Drone LiDAR Mapping
See through the canopy. Our drone-mounted LiDAR sensors produce high-density 3D point clouds that penetrate dense vegetation to reveal the true ground surface — delivering survey-grade accuracy across even the most challenging terrain in British Columbia.
What Is Drone LiDAR Mapping?
Penetrates Vegetation
Unlike photogrammetry, LiDAR laser pulses pass through gaps in tree canopy and dense brush to reach the ground below. This means you get accurate bare-earth models even on heavily forested sites.
Survey-Grade Accuracy
With RTK/PPK positioning and hundreds of points per square metre, our drone LiDAR achieves vertical accuracies of ±2 cm. That's precise enough for engineering design, earthworks calculations, and regulatory submissions.
Faster Than Traditional Survey
Cover sites that would take a ground crew weeks in just a single day of flying. Drone LiDAR dramatically reduces time on site, which means lower costs and faster project timelines for your team.
Rich 3D Point Clouds
Every LiDAR pulse returns as a point in 3D space with X, Y, Z coordinates and intensity values. The result is a dense, colourized point cloud that can be classified, filtered, and turned into a range of deliverables.
How Drone LiDAR Mapping Works
Project Scoping
We review your site boundaries, terrain, vegetation density, and accuracy requirements. You get a clear scope of work, timeline, and quote before any drone leaves the ground.
Flight Planning & Permits
We plan flight lines for optimal point density and coverage, set up ground control points if required, and, if required, handle all Transport Canada SFOC requirements for the airspace.
Data Acquisition
Our drones fly pre-programmed LiDAR missions, collecting millions of laser returns across your site. RTK/PPK positioning ensures every point is tied to real-world coordinates.
Processing & Classification
Raw point cloud data is processed using AI-assisted classification algorithms, georeferenced, noise-filtered, and classified — separating ground, vegetation, structures, and power lines into organized layers with greater speed and accuracy than manual methods.
Quality Assurance
We check against ground control points, verify accuracy metrics, and review the dataset for completeness before generating your deliverables.
Deliverables
You receive your classified point cloud, bare-earth DEM, contour maps, and any other products in the formats your team needs — LAS, LAZ, GeoTIFF, LandXML, DWG, or custom.
Who Uses Drone LiDAR in BC?
Construction & Engineering
Pre-construction topo surveys, cut/fill calculations, site grading verification, and as-built documentation for civil and structural projects.
Mining & Aggregates
Pit and stockpile surveys, haul road design, reclamation monitoring, and regulatory compliance mapping for mines across British Columbia.
Forestry
Canopy height models, timber volume estimation, logging road design, and terrain mapping under dense forest cover that photogrammetry simply cannot penetrate.
Environmental & Hydrology
Riparian zone mapping, flood modelling, watershed analysis, and habitat assessments. LiDAR's bare-earth capability is critical for accurate hydrological models.
Government & Utilities
Municipal infrastructure planning, corridor mapping for pipelines and power lines, road design, and land-use planning across BC communities.
LiDAR Deliverables
LiDAR Mapping FAQ
Drone LiDAR typically achieves ±2–5 cm vertical accuracy with RTK/PPK positioning, which meets or exceeds the requirements for most engineering and survey applications. For comparison, a total station or GPS ground survey crew achieves similar accuracies but takes significantly longer on large or vegetated sites.
Yes. LiDAR laser pulses are narrow enough to pass through small gaps in the canopy. While individual pulses may hit leaves or branches, enough pulses reach the ground to build an accurate bare-earth model. This is LiDAR's biggest advantage over photogrammetry in forested terrain.
It depends on the required point density and terrain, but a typical day of drone LiDAR flying can cover 100–200 hectares. For comparison, a ground survey crew might cover 5–10 hectares per day on similar terrain. We'll give you a realistic estimate during project scoping.
We deliver in whatever formats your team needs. Standard deliverables include LAS/LAZ point clouds, GeoTIFF rasters, DWG/DXF CAD files, and shapefiles. We work with Agisoft Metashape, ArcGIS, Global Mapper, and other industry-standard software to ensure compatibility with your workflows.
Pricing depends on site size, terrain complexity, required accuracy, and deliverables. As a rough guide, drone LiDAR typically costs 30–60% less than traditional aerial LiDAR and significantly less than a ground survey crew on large sites. Contact us for a free, no-obligation quote tailored to your project.
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Ready to Map Your Site With LiDAR?
Tell us about your project and we'll provide a free, no-obligation quote — usually within 24 hours.