Fast. Safe. Convenient. 

The construction industry is one where the smallest of mistakes can end up as costly errors and stop multi-million dollar projects right in their tracks.

To put things in perspective, The Construction Intelligence Center Global 50 has predicted construction will become a $10 trillion industry in 2020. Currently, millions of people work in the field and there are over 650,000 employers. With business booming across the globe, these numbers are sure to grow in the years to come and the financial risks will only continue to get bigger.

With so much intense competition at hand—and so much risk involved—how can a business hope to stand out from the crowd and streamline their workflow, while also keeping new financial investments in technology at a minimal?

Over the past few years, site managers have looked to drones to help speed up projects, improve efficiency and help their projects stay on track and under budget. In their brief history in the workforce they’ve proven to be cost-effective and highly adaptable, which is vital, as changes in workload and deadlines can happen on a whim.

While some people within the construction field have been resistant to change, it’s a certainty that drones will become increasingly involved in the day-to-day operations of a work site. Eventually, it will be a rare occurrence if a business doesn’t own one. The PwC estimates the current value of labor and services likely for replacement by drones to be $127.3 billion. $45.2 billion of that is coming from infrastructure. This is far ahead of the second place listing with agriculture ($32.4 billion). Add onto that is the prediction that commercial and personal drone sales are expected to reach over $11 billion by 2020.

We’re throwing out a lot of numbers here, but it’s only to highlight how important drones will be in the near and long-term future of the construction industry. Don’t want to be left behind? Read on to find out six reasons why your work site needs a drone:

6. Save Time

You’ve heard the old phrase “time is money” countless times before, but there’s a good reason for that: it’s true! It’s a saying that is applicable to every single business on the planet, but it’s especially true for the construction industry. That’s because with so much money at stake, and projects often taking months or even years to complete, money should be saved whenever possible. Drones can help out with this in a variety of ways.

For just one example, a site manager often has to drive to each individual work site they’re in charge of to check on progress and make sure everything is running smoothly. This means they can end up spending hours of their day on the road travelling to and from the office and getting very little work done in the process. It’s an inefficient and dated approach.

With a drone and a pilot on-site, the workflow can be streamlined in a far more efficient manner. It immediately opens up the possibility to monitor multiple locations remotely. This frees up site managers to visit locations only when it’s necessary to do so. They can stay up to date on projects right from their tablet or computer. Managers can then focus their energy on putting the data drones have collected into action, rather than spending painstaking hours figuring out how to acquire it. Priorities can then be shifted on the fly, allowing the team to easily adapt to changing conditions and switch their focus to bringing in new customers.

Another way drones save time at a work site is that they open up the ability to survey land far quicker than it would take someone to do so on foot. This can save hours of time on every survey. And with high-def cameras taking photos from the sky, managers will have better access to detailed images to base important building decisions on. Drones also eliminate human error when measuring and weighing and have shown to be just as effective as traditional methods at gathering data.

For the time saving reason alone, drones are a valuable investment for any construction work site. But we have five more great reasons!

5. Save Money

You’ve heard the old phrase “time is money” countless times before, but there’s a good reason for that: it’s true! It’s a saying that is applicable to every single business on the planet, but it’s especially true for the construction industry. That’s because with so much money at stake, and projects often taking months or even years to complete, money should be saved whenever possible. Drones can help out with this in a variety of ways.

For just one example, a site manager often has to drive to each individual work site they’re in charge of to check on progress and make sure everything is running smoothly. This means they can end up spending hours of their day on the road travelling to and from the office and getting very little work done in the process. It’s an inefficient and dated approach.

With a drone and a pilot on-site, the workflow can be streamlined in a far more efficient manner. It immediately opens up the possibility to monitor multiple locations remotely. This frees up site managers to visit locations only when it’s necessary to do so. They can stay up to date on projects right from their tablet or computer. Managers can then focus their energy on putting the data drones have collected into action, rather than spending painstaking hours figuring out how to acquire it. Priorities can then be shifted on the fly, allowing the team to easily adapt to changing conditions and switch their focus to bringing in new customers.   

