so ive been flying for about 2 years now, got my part 107 last spring and been doing some free shoots for friends and local realtors just to build a portfolio. a few people have asked me if i do this professionally and it kinda clicked that maybe i should actually try to make money at this instead of just doing it for fun on weekends.

the thing is i have no idea how to actually set this up as a business. like do i need an LLC right away or can i just start as a sole prop and see how it goes first? and insurance ? i know i need it but hull liability? general liability? both? one of the realtors who reached out wants to use me regularly and i think she has other agents who might need aerial photos too so this could be a real thing if i dont mess it up.

also pricing is where i get totally lost. i dont want to undercut people who do this full time but i also dont want to price myself out before i even have a client. anyone gone through this who can share what the first few months looked like?

went through almost exactly this about 3 years ago. honestly the LLC thing is worth doing early, it's not as complicated or expensive as it sounds ? in most states you can file online for under $100 and it just separates your personal assets from anything work related. i waited too long and wish i hadnt.

for insurance i use Skywatch, pay per month and it scales with how much i fly commercially. theres also BWI Aviation and a few others people recommend. hull coverage matters if your gear is expensive enough that you'd be screwed losing it, but general liability is the one clients actually ask for ? most will want to see a cert of insurance before they hire you, especially any real estate agency or property manager.

pricing wise for real estate stills I started around $150-175 for a basic package, maybe 10-15 edited shots. felt low but it got me in the door and i raised rates after 6 months once i had enough referrals that i didnt need every single job. dont go lower than that or you're just making the market worse for everyone honestly.

im kind of in the same boat so watching this thread closely. one thing i did was look up what other local drone operators charge by searching zillow listings that have aerial shots and then finding who shot them ? some have watermarks or credits. gave me a rough sense of the market in my area before i set any rates. probably obvious but it helped me feel less like i was guessing.