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Unlock High-Value Drone Mapping Skills for the Construction Industry
Transform your drone knowledge into industry-specific skills that save construction companies time and money, and set you up for big projects.
This course is just one piece of a comprehensive learning path. Unlock the full potential of your skills by enrolling in our complete program and save up to 30% compared to purchasing individual courses separately.
Step 1
Geodesy for Drone Surveying
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Once you complete this course and pass the final exam, you’ll get to put your new knowledge into practice so you can earn your Advanced Mapping for Construction and Engineering Certificate.
With this certification, you’ll be able to prove to employers and construction clients that you know exactly how to solve their biggest challenges in the field through advanced drone mapping techniques.
This course is led by Nate Howard, a Survey Manager at Kiewit, one of North America’s largest construction and engineering firms. With 25 years of experience in surveying, mapping, and construction, Nate brings extensive knowledge of advanced geospatial techniques and how they are applied in real-world projects.
Throughout his career, Nate has worked with companies of all sizes, from small land surveying firms to major construction enterprises. His expertise spans land and construction surveying, design engineering, 3D modeling, and geospatial data management. He has been involved in power plant projects, heavy highway and rail construction, mining, and other surveys, applying GNSS and UAV technology to improve accuracy and efficiency in high-stakes environments.
Nate is a Certified Survey Technician Level III (CST III), a credential that reflects his advanced technical skills in surveying and geospatial data collection. Over the last 8–10 years, he has focused on integrating drones into construction and engineering workflows, helping professionals use unmanned aircraft technology for site planning, earthwork tracking, volume calculations, and infrastructure inspections.
In this course, Nate will share practical, field-tested techniques for applying drone mapping in construction and engineering settings. His deep industry knowledge and hands-on experience will give you the tools to use UAV technology effectively, improve project efficiency, and enhance your professional skill set.
Our course will teach you everything you need to know to collect and analyze precise and accurate data so that you can land advanced-level work on high-paying construction and engineering projects.
Expand Each Section To Learn More ↓
Welcome to the Course
About Your Instructor
Getting Your Course Certificate
Course Textbook
About this Section
Evolution of Mapping in Construction and Engineering
Common Use Cases for Photogrammetry in Construction
Team Structures and Roles
The Cost of Inaccurate Data
About this Section
Why Construction Projects Need Coordinate Systems
State Plane Coordinate Systems vs Geographic Coordinate Systems
How State Plane Coordinate Systems are Organized (EPSG Codes)
Scale Factors
Published vs. Local/Calibrated Coordinate Systems
About Our Example Project
Deliverables and Calculations for the Project
About the Engineering Plan Sets
Engineering Plan Set Review for Avalon Development
About this Section
Site Overview, Flight Area, Obstruction (Power Lines/Towers), and GCP Location Review
Exporting/Importing KML File for Flight Automation
Automated Flight Mission Settings
Manually Designing Automated Flight Area
Deciding on GCP and Checkshot Placement
Gear Selection and Correction Methods
About this Section
Initial Jobsite Walkthrough
Review of GCP and Checkshot Plan
Setting Up GCP Targets
Shooting and Checking Project Temporary Benchmarks (TBM)
Shooting Additional GCPs
Flying Wingtra Mission
About this Section
Software and Geotagging Process We’re Using
Geotagging Our Photos
Processing Scenarios
Explaining Our GNSS Base Selection and Options
Looking at Our Project Control File
Processing Scenario 1
Processing Scenario 2
Processing Scenario 3
Output Review: Verifying Quality and Accuracy
Comparing Data of Processing Scenarios
About this Section
Types of Design Files and 3rd Party Data
Importing Design Data
What to Do When Stuff Doesn’t Line Up
About this Section
Total Project Take Off Calculation
Stockpile Cut/Fill Calculations
Generating Contours
Final Report - Takeoff Calculations, Stockpile Measurements, and Contours
Comparing Plan Set Water Run Off to Contour Data
Safety Slope Profile Calculation
Course Summary
Final Exam
In the world of construction and engineering, precision is everything. A small error—like an inaccurate measurement or failure to identify safety slope issues—can cost millions in material waste, project delays, and costly rework. Construction professionals need reliable, accurate data to keep projects on track, on budget, and on time. Unfortunately, many drone operators lack the industry-specific knowledge to produce the data construction firms need.
Imagine that YOUR drone work caused a project to be delayed by weeks or months because of inaccurate data. Without the right knowledge, your drone data might not be useful to professionals who rely on precise measurements to inform critical project decisions.
Or even worse…
Your inaccurate drone data could create HUGE problems for construction projects.
By learning to produce accurate, actionable data with drones, you can help construction companies avoid these costly mistakes. You’ll be able to compare design plans with actual site conditions and provide the precise data they need for smooth project execution.
You may already know how to fly a drone and capture data… but do you know how to turn that data into helpful insights that construction and engineering teams can use to ensure their projects are error-free?
If you don’t know how to do all this (yet!), don’t worry…
Once you have the right skills and knowledge, you’ll be ready to tackle high-value drone mapping work for construction companies across the US and around the world.
