Part 107 for construction drone pilots
Progress photos, stockpile surveys and site mapping are Part 107 work. The rules that matter on a job site: workers, cranes, airports and the 400 ft limit.
Updated
Weekly progress photos, stockpile volumes, roof and facade checks, and site maps for the owner are all business flights, so they fall under Part 107 even on a private site with a company drone. Job sites also stack several rules at once: people on the ground, tall structures, moving equipment and, often, an airport nearby.
Which rules come up on a typical site?
| Situation | Rule | Read more |
|---|---|---|
| Crews working below | Operations over people | Operations Over People |
| Tall building or tower | 400 ft AGL, or 400 ft above a structure within 400 ft of it | 400-foot rule |
| Cranes, guy wires and power lines | Plan around hazards you cannot see | Flight hazards |
| Site near an airport | Controlled airspace needs authorization | Airspace classes |
| A site manager wants to fly the drone | Direct supervision rules | Who can fly |
| Mapping missions that leave line of sight | Visual line of sight is required | VLOS and observers |
How do you plan around cranes?
A tower crane is a moving structure with cables, and the cables are the hazard. Coordinate the flight window with the crane operator, keep the drone clear of the jib's swing radius, and stay well away from suspended loads. The flight hazards post explains why wires are hard to see from the ground and harder from the drone's camera.
What about automated mapping?
Survey apps fly grids on their own, but the rules do not change. The remote pilot in command must be able to take over and direct the aircraft, the drone must stay within visual line of sight, and the return-to-home altitude must clear the tallest thing on site, cranes included. The emergencies post covers lost link settings.
Large sites near cities often sit in Class B, C or D airspace, and an authorization through LAANC is per location and altitude. Check every new site before the first flight, not just the first project.
How should a construction team study?
Site teams usually know the equipment and the plans; the gap is regulations and airspace. Take the free diagnostic, spend time on sectional charts and operating rules in the handbook, and run the exam simulator until your score is stable well above 70%.
Frequently asked questions
- Do construction companies need Part 107 to fly drones on their own sites?
- Yes. Flying to document or survey a project serves the business, so it is not recreational. The person acting as remote pilot in command needs a remote pilot certificate, even when the drone belongs to the company and the site is private.
- Can a drone fly over workers on a construction site?
- Workers who are directly participating in the drone operation are not restricted, but other crews on site are people under the operations over people rules. Flight over them is limited to the cases in 14 CFR 107.39: under a covered structure, in a stationary vehicle, or within one of the four operations over people categories.
- How high can I fly next to a crane or a tall building?
- Normally 400 ft AGL. Within a 400 ft radius of a structure, Part 107 allows flight up to 400 ft above the structure's top, which helps on tall buildings, though cranes and their cables are a hazard to plan around.