Drone Pipeline Inspection
Line patrol has been flown for decades — by aeroplane, at a few hundred feet, at speed. A drone trades coverage rate for resolution, which changes what the patrol is for rather than simply making it cheaper.
- Free to post
- No commission on the job
- Part 107 certified pilots
118 inspection pilots ready to quoteAcross 37 states & regions
Resolution a fixed wing cannot give
A manned patrol covers hundreds of miles a day and sees the obvious. A drone at low altitude resolves a hand-dug excavation, a new fence post in the easement and a patch of stressed vegetation over the line.
Encroachment is the real finding
Third-party excavation is the leading cause of serious pipeline incidents. Most of what a right-of-way survey usefully produces is a record of who has been doing what in the easement, dated.
Repeatable, so change is visible
Flown the same way each cycle, the survey becomes a difference rather than a description — new ground disturbance since last time is far easier to spot than ground disturbance in the abstract.
Free to post
Posting and receiving quotes costs nothing, and SkyLog takes no commission and adds no markup. You pay the pilot you hire, at the price the two of you agree.
What this settles
- Easement condition: encroachment by structures, fences, vehicles and stored material, third-party excavation, new tracks and unauthorised crossings.
- Ground conditions over the line — subsidence, washout, exposed pipe at water crossings, slope erosion and bank protection.
- Above-ground assets: valve sites, pig traps, CP test posts and rectifiers, markers, meter stations and fencing.
- Whether the maintenance access route is passable, which matters the day you need it.
What it does not
- Detect gas. Visual patrol finds the consequences of a leak — stressed vegetation, discoloured soil, sheen — and finds them late.
- Cover a long route in one deployment under standard rules. Line of sight means repositioning every mile or so.
- Satisfy a regulatory leak detection programme just by being aerial. The method has to satisfy the programme.
- Avoid landowner access. A pilot repositioning along a route is repeatedly on someone's property.
Commissioning a visual patrol and expecting leak detection from it is the most expensive misunderstanding available in this category. Say up front which you need.
How it works
Three steps, no account needed to start, and nothing to pay at any point in it.
- 1
Describe the job
The form opens with this page's answers already filled in — service, deliverable, site access. Add the location and anything specific to your site.
- 2
Pilots quote it
Every pilot whose service area and services match is notified. You get itemised quotes back with their credentials, kit and sample work attached.
- 3
Compare and hire
Pick on price, proximity or portfolio, and pay the pilot directly. SkyLog takes no cut and adds no markup to what you agree.
Inspection pilots with published profiles
Real published profiles. Open any one to see credentials, kit, service area and sample work before you post.
chris aldridge
Texas, United States
20 work samples
I’m a commercial drone pilot providing aerial mapping, property line overlays, topographic mapping, construction site data, radiometric thermal inspections, 3D modeling, real estate listing photography and video, property marketing, and professional aerial imagery for businesses and landowners.
Real estateWeddingEventInspectionMapping / surveyFilm / TVConstructionOther- George Benes
Oregon, United States
13 work samples
I've been a Part 107 drone pilot since 2019, working with Pacific Northwest clients on Real estate, construction progress, mapping, telecom inspections, architectural photography and events. I am very flexible and can provide deliverables within 24 - 48 hours. I take great pride in my work and having a photography business, my delivered photos are edited and culled to the best of the best. I worked for 30+ years as a commercial construction Superintendent, managing multi-million dollar construction projects and this experience allows me to be very safety oriented and knowledgeable on construction sites, providing the construction companies with usable deliverables that they can share with all stakeholders involved in their building project.
Real estateEventInspectionMapping / surveyConstruction 
Andy Jones
California, United States
12 work samples
FAA Part 107 Certified Remote Pilot based in Southern California, specializing in construction documentation, infrastructure inspections, mapping, orthomosaics, and aerial imagery. With more than two decades of experience managing complex federal construction projects, I understand the importance of accuracy, safety, and delivering actionable data—not just photos. I operate professional DJI Enterprise aircraft, including the DJI Matrice 4E, DJI Matrice 4T, as well as the DJI Air 3S for high-resolution imaging and the DJI Neo 2 for specialized close-range operations. My services include construction progress documentation, roof and property inspections, land development, infrastructure photography, photogrammetry, mapping, and custom aerial imaging. I also conduct search operations for lost pets using aerial search techniques and thermal imaging. Every mission is conducted in compliance with FAA regulations, with careful mission planning, clear communication, and a commitment to delivering high-quality results on schedule. Whether you need a single inspection or recurring project documentation, my goal is to provide reliable aerial data you can confidently use to make decisions.
Real estateEventInspectionMapping / surveyConstructionAgricultureOtherFilm / TVWedding
George Colonna
Maryland, United States
12 work samples
Started flying drones for General Dynamics Robotics Systems in 2009 as the subject matter expert and lead test engineer for RCTA and a program called the Soldier Machine Interface. We developed leader/follower code for up-armored autonomous assets a full decade before Google fielded their driverless car "train" and a UI that let soldiers/marines plan missions on the ground and in the air. My job was to ensure the software worked, more importantly, met customer requirements. Working in the field afforded me a wealth of experience regarding process and implementation, but also how to think critically and resolve issues on the fly. If interested in learning more about my credentials, please see my website. My current fleet is primarily DJI and Autel. I have RTK capability and a complete field kit to sustain remote operations for several days.
