so ive been flying for about two years now mostly just for fun, got my part 107 last spring and have done a few jobs for friends and family (charged basically nothing, just covered gas lol) but lately a few people have asked me about doing real estate shoots and one guy wants aerial footage for his construction site on a monthly basis and im thinking maybe this is actually something I could do properly.

the problem is I have no idea how to structure any of it. like do I need an LLC? what about insurance, I know you need it but I have no clue what kind or how much coverage. and pricing ? I literally have no idea what to charge. I dont want to underprice and look like an amateur but I also dont want to quote someone $800 for a 45 minute shoot and have them laugh at me.

has anyone here actually made the jump from hobbyist to legit business? would love to hear how you handled the setup stuff especially the legal/insurance side because that part honestly stresses me out the most.

went through this exact thing about three years ago. honestly the LLC is not as scary as it sounds ? in most states you can do it yourself through the secretary of state website for like $50-150, no lawyer needed unless your situation is complicated. the main reason to do it is liability separation, keeps your personal assets out of the picture if something goes sideways on a job.

for insurance I use Skywatch, a lot of people here use them. they have monthly or pay-per-flight options which is nice when you're starting out and not flying commercially every week. once you're busier a yearly policy from someone like Coverhound or even through a local broker who handles commercial photography makes more sense cost wise. you want at least $1M liability for most real estate and construction clients, some will ask for $2M so just check before you quote.

on pricing ? real estate in most markets is anywhere from $150 to $400 depending on what you're delivering, photos only vs photos and video, how fast they need it, etc. construction monitoring is usually better money because its recurring, I'd pitch that as a monthly retainer rather than per visit. something like $300-500/month for a monthly site visit and edited deliverables is pretty reasonable and they love the predictability of a flat rate.

the construction one sounds like a solid lead honestly, recurring work is way better than chasing one-off real estate jobs all the time. I'd lock that down first and use it as a case study to get more clients later.

one thing nobody told me when I started ? get a simple contract in place before any paid work, even for people you know. doesnt have to be fancy, just something that covers what you're delivering, when, payment terms, and a line about weather delays. you can find decent templates online and adapt them. saved me a headache with a client who kept asking for extra edits after the fact.