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 started asking me what I charge and honestly I dont have a good answer yet which is embarrassing at this point

I want to actually turn this into a side business, maybe full time eventually. but I have no idea how to structure it legally, like do I need an LLC right away or can I just operate as a sole prop for a while? and insurance ? ive heard hull and liability are different things and I dont really understand what coverage I actually need before I take money from someone

also pricing. I have no clue what to charge for real estate. I've seen everything from $150 to $800 for what looks like the same job and I dont know if the expensive guys are just gouging or if im missing something about what goes into it

if anyone has actually done this and can share how they got started I would really appreciate it. not looking for some youtube guru course, just want to hear from people who actually went through it

went through basically the same thing about 3 years ago. the LLC question honestly depends on your state and how much you're making ? early on I just filed as a sole prop to keep it simple but once I started pulling in consistent money I switched over because the liability protection is real and worth it. talk to an accountant, even a one-time consultation is like $100-200 and saves you a lot of guessing

for insurance I use Skywatch for flexible coverage and have a separate annual policy through Avion for the bigger commercial gigs. hull coverage is for your equipment if you crash, liability is what protects you if you somehow damage property or hurt someone. you absolutely need liability before you take a single dollar, like that's non-negotiable. some clients won't even talk to you without a certificate of insurance

real estate pricing ? the range you're seeing is real and it comes down to deliverables, turnaround time, market, and how much post processing is included. in my area $250-350 for a standard package is pretty normal but I know guys in bigger markets charging double that. dont undersell yourself just to get jobs, it sets a bad expectation and you'll resent it

im kind of in the same boat as you so not super helpful probably but I did just sign up with a local small business development center (SBDC) and they do free one on one advising which has been really useful for the legal structure stuff. they helped me understand the difference between sole prop and LLC way better than anything I found online

the pricing thing is hard. I've been lurking on some real estate photographer groups and it sounds like drone add-ons are usually priced on top of a photo package rather than standalone, at least for residential. might be worth looking at what photographers in your area charge and positioning alongside that