RAW Digital Group flies construction progress drone photography in Detroit and across Michigan. A single site visit starts at $600, a monthly program with two scheduled flights starts at $995 a month, and a milestone progress film starts at $2,500. Pilots are FAA Part 107 certified.
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A record of the project, and the start of its marketing
Progress aerials do two jobs. For owners, lenders and project teams, they are a clear, dated record of what has been built. For the people who will lease, sell or promote the building later, they are the raw material of its story. According to a 2026 Associated Builders and Contractors survey reported by DroneLife, 80.8% of contractors who fly drones use them for progress monitoring and 77.5% use them for marketing and media. We plan for both from the first flight.
Repeatability is the whole job
A progress series only works if every image lines up. We set fixed shooting points, heights and headings with your team at kickoff and return to them every visit. That consistency is what makes month-over-month comparisons readable and turns a year of flights into a time-lapse that holds together.
Working safely on an active site
Construction sites add risks that a listing shoot does not have: cranes, workers, moving equipment and changing site layouts. We complete your site orientation, wear the required PPE, coordinate flight windows with the superintendent and keep flight paths clear of active work zones. FAA rules on flying over people apply on job sites too, and our flight plans account for them.
Construction sites we have flown
Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park. The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy hired us to fly the 22-acre park on Detroit’s west riverfront in the weeks before it opened in October 2025, while it was still an active construction site, and brought us back in 2026 for aerials of Detroit Harvest Fest at the park. See the Centennial Park project.
Greektown. We flew the same downtown Greektown site in January and April 2026, from directly overhead, the angle project teams use to compare progress from visit to visit. See the Greektown project.
Gordie Howe International Bridge. We have flown the bridge build since 2024, from the deck and cable towers going up over the Detroit River to the wide passes before opening. See the bridge project.
What you get from each visit
A single visit delivers fixed-point stills from the agreed shooting points plus one orbit clip of the site. A monthly program flies twice a month from the same points, so the series stays comparable. At the end, every visit can be compiled into a finished time-lapse and progress film for the owner, the lender or the ribbon cutting. Prices for all three are listed on this page.
From topping out to ribbon cutting
Milestones deserve more than a progress still. Groundbreakings, topping-out ceremonies and openings are shot for press releases, social media and investor updates, and they cut naturally into the final progress film. When the building is ready, the same crew can shoot the launch aerials and interiors. Our construction progress guide covers what a 12-month program usually includes.
Start a progress program
Send the site address, start date and expected schedule. We will confirm airspace and access and propose shooting points and a cadence. Get a quote.
