so ive been flying for about two years now, got my part 107 last spring and I've done a few shoots for friends and family basically for free or like gas money. A couple people have actually asked me what I'd charge for real work and honestly I had no idea what to say so I just kind of laughed it off.

Now I'm seriously thinking about trying to make this a side business or maybe eventually go full time. I have a Mavic 3 Pro and a Mini 4 Pro as backup. I mostly do real estate stuff but I've shot a few events and some construction progress photos for a guy my dad knows.

I don't even know where to start with making it official. Do I need an LLC or can I just operate as a sole prop for now? And the insurance thing is freaking me out a little ? I've seen hull insurance, liability insurance, all this stuff and I dont know what I actually need vs what's overkill. Also pricing. I have no idea what the going rate is for real estate in my area (midwest, mid-size city) and I dont want to lowball myself but I also don't want to scare people off.

Any advice from people who've actually done this would be huge. I feel like there's a lot of people online selling courses about this stuff and I just want to hear from people who are actually flying jobs.

been there man. ok so the LLC question ? for most people starting out, sole prop is fine to begin with, but the moment you start taking real money from real clients I'd strongly suggest the LLC just for the liability protection. it's like $50-150 to file in most states and you can do it yourself online in an afternoon. it's not as scary as it sounds.

on insurance, the two things you actually need are hull coverage for your gear and liability for third parties. I use Skywatch which is a pay-per-flight app, it's pretty handy when you're just starting and dont have steady work yet because you're not paying a big annual premium. once you're busier a lot of people switch to a proper annual policy through someone like Global Aerospace or Thimble. for real estate work specifically, a lot of realtors and brokerages will ask for a certificate of insurance before they'll hire you, so get used to that conversation early.

pricing in the midwest for real estate ? I'd say somewhere in the $150-250 range for a standard residential shoot is pretty normal depending on square footage and whether they want video too. some guys charge more if they're editing everything and delivering same day. dont go below $150 unless you're trying to build a portfolio and even then be careful because you'll just attract clients who always expect cheap.

just wanted to say I'm basically in the same boat so following this thread. I did look into the insurance thing a few weeks ago and Thimble seemed pretty reasonable for starting out, like hourly or monthly options. haven't pulled the trigger yet though because im still not sure if I have enough work to justify it or if I need the work to justify the insurance lol, sort of a chicken and egg thing.