Drone survey questions, answered properly.

Sky Based Specialists Ltd (SBS) is a UK drone, geospatial and reality-capture specialist headquartered in Manchester, operating nationally. Founded by Joseph Barnaby, we deliver procurement-grade aerial surveys, schedule-of-condition reports, asset inspections, immersive access surveys and cinema-grade media. What sets us apart is that measurable social value is built into how the work is delivered, through our dual-entity model and the SBS Foundation (CIO), not bolted on.

Four things. First, our equipment and methodology are tuned for survey-grade output, RTK GNSS, DJI Zenmuse L2 LiDAR, radiometric thermal, ±2cm accuracy. Second, we are CAA-aligned with documented Operational Authorisation, RAMS and per-project insurance. Third, social value is engineered into the operating model via the SBS Foundation. Fourth, we sit deliberately in the procurement-grade middle, more defensible than low-cost generalists, more accessible than premium RICS firms.

SBS operates as two cleanly separated entities. Sky Based Specialists Ltd is the commercial drone-services business. The SBS Foundation (CIO) is a separate charitable entity that runs the workforce-development pipeline; it contracts SBS Ltd as a specialist deliverer, and its graduates flow into SBS and partner firms. This dual-entity model supersedes the earlier single-entity structure.

SBS is based in Manchester and delivers projects across England, Scotland and Wales. Most projects within ~150 miles of Manchester are quoted without significant mobilisation costs; UK-wide projects are scoped with travel and mobilisation included in the proposal.

Yes. SBS operates under CAA Operational Authorisation, with pilots holding GVC and A2 CofC qualifications. We work to the current UK CAA framework, including SORA methodology, PDRA-01 for pre-defined scenarios, and BVLOS operations where projects require them. Every flight is preceded by documented Risk Assessments and Method Statements (RAMS).

No, they don't affect your project negatively, because we operate within the current framework as a matter of course. The UK CAA framework continues to evolve (including changes phased in from 1 January 2026), and SBS keeps pilot qualifications, procedures and authorisations current with it. We manage all regulatory compliance on your behalf and confirm the applicable category and permissions at proposal stage.

Yes. As standard we carry commercial public liability insurance, with cover arranged per project; higher limits (£5m, £10m or project-specific cover) are available where client frameworks, restricted airspace or site conditions require it. Professional indemnity cover applies to survey and consultancy outputs. Insurance documents are provided with every proposal.

CAA Operational Authorisation, SORA-current operating procedures, RICS-aligned methodology, per-project insurance and RAMS for every flight. We support supplier-portal qualification (e.g. Achilles, FSQS, Constructionline) and SSIP/health-and-safety accreditation as required by client frameworks, and we provide quantified social-value evidence aligned to the Procurement Act 2023 and National TOMs.

With RTK GNSS positioning and properly distributed ground control points (GCPs), SBS achieves ±2cm horizontal and vertical accuracy. This is suitable for topographic surveys, volumetric calculations, BIM coordination, as-built records and engineering design.

Restricted-airspace work is routine. We coordinate Non-Standard Flight permissions with the CAA, request access to FRZs around airports and aerodromes, liaise with ATC where required, and notify landowners, councils and emergency services where appropriate. Where a project falls outside the Open or Specific category baseline, SORA-based applications or PDRA-01 scenarios are scoped at proposal stage.

We follow strict data-handling protocols. Capture is scoped to the designated site only; footage and data are stored securely; and we comply with UK GDPR. NDAs, white-label arrangements and client-specified data-handling and retention requirements (including secure transfer and deletion) are supported.

Outputs integrate directly with existing CAD, BIM, GIS and asset-management workflows: PDF reports, DWG drawings, GeoTIFF orthomosaics, classified LAS/LAZ/E57 point clouds, 3D meshes (OBJ/FBX), textured models, digital twins, radiometric thermal mosaics with anomaly detection, navigable 360° virtual tours, annotated inspection reports and social-value evidence packs.

