Most of a good drone shoot happens before the drone leaves the case. One to two weeks out, confirm permissions, permits and the date, and agree on a shot list. The day before, clear the roof, the lot and the yard and plan to turn on every light. On the day, have one decision-maker on site and keep people clear of the flight area. Afterward, review selects before final delivery.
The checklist below works for a home listing, a commercial building or a venue. The details change with the property, but the order does not.
The checklist at a glance
| When | Task | Who usually owns it |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 weeks before | Confirm owner, landlord or HOA permission and the launch spot | Client |
| 1-2 weeks before | Apply for location permits if the site is on public or park land | Client and pilot |
| 1-2 weeks before | Check airspace and flight restrictions for the date | Pilot |
| 1-2 weeks before | Pick the time of day and a backup weather date | Pilot and client |
| 1-2 weeks before | Agree on a written shot list and deliverables | Both |
| 1 week before | Notify tenants, neighbors and staff | Client |
| Day before | Clear roof, lot, yard, patio and bins; stage lights and signage | Client |
| Day of | Point of contact on site; people clear of launch area | Both |
| Day of | Final airspace, weather and safety check | Pilot |
| After | Review selects, request changes, confirm usage rights | Both |
One to two weeks before
Confirm who can say yes
Start with ownership. If you rent, manage or represent the property, get written permission from whoever controls it, and ask about any HOA, condo board or landlord rules. Pick a launch and landing spot on the property or somewhere you have permission to use.
Public land needs its own approval. The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy requires a permit for commercial shoots and approves drones separately. Michigan state parks, including Belle Isle, require written DNR permission for commercial drone use under Land Use Order 5.1(6). The Detroit Film Office asks for its location form one month before filming, so a shoot that touches public space in the city needs a longer runway.
Tell tenants, neighbors and staff
A short notice prevents most problems. Say when the drone will fly, for how long, and that it is photographing your property. For apartment buildings, give residents a chance to close blinds. Michigan’s drone law, PA 436 of 2016, makes it a misdemeanor to use a drone to capture images of a person in a way that invades their reasonable expectation of privacy. A good pilot frames around windows and yards next door anyway. The notice helps people trust that.
Check the calendar for flight restrictions
Your pilot should check airspace for the exact date and time, but you should know what can move a shoot. The FAA prohibits drone flights within three nautical miles of stadiums from one hour before to one hour after MLB and NFL games, and its list of covered events also includes NCAA Division I football and IndyCar races, according to the FAA’s stadium page. In Detroit that means Tigers and Lions home games, and the Detroit Grand Prix, can shut down downtown and riverfront flights. Our stadium TFR guide explains the distances.
Other temporary flight restrictions appear with little notice, for VIP visits and major events, and are posted at tfr.faa.gov. Some neighborhoods near Coleman A. Young International Airport are in controlled airspace that needs FAA authorization before takeoff. Our guide to Detroit drone rules covers where that applies.
Pick the light
Time of day changes a property more than any edit. Check which way the main facade faces. An east-facing building often looks best in the morning, a west-facing one in the late afternoon. Soft light in the hour after sunrise or before sunset flatters most buildings. Midday sun is flat and harsh from above.
Twilight exteriors, with the sky deep blue and every window lit, are taken in the short window right after sunset. Under 14 CFR 107.29, the 30 minutes after official sunset count as civil twilight, and the drone needs anti-collision lighting visible for three statute miles. After that it is night flying, which Part 107 allows for pilots who meet the FAA’s current testing or training requirement, with the same lighting. Twilight is a separate flight window, so budget for it.
Write a shot list
A shot list keeps the shoot efficient and the quote accurate. A typical property list includes:
- Front elevation at a three-quarter angle, at two or three heights
- Top-down of the roof, lot or site
- Neighborhood context: the property with nearby landmarks, parks, water or the skyline
- Amenities: pool, patio, rooftop, parking, green space
- A slow approach or reveal for video, plus an orbit
- Twilight exterior, if booked
- Interior fly-through route, if FPV is part of the job
Mark the must-haves. If weather cuts the flight short, the pilot shoots those first.
