Commercial Drone Operators Take Flight for Construction

Duke says that unlike helicopter operations, he can walk up to a job trailer and knock on the door to offer his services, ask if there is anything special going on and be airborne in minutes.

A typical jobsite documentation costs $300, and the end product can deliver a lot of measurable data with value for contractors.

"That's our secret sauce," adds Pansari, "the data tools that we have developed for the construction industry."

Consulting Editor Tom Sawyer began his journalism career at the Atlantic City Press, in N.J. The former ENR editor expanded technology coverage and devised ENR's popular annual photo contest. Tom has also written memorable special reports from disaster and war zones, often taking the lead when earthquakes and hurricanes strike. His technology, disaster and war-related reporting has involved trips to Iraq, Haiti, Japan and other countries.

Post a comment to this article

Live: June 25, 2026 at 2:00 pm EDT Learn how leading contractors are using AI-powered scheduling intelligence to prevent delays and improve project outcomes. Discover how construction teams are gaining better visibility across schedules, improving field coordination, and identifying risks before they impact budgets and timelines.