Another way drones save time at a work site is that they open up the ability to survey land far quicker than it would take someone to do so on foot. This can save hours of time on every survey. And with high-def cameras taking photos from the sky, managers will have better access to detailed images to base important building decisions on. Drones also eliminate human error when measuring and weighing and have shown to be just as effective as traditional methods at gathering data.

For the time saving reason alone, drones are a valuable investment for any construction work site. But we have five more great reasons!

4. Improve Safety

When it come to the workplace, safety is of the utmost important. Unfortunately, injuries in the construction industry are far too common of an occurrence. Due to heavy machinery, unpredictable weather and miscommunication, it’s inevitable to see a few accidents happen. To make construction sites safer, drones can be implemented into the regular workflow to keep workers away from dangerous situations. In some instances, they can literally save someone’s life.

From the sky, a drone will take photos and video of hard to reach places like towers, high-rises and hospitals. There’s no need to send a worker up a steep slope to inspect these structures anymore; they can all be viewed safely from someone standing firmly on the ground. Or imagine a construction project on a bridge in an area surrounded by heavy traffic. Vehicles are zooming by with workers standing dangerously close by. Once again, a drone will keep everyone far out of harm’s way.

Not only will drones drastically reduce the potential of someone falling from unsafe heights, but they will also keep workers away from other dangers like electric shocks, collisions and electric hazards.

One small investment can make any site safer, leading not only to lower insurance costs, but also a more productive team that’s properly taken care of.

3. Increase Security

With so many valuable resources and tools located throughout a construction site, you want to make sure your investments are well-protected and accounted for on a routine basis. Any missing equipment not only is a loss in itself, but it also holds up a project, costing even more money to recoup.

With a drone, security is greatly increased by producing accurate surveys of your site. They also open up the ability to keep surveillance of an area around the clock and protect from vandalism or theft. The photos captured give an exact visual of every tool and resource on-hand. If something is missing, or if anything is out of place, there’s exact proof of it.

2. Keep Clients Informed

When it comes down to it, clients are essentially the ones in charge of the entire construction industry. Without them, there’s no business to be had. That means managers want to make sure their clients have the utmost confidence in what they’ve invested their money into. Many of them also want to stay informed of progress on a continual basis.

With a drone, photos or videos can be taken and sent to clients to show them exactly how far along their project is. It’s an easy and practical method of giving them peace of mind on their investment. The images deliver precise visuals of exactly what’s going on at a site and leaves clients trusting that their money is in good hands. And if the project isn’t moving along to their liking, changes can be made in a far quicker and more effective matter.

To go even further to wow a client, high-resolution imagery captured from drones can be turned into detailed orthomosaic maps and 3D models. All that’s needed to create stunning, easily-shareable images is drone mapping software. The client will not only be impressed with this technology, but they can view the site in a whole new way, making them feel more involved in the process.

1. It’s Where the Industry is Headed

Quite simply, you don’t want to be left behind when it comes to technology in the highly competitive construction industry. Tens of millions of dollars (or more) can be at stake on a single project, meaning many businesses are vying for the same pool of clients. Because of this, the latest technology is vital for any company to keep their well-earned reputation and successfully move forward into the future.

Some site managers in construction are satisfied with the way they currently run their business. They’ve been doing it their own way for years and things have been just fine. They’re comfortable but complacent. Unfortunately for them, technology moves fast, whether they’re ready for it or not. And if they aren’t ready to be an early adopter of a new approach, their competition will be.

Drones are being used by more and more companies every day. It’s a trend that is sure to continue in the coming years. As the public become more familiar with UAVs, and as they become more commonplace in a variety of industries, some businesses will fall far behind the times without one.

Without drones on a site, time and money will be wasted by relying on traditional means of gathering information and data, which are rapidly becoming outdated. Every business must adapt with change to survive and it’s best to be ahead of the curve and not left wondering where your client base has gone.