Set a weather plan
FAA rules under 14 CFR 107.51 require three statute miles of visibility and clearance from clouds, and most pilots will not fly in rain or strong wind. Agree on a backup date and the reschedule policy in writing when you book.
The day before
This is where most of the difference shows up. From 200 feet, small clutter reads as mess.
| Area | What to do |
|---|---|
| Roof and gutters | Clear leaves, branches, tarps and debris you can safely reach |
| Driveway and lot | Move cars out, or stage a few deliberately for a venue |
| Trash and recycling | Move bins out of sight, including dumpsters if possible |
| Lawn and landscaping | Mow, edge, pull weeds and freshen mulch beds |
| Pool and patio | Remove covers, clean the water, set out furniture and cushions |
| Signage | Clean and light permanent signs; remove stray banners |
| Lights | Replace dead bulbs; plan to turn on every interior and exterior light |
| Windows and blinds | Clean glass; set blinds to match across each facade |
| Loose items | Coil hoses, store toys, tools and equipment, and remove seasonal decor that dates the photos |
| Sprinklers | Turn timers off so pavement and lawns are not half wet |
Extra steps for venues and commercial buildings
- Decide what the lot should say. An empty lot shows the building cleanly. A partly full one shows a busy business. For an office or retail building, that can mean choosing an early weekend morning or a weekday afternoon.
- Loop in building engineering. Facade, lobby and parking lot lights are often on timers. Ask for them to be on for the shoot, especially at twilight.
- Check the roof. You cannot move mechanical units, but you can clear loose debris, pallets and old equipment around them.
- Ask tenants for help. Clear balconies of storage and set blinds evenly on the main facade.
- Stage the patio. For a restaurant or venue, think about what “open” looks like from above: tables set, umbrellas up if the wind allows, doors clean and staff ready if they will be in frame.
- Avoid deliveries. Schedule around trash pickup, freight deliveries and landscaping crews.
The day of
- One point of contact. Have one person on site who knows the property and can make decisions about shots, access and people.
- Access. Open gates, roof hatches and doors the pilot needs. Tell security or the front desk.
- People and pets. Keep people who are not part of the shoot away from the launch area and flight path, and bring pets inside. FAA rules restrict flying over people who are not participating.
- Safety perimeter. The pilot will set a takeoff and landing zone. Keep it clear, and keep cars from pulling into it.
- Lights on. Turn on interior and exterior lights before the drone goes up, and turn off ceiling fans if there is an interior flight.
- Final checks. The pilot confirms weather, airspace and any authorizations right before flying. If conditions change, trust the call.
After the shoot
Ask for a proof gallery or rough cut and pick your selects. Flag changes in one consolidated round rather than piecemeal. Confirm the delivery formats you need: full-resolution files for print, web-sized versions for your listing platform, and vertical versions for social. Check your listing service’s size rules before delivery.
Confirm usage rights in writing, especially if the images will run in paid ads, and store the originals where your team can find them for the next campaign.
One consolidated round of changes. Collect every note from your team before sending feedback. It is faster, cheaper, and avoids edits that undo each other.
Detroit seasonal notes
- Winter. Days are short and the sun stays low, which gives long shadows all day and a short twilight window in late afternoon. Snow cover can make a property look clean and bright, but it hides landscaping, lot striping and roof condition. Cold drains drone batteries faster, so flights run shorter.
- Spring. Lawns are brown and trees are bare until leaf-out. If greenery matters, wait. If the building’s architecture matters more, bare trees can help.
- Summer. Long days mean very early sunrise and late twilight shoots. Midday haze softens skyline views. The event calendar is busy, so check flight restrictions twice.
- Fall. Color usually arrives in October in Southeast Michigan, but the peak shifts year to year and can last only days. Book fall-color shoots with flexible dates.
Working with RDG
We plan airspace, permits and the shot list with you before every flight, and we build the schedule around light and weather. For listings and developments, see our real estate drone photography page. For venues, commercial properties and campaigns, start with our drone and aerial photography page.