In this course, you’ll learn how to use drones to produce deliverables that construction and engineering professionals depend on.
You’ll learn firsthand Nate Howard, a survey manager and drone expert working in a major construction and engineering firm.
This course takes you beyond basic drone operations.
You’ll learn to apply your foundational drone knowledge in real-world construction scenarios, bridging the gap between technical drone skills and industry-specific applications.
By the end of this course, you’ll be able to create valuable, accurate reports that improve project planning, execution, and cost efficiency for construction and engineering firms.
This course doesn’t just teach you how to fly drones — it teaches you how to apply drone data in the context of construction. You’ll understand the industry’s unique challenges and how to provide deliverables that save time, reduce costs, and improve project outcomes.
You’ll learn the terminology and processes that construction professionals use. This knowledge will help you communicate more effectively with engineers, surveyors, and project managers, and ensure your drone data is valuable and relevant.
Gain the expertise to deliver accurate take-off calculations, stockpile measurements, contour maps, and safety slope analyses—critical reports that help construction firms plan and execute their projects more effectively.
With your new skills, you’ll be positioned to work on larger projects with big construction and engineering firms. Your expertise in drone data will make you an indispensable part of their team, contributing to high-profile projects and helping firms make data-driven decisions.
Think of this course like learning math: foundations first, then applications.
You wouldn’t start learning algebra without understanding addition and subtraction first. The same goes for drone mapping for construction. This course is the third step in our Advanced Drone Mapping and Modeling program, so it builds on the foundational knowledge you’ve already gained.
Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of how we guide you through this course:
Step 1
Before diving into construction-specific applications, we make sure you have a solid understanding of drone mapping fundamentals. This helps ensure you can apply the data you capture in ways that make sense for construction professionals.
Step 2
We start with the essentials: understanding how to plan and execute flights that capture the data needed for construction projects. This includes survey control — a crucial element for ensuring that your data is accurate and can be used alongside other industry tools.
Step 3
Next, you’ll learn how to turn that raw data into actionable insights for construction teams. We’ll cover key deliverables like take-off calculations, stockpile measurements, contour mapping, and safety slope analysis.
Step 4
Finally, you’ll learn to use your drone data for high-level construction applications, like water runoff analysis and comparing design plans to actual site conditions. This part of the course shows you how to interpret your data in the context of a project’s design, allowing you to provide even more value to construction teams.
The practical, hands-on skills you need to succeed in construction drone mapping:
Learn how to read and interpret construction drawings, grading plans, and site layouts to ensure your drone data aligns with project specifications and engineering requirements.
You’ll learn how to prepare and execute precise drone flights, ensuring that the data captured is accurate and reliable for construction applications.
Accurately calculate material take-offs and measure stockpiles, helping construction teams with planning, resource allocation, and cost estimation.
Learn to create contour maps that help engineers assess the land and plan for drainage and infrastructure needs, ensuring smooth project execution.
Understand how to evaluate slopes for safety, ensuring construction sites are compliant with safety regulations and reducing the risk of accidents or project delays.
you’ll have the opportunity to earn your Advanced Drone Mapping For Construction And Engineering Certificate.
This course is ideal for drone operators who want to work in the high-demand construction industry and:
Want to apply drone technology in a real-world industry context
If you’re ready to go beyond recreational drone flying and enter a professional field where you can make a tangible impact.
Are interested in working with large construction and engineering firms
This course prepares you to work on high-profile, large-scale projects that need precise drone data.
Want to provide high-value services to construction professionals
With this course, you’ll have the skills to help construction firms with critical project planning, saving them time, money, and resources.
If any of those sound like you… what are you waiting for?
Just click the button below to get enrolled so you can start learning these in-demand skills right now.
Give the course a test drive before you decide!
Here’s a free look inside the course.
you’re not going to be equipped for the construction jobs of the future.
You’ll continue wasting time on manual processes, which could lead to errors that cost the company BIG.
Your data will remain less accurate, and you’ll be using outdated methods.
Professionals who adopt drone technology will pull ahead, leaving you struggling to keep up.
Don’t let traditional construction mapping methods keep you stuck in the past.
Enroll today and get immediate access to all course content.
And if you’re not completely satisfied with the course within 30 days, we offer a full refund, no questions asked.
The Advanced Drone Mapping for Construction and Engineering course is your gateway to a career in construction drone services.
By mastering the skills and terminology that construction professionals rely on, you’ll position yourself for success in a booming industry.
Click below to enroll and start learning how to create drone data that construction and engineering firms can’t live without!
This course is 1 of the 5 courses that make up our Advanced Drone Mapping and Modeling Program.
If you want to get a complete education on geodesy, GNSS and survey control, and advanced drone mapping and 3D modeling so you can work on projects in industries like construction, engineering, architecture, and land surveying… The Advanced Drone Mapping and Modeling Program is for you. And enrolling in the entire program gives you a discount on ALL of the courses!
If you’re ready to get lifetime access to this comprehensive program so you can learn EVERYTHING you need to know to work on advanced-level drone mapping and modeling projects, just click the button below to get enrolled in the entire program.
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