The Question I Get More Than Any Other
When I talk to people who want to build a drone cinematography business, pricing is the thing that trips them up first and keeps tripping them up longest. Not licensing, not gear, not even landing the first client — pricing. I’ve been running CineDrones since 2013, and I still see the same mistake from operators five years into it: they quote based on what feels fair to charge instead of what the job actually costs them to deliver well. Those are two very different numbers, and the gap between them is where new businesses quietly go broke.
Why “What Should I Charge?” Is the Wrong First Question
Everyone wants a rate card. A number they can quote with confidence and move on. But a flat day rate that ignores what’s actually being asked of you will burn you on half your jobs. The right first question isn’t “what do I charge,” it’s “what does this specific job require of me.” A single-operator interior real estate shoot and a multi-location commercial with a full aerial crew, insurance certificates, and a location scout are not variations on the same rate — they’re different businesses wearing the same drone.
Before I quote anything, I’m pricing in five things: my time on site, my prep and travel time, my equipment risk and insurance exposure, my editing and delivery time, and the licensing or permitting work specific to that job. New operators price in the first one and forget the other four, then wonder why a “good” day rate still leaves them underwater once they count the hours they actually put in.
The Underselling Trap
The most common underselling move I see is competing on price against operators who haven’t done the math I just described. If someone is quoting a fraction of what a job actually costs to do properly, they’re either about to lose money or about to cut a corner you don’t want cut — usually insurance, backup equipment, or a second set of eyes for safety. You’re not competing with that number. You’re competing on the fact that a producer or agent who hires you once should never have to think about your reliability again. That’s worth charging for, and clients who’ve been burned by a cut-rate operator will pay for it.
I’d also add: don’t discount your first few jobs to “build a portfolio.” Do good work and let the work speak for itself at a real rate. A steep discount doesn’t just cost you money, it anchors that client’s expectations for every job after it.
A Framework That Actually Holds Up
Here’s roughly how I think about a quote, in order:
- Base day rate — covers your time, standard gear, and basic travel. This is your floor, not your ceiling.
- Complexity multiplier — multiple locations, tight schedules, a full crew instead of single-operator, or coordination with other departments on a studio production all push this up.
- Licensing and airspace costs — controlled airspace, special permitting, or a market like Las Vegas with its own authorization requirements adds real prep time that has to be billed, not absorbed.
- Insurance and risk — higher-value shoots near people, property, or aircraft carry more liability exposure, and your policy costs reflect that.
- Post-production — editing, color, and delivery format aren’t a courtesy add-on. If it’s part of the deliverable, it’s part of the quote.
Add those up and you get a number that holds up whether the client pushes back or not — because you know exactly what it’s built from.
Work With Me
I’ve spent over a decade building CineDrones into an aerial cinematography company that works with major studios and networks, covers Las Vegas Strip productions under our own FAA clearance, and handles everything from low-budget indie shoots to full luxury real estate packages. Pricing, quoting, licensing, insurance, building a reel, landing your first clients — I’ve made the mistakes so you don’t have to.
If you’re building your own drone cinematography business and want to work through your specific situation, get in touch with CineDrones to book a 30-minute strategy call with me for $99, or a full hour for $189. Bring your toughest question — pricing, your first studio pitch, whatever’s stuck — and we’ll work through it together.
