Services & Pricing
The Services module is where you define what your drone business offers and how much it costs. Build a catalog of services, set pricing models, create Good/Better/Best tiers, and configure organization-wide pricing strategy — all of which flow directly into Proposals and Profitability tracking.Service catalog
Your service catalog lives under Services in the main navigation. Each service represents a distinct offering you provide to clients — from real estate photography to orthomosaic mapping.Creating a service
Click New Service to add an offering. You can start from scratch or choose a built-in template:| Template | Base rate | Pricing model |
|---|---|---|
| Real Estate Photography | $250 | Flat |
| Roof Inspection | $350 | Flat |
| Orthomosaic Mapping | $500 | Variable |
| Construction Progress | $400 | Flat |
| Thermal Inspection | $450 | Flat |
| Event Coverage | $300 | Hourly |
| Agricultural Survey | $400 | Variable |
Service fields
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | What clients see on proposals and invoices |
| Description | Details about what this service includes |
| Item type | Classification for how this item appears in proposals |
| Base rate | Starting price before tiers or modifiers |
| Currency | Billing currency (USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, NZD, CHF) |
| Unit type | How pricing is measured (per hour, per flight, per area, per project) |
| Pricing model | How the final price is calculated |
| Visibility | Public (shown to clients) or Private (internal only) |
| Taxable | Whether tax applies to this service |
| Discount eligible | Whether discounts can be applied |
Service item types
Every service is classified by item type. This determines how it appears in proposals and how it’s categorized in financial reports.| Item type | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Service | Core service offering with labor and operations | Aerial survey, site inspection |
| Deliverable | Tangible output produced for the client | Orthomosaic map, edited video, inspection report |
| Equipment Fee | Equipment rental, depreciation, or specialized gear charges | Thermal camera surcharge, LiDAR rental |
| Add-on | Optional enhancement to a base service | Same-day delivery, additional flight passes |
| Expense | Pass-through cost billed to the client | Travel, permits, airspace authorization fees |
Pricing models
Each service uses one of three pricing models to calculate its price:| Model | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Flat Rate | Fixed price regardless of quantity | Standard jobs with predictable scope (roof inspections, real estate shoots) |
| Hourly | Base rate multiplied by hours worked | Variable-duration work (event coverage, consulting) |
| Variable | Base price plus quantity-based rate per unit | Area-dependent work (mapping, agricultural surveys) |
Variable pricing
Variable pricing adds a per-unit component on top of the base rate. Configure these additional fields:| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Variable unit name | The unit being measured (e.g., Acres, Sq Ft, Miles) |
| Rate per unit | Price charged per additional unit |
Pricing tiers
Tiers let you offer Good/Better/Best options for the same service. Each tier adjusts the base price and specifies what’s included.How tiers work
| Tier property | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | Display name (e.g., “Basic”, “Standard”, “Premium”) |
| Level | Sort order (1, 2, 3) |
| Price modifier | Multiplier applied to the base rate (1.0 = base price, 1.5 = 50% markup) |
| Included items | List of deliverables and features included at this tier |
| Recommended | Highlight one tier as the suggested option |
Example tier setup
A “Roof Inspection” service at $350 base rate:| Tier | Modifier | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | 1.0x | $350 | 10 photos, summary report |
| Standard | 1.4x | $490 | 25 photos, detailed report, video walkthrough |
| Premium | 1.7x | $595 | Full documentation, thermal imaging, annual follow-up |
Service scope
Each service can define structured scope details that appear in proposals.Deliverables
List the tangible outputs the client receives. Each deliverable has a name, optional description, and optional quantity. Examples: “Edited aerial video (4K)”, “Orthomosaic map (GeoTIFF)”, “Inspection report (PDF)“Exclusions
Explicitly state what’s not included. This sets clear expectations and reduces scope creep. Examples: “Interior photography”, “FAA airspace authorization”, “Same-day delivery”Effort tracking
Each service tracks estimated effort by category. These time estimates power the Profitability module’s margin calculations.| Category | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Flight | On-site flight operations — equipment depreciation applies |
| Processing | Post-production editing, data processing, deliverable creation |
| Report | Report writing and deliverable documentation |
| Travel | Driving to/from site, site surveys |
| Admin | Client meetings, invoicing, scheduling, overhead |
Pricing configuration
The Services > Pricing page controls organization-wide pricing strategy. These settings apply across all services when generating proposals.Base rates
Set your hourly rates for each effort category. These rates are used by the profitability calculator to determine your cost basis and margins.Margin multipliers
Margin multipliers define the price tiers used in your quote calculator:| Multiplier | Default | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Floor | 1.0x | Break-even price — your absolute minimum |
| Recommended | 1.25x | Target margin for standard work |
| Premium | 1.6x | High-value or specialized engagements |
Auto-modifiers
Auto-modifiers automatically adjust pricing when specific conditions apply:| Modifier | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Controlled Airspace | Percentage | +10% | Surcharge for operations in controlled airspace requiring additional authorization |
| Marginal Weather | Flat fee | +$50 | Buffer for weather-dependent scheduling and potential re-flights |
| Rush Fee | Percentage | +25% | Applied when lead time is under 48 hours (disabled by default) |
| Extended Travel | Percentage | +15% | Applied when travel distance exceeds 50 miles (disabled by default) |
Team rate overrides
If your team members have different billing rates (e.g., a senior pilot vs. a junior operator), configure per-member rate overrides on the Pricing page. These overrides apply when assigning specific team members to projects and proposals. Solo operators see a placeholder message — this section is only relevant for teams with multiple members.Tips
Start with templates, then customize
Start with templates, then customize
Templates give you a solid starting point with industry-standard pricing. Adjust base rates and time estimates to match your local market and cost structure.
Use tiers to increase average deal value
Use tiers to increase average deal value
Clients tend to pick the middle option. Set your Standard tier at the price you actually want, with Basic below and Premium above. The recommended badge on the middle tier guides the choice.
Define exclusions to prevent scope creep
Define exclusions to prevent scope creep
Being explicit about what’s not included saves difficult conversations later. If clients frequently ask for something outside scope, consider adding it as an Add-on item type.
Keep effort estimates accurate for profitability
Keep effort estimates accurate for profitability
The Profitability module compares estimated effort against actual time. Revisit your default hours after completing a few projects to calibrate your estimates.
Enable rush and travel modifiers as needed
Enable rush and travel modifiers as needed
Rush and Extended Travel modifiers are disabled by default. Turn them on once you’ve established your baseline pricing — they add complexity that’s worth it once you have volume.