Nearby Controlled Airspace
How to read the FAA's UASFM grid to know if LAANC applies, what altitude you can fly, and where Further Coordination is required.
How to Get LAANC Authorization (Step by Step)
A screenshot-by-screenshot walkthrough of submitting a LAANC request — plus a printable pre-flight checklist.
Weather & Flight Planning
Wind, visibility, temperature, and the planning checks that keep a paid job from getting scrubbed.