Pricing depends on site size, complexity, accuracy and any extra permissions. Indicative guide: schedule-of-condition surveys £1,800–£4,500+; aerial/topographic surveys from £600 (mapping-grade) to £3,500+ (survey-grade) by area; immersive disability access surveys £1,400–£12,000+ by building scale; critical infrastructure inspection £1,700–£3,500/day; managed flight operations £850–£1,250/day. Every project receives a fixed, scoped quote, and quotes are free with no obligation.

No. Every engagement starts with a free, no-obligation scoped proposal, typically returned within two working days.

No. We monitor conditions closely and fly only when it's safe and the data quality will hold up. If a survey is postponed due to weather, we reschedule at no extra cost.

Yes. Landlords, housing associations, stockholders and multi-site clients can be quoted as a bundled programme, reducing the per-site cost while each site still gets the detailed inspection it needs. Share your portfolio and we'll scope a package.

Photogrammetry builds 3D models from overlapping photographs, dense, photorealistic, textured. LiDAR uses pulsed laser to measure distance directly, penetrates vegetation, performs in low-texture or low-light conditions, and produces classified point clouds. SBS combines both; the DJI Zenmuse L2 captures both simultaneously, producing true-colour point clouds in a single flight.

Yes. Point clouds are delivered classified in LAS/LAZ/E57; 3D meshes as OBJ/FBX or RCP/RCS for direct import into Revit, AutoCAD, Civil 3D and similar. We also produce scan-to-BIM coordination outputs and as-built verification against design models.

A defensible photographic and written record of a site or structure at a specific point in time, for pre-works, party-wall, dilapidations, lease or pre-development purposes. SBS offers aerial capture for a surveyor-led report; a complete single-building SoC; or a site-wide pre-development baseline. Every output is geo-tagged, timestamped and produced to a methodology that holds up under scrutiny.

Yes. We capture a navigable 360° virtual tour with barrier annotations aligned to the Equality Act 2010, BS 8300 and BS 9999, delivered as a hosted environment, not a PDF. Most 360° accessibility information stops at visitor information; ours is built to deliver compliance-grade evidence too. We differentiate on integrated single-visit delivery, combined ground and aerial capture, founder lived experience and transparent per-building pricing. The capture-and-guide deliverable requires no accreditation and is available now; compliance-grade audits are delivered with NRAC-registered access consultants. The 360° deliverable is itself accessible, keyboard-navigable, screen-reader-friendly and captioned.

For inspection and survey work, drones replace or substantially reduce the need for scaffolding, MEWPs and rope access, at a fraction of the cost and with far lower working-at-height risk. A roof inspection that traditionally needs scaffolding (often £2,000–£5,000 and several days) can be completed by drone in a couple of hours.

Yes. We provide radiometric thermal baselines and defect-detection outputs that feed directly into PAS 2035 assessor packs, retrofit-coordinator workflows and social-value reporting for housing programmes. Baselines are geo-located, dated and anomaly-rated to support pre- and post-retrofit comparison.

Yes. SBS Managed Flight Operations gives surveying practices, AEC consultancies and agencies consistent drone and geospatial capacity without building it in-house. Four tiers: day-rate subcontract (£850–£1,250/day), embedded rotations, graduate placement (Foundation-trained talent) and white-label delivery. Every engagement includes quantified social-value evidence.

The SBS Foundation (CIO) is a separate charitable entity that upskills people from underrepresented backgrounds, ex-military personnel and those recovering from life-changing injuries into qualified roles in the aerial, geospatial and environmental-capture sectors. It is the talent pipeline that powers SBS's Managed Flight Operations and produces quantified, procurement-scoreable social-value evidence (Procurement Act 2023 / National TOMs). Corporates can sponsor the Foundation for documented social value alongside commercial work.

A single-site roof or facade inspection is usually captured in a morning and reported within 2–5 working days. A topographic survey up to ~10 hectares is captured in a day and processed within 5–10 working days depending on deliverable complexity. Multi-site programmes and digital-twin builds are scoped individually, with indicative timelines in every proposal.

Send your project details via skybased.co/contact, site location, what you need to find out, and any deadline. We'll return a free, scoped proposal (with methodology, deliverables, pricing, insurance and, where relevant, social-value evidence) within around two working days.