InspectionMapping / surveyConstructionOtherFilm / TV- K Enagonio
Tennessee, United States
10 work samples
I've been flying since 2015 and specialize in both cinematic filmmaking as well as surveying, construction, sensitive infrastructure capture, and music videos and events.
Film / TVConstructionInspectionEventAgricultureReal estateMapping / surveyOther 
Casey Jones
Arizona, United States
9 work samples
FAA Part 107 commercial drone pilot specializing in RTK mapping, aerial photography, thermal imaging, property documentation, construction progress, and detailed site capture. I operate professional DJI aircraft including the Matrice 4E and Matrice 4T, with RTK capability for repeatable, high-quality data collection. I approach each assignment as a complete mission, from airspace and site planning through safe flight operations, field verification, data handling, and final delivery. I serve clients throughout the California, Nevada, and Arizona tri-state region and am available for both individual assignments and multi-site projects.
Real estateEventMapping / surveyConstructionAgricultureOtherInspection
Inspection pilots by state
Visual line of sight is the governing constraint
A pipeline is long and thin and a standard Part 107 operation requires the aircraft to stay within the pilot's visual line of sight. In practice that means repositioning along the route every mile or so, which turns a long line into a day of driving punctuated by short flights. This is the single biggest determinant of what aerial patrol costs per mile, and it is why beyond-visual-line-of-sight approval matters so much in this sector: with a BVLOS waiver or an approved operation, a single deployment can cover a materially longer stretch. Such approvals exist and utility and pipeline operators hold them, but they are not something to assume a pilot has. If your route is long enough for the arithmetic to matter, ask directly whether they operate BVLOS and under what authorisation, because it changes the price per mile more than anything else on this page.
What the survey covers
The easement itself: encroachment by structures, fences, vehicles and stored material; evidence of third-party excavation, new access tracks, or grading; and unauthorised crossings. Ground conditions over the line — subsidence, washout, exposed pipe at water crossings, erosion on slopes, and the state of any bank protection. Vegetation, both encroaching growth and the stressed or discoloured patches that can indicate a product release below. Above-ground assets: valve sites, pig launchers and receivers, cathodic protection test posts and rectifiers, markers and signage, meter stations and their fencing. And access: whether the maintenance route is passable, which matters the day you need it.
Leak detection is a different survey
Visual patrol finds the consequences of a leak — dead or stressed vegetation, discoloured soil, sheen on standing water — and finds them late. Detecting the gas itself needs a sensor built for it: optical gas imaging for hydrocarbon plumes, or a laser-based methane sensor flown low along the line. These are separate payloads with separate skill requirements, and if the survey is reporting into a regulatory leak detection programme the method has to satisfy that programme, not merely be aerial. Say up front which you need. Commissioning a visual patrol and expecting leak detection from it is the most expensive misunderstanding available in this category.
Specifying it
Give the route length in miles and the diameter and product, because those set both the risk framing and the site rules. Say whether you need the corridor, the above-ground assets, or both. State the cadence — patrol frequency is usually driven by your integrity management programme, and a recurring commitment prices very differently from a one-off. Name the deliverable: a georeferenced image set indexed by milepost is the minimum useful thing, an orthomosaic of the corridor is better for comparison between cycles, and findings need coordinates precise enough to dispatch to. Flag landowner access, since a pilot repositioning along the route is repeatedly on someone's property. And say what the survey reports into, because a document supporting a regulatory programme has requirements a general patrol does not.
Common questions
Can a drone patrol a whole pipeline?
Not in one flight under standard rules — visual line of sight requires repositioning every mile or so. With a BVLOS approval a single deployment covers far more. Ask any pilot whether they hold one; on a long route it is the main cost driver.
Can it detect a leak?
Only with a sensor for it — optical gas imaging or a laser methane detector. A visual patrol finds the after-effects, such as stressed vegetation and discoloured soil, and finds them late. Specify which survey you are buying.
How much does it cost per mile?
It depends almost entirely on whether the operation is within visual line of sight or BVLOS, then on access along the route. Inspection quotes on SkyLog have ranged $100 to about $1,550 with a $300 median across 13 quotes of every type, which is not a per-mile guide — post the route length and cadence for real numbers.
Is it better than manned aerial patrol?
It is different. A fixed wing covers far more ground per day at lower resolution; a drone resolves detail a manned patrol will never see. Several operators use both — manned for routine broad patrol, drones for detailed survey of specific segments and for follow-up.
What about landowner access?
It is a real planning item. A pilot repositioning along a route is repeatedly launching from private land, so easement rights and notification need sorting before the survey rather than at the gate.
Will the survey satisfy our integrity management requirements?
That depends on your programme and your regulator, not on the technology. Establish what the programme requires and specify the survey to it — and if a particular detection method is mandated, say so in the post.
Related drone services
Post your pipeline survey free
Give the route length, product and cadence, and whether you need BVLOS. Pilots quote directly.
- No commission, ever
- Part 107 certified pilots
- No obligation to hire
Prices and guidance on this page were last reviewed .