Just got my Part 107 certificate and landed my first potential real estate client. They want aerial photos and I have no idea what to charge - I've seen ranges from $100-500 per hour online, with real estate usually around $150/hour. Should I go lower since I'm new or stick to market rates? Also wondering about travel time - do you charge for driving to the location or build it into the project price?

Welcome to the business! Even as a newbie, don't undercut yourself too much - experienced pilots should charge more, but you still bring value. I'd suggest starting around $125/hour for real estate and definitely factor in travel costs. You can use the IRS mileage rate of 67 cents per mile in 2024 or build a travel fee into your base rate.

I'm in a similar boat! Started at $100 for my first few jobs just to build a portfolio, but quickly realized I was leaving money on the table. Now I charge $150 flat rate for standard real estate shoots (up to 20 photos) plus $0.50/mile travel. Clients seem happy with the transparency.

The industry pricing is all over the place - anywhere from beer money to $400-1000/day depending on the gig, and we need to avoid racing to the bottom. Don't be the pilot with a "Walmart drone" stealing work for peanuts. Price yourself professionally from day one!