Commonly $150–$500+ per hour or a few hundred to a few thousand per project — and there's a legal detail that separates real operators from a guy with a drone. Here's the honest breakdown.
Hourly commonly runs $150–$500+ depending on operator experience and equipment. Per project — commonly a few hundred dollars for a real estate shoot to a few thousand for produced commercial work with editing. Editing bills like all video: expect it in the quote or on top of it. Location complexity (airspace, permissions) and deliverables drive the spread.
In the US, flying drones for any business purpose requires an FAA Part 107 remote pilot certificate — full stop. An unlicensed operator shooting your business content exposes both of you to FAA penalties, and no serious insurer covers the flight. First question to any drone operator: “are you Part 107 certified and insured?” The pros answer instantly; the hobbyists change the subject.
Aerials sell scale and setting: property exteriors, land, venues, events, anything where the surroundings are the story. They add little to businesses whose story is indoors or personal — a barbershop needs the chair, not the roof. The honest rule: drone footage as an ingredient in a video built around one real point, not as the point itself. Establishing shots earn their cost; drone-for-drone's-sake reads as showing off.
Commonly a few hundred dollars per property for stills and short clips from a licensed operator — often bundled with ground video. For most listings it's the highest-impact add-on per dollar, because setting and lot are exactly what aerials show.
For any commercial work in the US, yes — FAA Part 107. Hiring unlicensed flights risks federal penalties and voids insurance. Always ask for the certificate; legitimate operators expect the question.
Certification, aircraft and backup equipment, insurance, and airspace planning — plus the skill of flying smooth cinematic paths, which is harder than it looks. You're paying for legal, insured, repeatable results, not just the gadget.
If your setting sells — property, venue, land, outdoor scale — yes, as part of a story. If your business happens indoors or one-on-one, spend the same budget on chair-level video that shows the actual work. The honest answer is about your story, not the technology.
Related: Video · Real estate video · Commercial video production cost