Drone Data Collection for Small Landowners
The University of Idaho Drone Lab can collect high-quality lidar and image data for small landowners at affordable rates – from a couple acres to a few thousand acres.
Drone-collected lidar data and map imagery is a valuable resource for land management. The University of Idaho Drone Lab provides cost-effective data collection services to get you the data and basemaps you need to support resource management decisions.
How the process works
 | Fill out the form below for an estimate or purchase drone services through the UI Marketplace (coming soon…) |
 | We’ll get in touch to discuss project specifics like timeline, additional analyses, accessibility, etc. |
 | When you’re ready to go, we’ll start project setup, get the required approvals, and coordinate with you to set a date for the drone flights. |
 | After the drone flights we’ll process the data and deliver you the results |
 | We’re also here to support you in using the data we’ve collected for you! |
Pricing for small landowner drone flights
The rates below apply to projects less than 2,500 acres needing standard data products. There is a 50-acre minimum fee for all projects. We’re happy to help with larger or more advanced projects too. Contact us for more information.
| Service | Description | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Mobilization Fee | Covers project setup, approvals, mission planning, and data processing | $450.00 |
| Lidar data collection | Standard lidar data collection – >100 points/m2, elevation models, canopy height model | $1.00/ac* |
| RGB map add-on | Add-on cost to produce a RGB color orthomosaic along with the lidar data | $0.25/ac* |
| Multispectral or stand-alone RGB image collection | 5-band multispectral imagery for advanced vegetation analysis or RGB imagery collected independent of lidar or multispectral data. | $1.00/ac* |
| Travel | Travel costs vary by distance/time from Moscow, Idaho | |
| < 30 minutes from Moscow 30 minutes to 4 hours from Moscow > 4 hours from Moscow | No fee $50.00/hr TBD |
* 50 acre minimum charge
For larger areas or more involved drone data acquisitions, check out our current rates and contact us to start a conversation.
Ready to get started?
Fill out the form below and we’ll get back to you with an estimate and start the process for collecting some drone data!
Standard data products
Lidar – Standard lidar acquisitions include the following products ready for digital forest inventory analysis:
- Point cloud (.LAS or .LAZ file) with at least 100 points/m2
- Digital surface (top of vegetation) and digital terrain (ground) elevation models at 25cm resolution
- Canopy height model at 25cm resolution
- Ready for Digital Forest Inventory analysis
RGB Map – Color (RGB) imagery can be collected at the same time as lidar or multispectral data and are useful for visual inspections or interpretation of land features for management planning. Standard RGB products include:
- Georeferenced color orthomosaic images (.TIF file) at 5cm resolution for use in mapping software (e.g., ArcGIS, QGIS, GoogleEarth)
Multispectral Imagery – Our multispectral sensor collects imagery in five specific wavelength bands that are useful for advanced vegetation analysis. Standard multispectral products include:
- Accurately georeferenced 5-band multispectral orthomosaic imagery (.TIF files) converted to surface reflectance at 10cm resolution.
Our Equipment and Pilots
The University of Idaho Drone Lab flies US/Allied-made drones and sensors. Our current fleet includes the Freefly Astro Max drone, Sony LR1 RGB camera, Yellowscan Surveyor Ultra 3 lidar, and the Micasense Rededge-M multispectral sensor. We use Emlid Reach survey-grade GNSS base stations and rover units for precise geolocation of lidar and image data.
Our pilots have undergone extensive training in safe drone operations and have many hours of experience collecting drone data. An experienced Pilot in Command will be onsite and lead any data collection effort. Because we are a part of the College of Natural Resources at the University of Idaho, students may be part of the crew that collects data for small landowners to provide training and experience.
Pricing examples
Example 1: Lidar data collected on a 40 acre forest tract near Potlatch, Idaho
| Mobilization fee | $450.00 |
| Lidar per acre cost (50 acre minimum) | $50.00 |
| Travel (20 minutes from Moscow, ID) | No fee |
| Total | $500.00 |
Example 2: Lidar data plus RGB orthomosaic map collected on a 200 acre parcel tract near St. Maries, Idaho
| Mobilization fee | $450.00 |
| Lidar per acre cost | $200.00 |
| RGB map add-on | $50.00 |
| Travel (1.5 hours from Moscow, ID) | $75.00 |
| Total | $775.00 |
Example 3: Lidar data and multispectral imagery collected on a 600 acre forest tract near Sandpoint, Idaho
| Mobilization fee | $450.00 |
| Lidar per acre cost | $600.00 |
| Multispectral per-acre cost | $600.00 |
| Travel (2.25 hours from Moscow, ID) | $112.50 |
| Total | $1,762.50 |