so ive been flying for about 2 years now, got my part 107 last spring and ive done a few paid jobs here and there for friends of friends, real estate stuff mostly, nothing crazy. but i keep getting asked about it and i feel like maybe i should actually set this up properly instead of just doing cash stuff under the table.

my question is kind of everything at once i guess ? do i need to form an LLC right away or can i just operate as a sole proprietor to start? and what about insurance, i know i need it but i have no idea what coverage amount is normal for commercial work. also pricing, i genuinely have no clue if im charging too little. i did a real estate shoot last month for $150 and my friend who does photography laughed at me when i told him that.

any advice from people who have actually done this would be really appreciated, im not trying to build some huge company just do legitimate side work and maybe eventually full time

your friend is right to laugh, $150 for real estate is way too low unless it was like a 15 minute job with zero editing. most people doing residential real estate around here charge $200-350 for a basic photo package and more if video is involved. you're also covering your time driving, pre-flight planning, editing, file delivery... it adds up fast and clients dont really push back as much as you'd think if you present yourself professionally.

on the LLC question, i'd say get one sooner rather than later just for the liability protection, it's not that expensive to set up depending on your state and it makes you look more legit when you're invoicing people. i used legalzoom for mine years ago but honestly a local small biz attorney is better if you can swing it, sometimes they do flat fee packages for this kind of thing.

for insurance, Skywatch and Verifly are the two most common ones people use for on-demand coverage but if you're doing regular work you really want an annual policy. Global Aerospace and Avemco are the names that come up most in commercial circles. i'd aim for at least $1M liability minimum, some clients like property management companies wont even talk to you without it.

i went through basically the exact same thing about a year ago and honestly the insurance part stressed me out more than anything. ended up going with an annual hull and liability policy, pays for itself after a couple jobs and it just feels better showing up to a gig knowing youre covered. some venues and clients will ask for a certificate of insurance before they even let you on site so its kind of not optional if you want to work with anyone serious.

also def raise your prices, i was doing the same thing when i started and felt weird about charging more but people associate price with quality whether we like it or not