a local video production company reached out to me, they said they need aerial footage for a commercial they're doing for some kind of regional grocery chain or something. they asked me to send over my rates and i just said 'sure let me put something together' and now im sitting here with no idea what to write.

ive never done a formal quote before. all my previous stuff was super informal, like a realtor pays me $150 per property and thats just been the arrangement. but this feels different, its a commercial project and they mentioned a full shoot day. do i charge a day rate? hourly? do i factor in post processing or just the raw footage since they have their own editor? what about equipment? i have a mini 3 pro which is fine i think but is that gonna be an issue for a commercial client

also do i need any extra insurance for this kind of thing or is my current hull coverage enough. genuinely lost here any help appreciated

day rates are pretty standard for commercial work, most freelancers ive seen charge anywhere from $500 to $1500+ depending on your market and experience level. for a first commercial gig id probably aim somewhere in the middle rather than underselling yourself completely or scaring them off. make sure you break out your rate clearly — pilot fee, equipment fee, and if they want edited selects thats extra. raw delivery should still cost them something for your time on set.

on the insurance thing, yes you probably want to look into liability coverage if you dont have it already, hull coverage for your bird is different from liability which is what protects you if something goes wrong on a commercial shoot. some clients actually ask for a cert of insurance before they'll even book you. check with Verifly or Thimble for short term options if you need something quick, they're not perfect but they work for one-off jobs

mini 3 pro should be totally fine for most commercial work tbh, the footage holds up really well especially if conditions are good. i worried about this a lot early on and clients genuinely do not care about your specific gear as long as the shots look good. what they care about is whether you show up, communicate well, and deliver on time. the equipment conversation rarely comes up unless you're doing something that specifically needs a higher payload or specialty sensors.

one thing i'd add — get everything in writing before you show up. even just an email chain confirming the scope, deliverables and payment terms. learned that one the hard way after a client tried to add like two extra locations on the day and acted like it was no big deal