bit of a weird one. i do mostly cinematic and some mapping work and out of nowhere a civil engineering firm reached out through my website asking if i do infrastructure inspections. specifically they mentioned bridges and maybe some cell towers down the road. ive never done anything like this, all my stuff has been landscape and commercial video.

i said i was interested because the money they mentioned was significantly more than what i usually make and now im kind of panicking about what i actually need to know or have before i reply properly. do i need special certifications beyond part 107? is there specific equipment i'd need, my main bird is a Mavic 3 Pro which i know is probably not what the serious inspection guys are using. and how do you even quote something like this, i have no idea what the scope of work looks like for a bridge inspection job

infrastructure inspection is a whole different world but its not impossible to get into, especially if the firm is willing to work with someone newer to it — and sometimes they are because the big inspection companies charge a lot. the Mavic 3 Pro will actually get you through a lot of basic visual inspection work, dont let anyone tell you you need a Matrice right out of the gate. where it gets more complicated is if they want thermal imaging or LiDAR data which is a much bigger equipment investment.

for bridges specifically they usually want very close-up visual documentation of the underside, expansion joints, support columns, that kind of thing. flying in confined spaces under a bridge is genuinely challenging so be honest with yourself about your proximity flying comfort level before you commit. as for quoting — call them back and ask a ton of questions before you put any number out there. how many spans, whats the access situation, do they need processed deliverables or just raw footage, all of that changes the price completely. dont lowball yourself trying to get the job, these firms have budgets.

cell tower work is no joke by the way, ive seen guys get into that thinking its easy money and the proximity flying plus the RF interference near active antennas is legitimately stressful. not saying dont do it but the bridge stuff sounds like a better starting point if you have the choice