so ive been flying for about two years now mostly recreationally, got my part 107 last spring and people keep asking me to shoot stuff for them ? a buddy's wedding venue, a real estate agent in my neighborhood, some local contractor who wants aerial progress shots. I've just been doing it for free or like gas money but I'm starting to think maybe there's actually something here.

the thing is I have no idea how to actually set it up as a legit business. like do I need an LLC right away or can I just fly under my own name for a bit first? and insurance ? I've heard you need hull insurance and liability but the prices I've seen are all over the place. also how do you even price this stuff? I've been googling and getting everything from $150 to $800 for a real estate shoot and I genuinely don't know what's reasonable for a mid-sized market.

not trying to quit my day job tomorrow or anything just want to start doing this properly and actually charge people without feeling weird about it

honestly the LLC question depends on your state but for most people it's worth doing early just for the liability protection ? if something goes wrong and you're a sole prop, your personal stuff is on the line. it's like $50-150 to file in most states and you can do it yourself on your state's secretary of state website, no lawyer needed usually.

for insurance I use Skywatch, a lot of people use Verifly too for on-demand stuff but if you're doing this regularly a proper annual policy through someone like Thimble or Global Aerospace is going to make more sense. I pay around $600/year for $1mil liability which is what most commercial clients want to see anyway before they'll even talk to you.

on pricing ? real estate is genuinely all over the place regionally. I'd look at what other operators in your specific market are charging before you set anything. check out local photographers websites who offer drone add-ons, that'll give you a baseline. don't undercut yourself too hard early on, it sets a bad precedent and the clients you attract at the bottom end are usually the most difficult ones to deal with

im kind of in the same boat as you so take this for what its worth but one thing someone told me that actually helped ? just start charging something, anything, because doing free work attracts people who dont respect your time. even if your first few paid gigs are low just to build a portfolio with invoices and stuff, it changes the whole dynamic of the relationship with the client

also the part 107 is really the main legal hurdle, sounds like you already cleared that so youre honestly further along than most people who are asking this question lol