FAQ's

Not all drone jobs are standard. In fact virtually everything we do is bespoke and since permissions to fly and very much based on location it is the case that every job is virtually unique.

We price jobs where possible up front and provide a written quote. Remember we are a professional drone business and not someone doing this as a hobby. You will see from our website the qualifications, licences, experience etc and that does have a value and a cost.

We are not the cheapest as there is always someone who will quote lower through inability or experience or circumstance . We are certainly not the most expensive . What we have is a  good reputation for delivering value though our working methods, good communication, understanding of the job and the delivery of an end result. 

If you need to get an upfront price ( why would you not want that?) that is fine and we will be able to give you everything you need to make a buying decision. Please call or email in confidence and we will provide our quotes with a full breakdown. 

Our contract is available to download setting out all of our terms but as a small business cashflow is important.

For new clients ( first three jobs) we usilly ask for payment within 7-14 days of our invoice. Please mention this to us if that is an issue so we can try and work with you to make things work all round. After 3 invoices are standard terms  , subject to credit checks, will be 28 days.

Invoices are normally delivered once we complete the work BUT on accassions  for larger jobs we may agree stage payments which often helps both parties.

Deposits are not always asked for but if we have upfront costs we will normally seek a deposit to cover these. This could be accommodation or in some cases "licence fees" we need to pay to bodies like local authorities. We will always discuss payment and any fees with you up front so your not  ambushed in any way at all.

Very rarely we do have issues with late payment and you need to be aware we retain control over content until we are paid in full  and can also charge late payment fees. Details are in our contract.

We do not fly drones for our own entertainment (many of our friends think we do)!

Our services are designed to use drone technology (and other tools) safely to collect data for you that is accurate and usable to allow you to make decisions that allow you to sustain, develop and improve your land or building. accuracy can depend on circumstances beyond our control and where "survey " grade accuracy is needed please let us know and we will check out all the required conditions you need meeting. see additional remarks on "Accuracy" below,

All commercial drone flights are controlled by the CAA in the UK. 

We are legally required to hold an operators licence and flight ID foreach drone along with insurance. Our operators ID is: GBR-OP-K3GKP2JCP5DJ. You can inspect our credentials below on this page.  

The CAA require that we report and record any accidents, near misses or breaches of rules.  

Our declared target is to have no accidents or reportable events. 

We take our legal responsibility for flying seriously and on any job the Pilot has the last word on the decision on to fly based on safety as with any commercial flight in the UK. 

We regret that we shall not allow any pressure to be brought on our pilots acting under their legal duties to maintain safety.

If your looking to fly your own drone you must, as a minimum understand the rules governing drones contained in the UK Drone Code at https://www.caa.co.uk/drones/getting-started-with-drones-and-model-aircraft/drone-code/drone-code-overview/

Drone work is varied and complex. One size cannot fit all. We specialise in the areas you can see here on our website but you may need another drone service so we work with other established partners and if we cannot carry out the work they will be able to help and we can make the necessary arrangements for you. 

 Being Innovative, thinking in new ways and having a pragmatic approach to problem solving is at the heart of our brand. 

Growing the benefits of drone technology is something we care about.

We have already worked on a number of research projects including work on detecting invasive species of plants and on using drones to trace subsoil drainage issues.

We believe that by working closely with leading experts and forming partnerships in different areas allows us t o develop new use cases and better service delivery.

If you need input from drones for developing a proof of concept or large model leaning then we are happy to have a conversation with you. 

Feel free to call us for an initial chat. Call 0800 999 1295Add an answer to this item.

We are based in Southport, Merseyside and to be cost effective and to be on site quickly we mainly work in North West England , Nort East England & North Wales 

Liverpool, Southport & Preston clients are on our doorstep! 

We do travel further afield but we also have local  contacts elsewhere in the UK who we can introduce you to if that is more cost effective for you and it also helps us reduce travel and logistical problems

Your fist step is to call or email us to see if we can help. We will happily give advice and provide quotes for you without obligation.

If you are happy to proceed will undertake all the pre-flight planning and safety checks,

In the UK there are restrictions on where you can fly and additional permissions and fees may be necessary. We will advise you in each case.

Once planning is complete and we have a date we will maintain a close eye on any weather conditions. Drones do not like strong winds or rain! 

If weather changes we may have to cancel or postpone operations. We will always keep you informed.

On flight day we will prepare our kit, check the site and make safety checks before take off and again check everything on landing.

We reserve the right to cancel the flight at any time if the pilot has any safety concerns. Should you cancel before the day of the flight we reserve the right to charge a cancelation fee based on the amount of notice before the proposed flight.

After the flight we will prepare the data we have captured. We will let you know a timeline for when you can expect everything during the planning stage.

Please note we may charge a deposit before starting work and on occasions we may invoice you separately for flight planning operations where it is a complicated project. we will of course discus this with you.

Once we are paid in full for our work you ill be able to use any of our data as you see fit.

You can see all of our terms in our standard contract that you can download below on this page.

If you have any questions please call us on 0800 999 1295 anytime.

Accuracy is often necessary and also misunderstood.  Google Maps are accurate but may not be  totally accurate relative to the position on the Earth's surface  meaning positioning can be inaccurate often by between 5 and 10m out.

To correct our drones we use RTK (Real Time Kinetics) that use  satellites and ground positioning to achieve a better actual positioning in the live drone data. In addition we can, when needed, use satellite positioned Ground Control Points on the ground that can make corrections to any positioning of results in post production.

When seeking accuracy it can still depend on some variables such as signal / atmospheric conditions so where as best as possible (Survey grade) is needed  often two systems working side by side deliver the best outcomes but that can add to an increase in cost due to additional work involved. If you need accuracy please discus tis with us beforehand so we can give you best advice.  We aim in most cases to be within 2cm both vertically and horizontally where we can.

Our aim is to reduce your workload, stress and risks in a cost effective way so you have peace of mind whenever you call us.

Sadly, as we are human, we can occasionally let customers down.  We are pleased to say it is very rare and if we should let you down we want to reassure you that we will endeavour to put things right as soon as practicable.

Your only task is to let us know as soon as possible if something has gone wrong.

You can find the information to reach us on the contact page.

Your complaint will be fully investigated and we will try and resolve matters for you as soon as possible.

We take our place in the wider community seriously.

You can download our full ESG policy document below or to find out about our commitments to supporting our community please see our "Social esponsibility" page

HERE

Image Surveys Limited is registered in England & Wales as a private company with the company registration number 15344902.

The registered address is Office 3, Heritage House, 9B Hoghton Street, Southport, Merseyside, PR9 0TE.

We are VAT registered in England with the reference GB 455922374.