Can you build drone software that integrates with DJI hardware and DJI's SDK?

Yes. DJI Mobile SDK and DJI Onboard SDK integration is a standard part of drone software projects for DJI-operated fleets. We also integrate with Autel, Skydio, and third-party flight controller APIs where required. Hardware integration scope is confirmed during discovery because SDK capability varies by aircraft model and firmware version.

Do you understand FAA Part 107, LAANC, and Remote ID requirements well enough to build compliant software?

Yes. We build drone software with FAA Part 107 operational records, LAANC airspace authorization workflows, Remote ID broadcast logging, and NOTAM feed integration designed in from the start. For UK operations, we build to CAA requirements. For Australian operations, CASA regulatory structure is scoped during discovery. Compliance architecture is never retrofitted.

How long does a custom drone software project take, and what does it cost?

A focused first module (mission planning, an inspection report generator, or a fleet dashboard) launches as a validated v1 in 12 to 16 weeks, from around $30,000 to $60,000. From there the full drone operations platform covering flight planning, airspace compliance, imagery processing, and fleet management grows to $100,000 to $180,000 as you add aircraft types and integrations. Cost is fixed and agreed before development starts.

Can you build drone software that processes imagery from thermal, multispectral, and LiDAR sensors?

Yes. Imagery pipelines that ingest RGB, thermal, multispectral, and LiDAR data, run processing workflows using tools such as Pix4D Engine, OpenDroneMap, or custom computer vision models, and output annotated reports and 3D models are within our scope. The sensor types and output formats are confirmed during discovery so the processing pipeline matches your deliverable standard.

Should we build custom drone software or buy an existing platform?

Off-the-shelf platforms such as DroneDeploy, Pix4D, or Airdata UAV cover standard operations well. Custom software makes sense in three cases. Your client deliverable format, compliance workflow, or data integration doesn't fit any platform's configuration options. You're building a product to sell to other drone operators. Or platform licensing becomes a constraint at the scale you're targeting. Discovery scoping will tell you which decision makes economic sense.

Can you build drone software that connects to our clients' asset management or GIS systems?

Yes. Data delivery integrations that push inspection findings, georeferenced imagery, and analytics outputs to platforms such as Esri ArcGIS, IBM Maximo, SAP PM, Bentley AssetWise, and custom REST APIs are a standard part of inspection and survey software projects. The integration targets are confirmed during discovery and built to the client's data schema, not a generic export format.

Our workflow is the struggle. We're a new mapping business and everything runs on spreadsheets. Where do we start?

Start with the handoff, not the flight. The workflow is the number-one struggle for new drone mapping businesses, and trying to manage recurring work with spreadsheets and email chains is a one-way ticket to chaos. We scope the first module around the client deliverable: mission records, imagery processing, and the report format your clients expect. The flight side can stay on your current tools while the delivery side gets built properly. That's the module that wins repeat clients.

Drone and UAV Software Development

You can fly beautifully and still lose a client to a disorganized handoff. The pricing models of the big platforms are too expensive for small companies that don't have steady large clients: a laughable $500 a month, per-seat pricing that compounds to $30K a year for a five-person team. And processing aerial imagery can often feel like a dark art. When the gap between what the platform does and what your business needs costs you hours per job, custom software is the fix.

Flight planning and mission management systems built for your specific operation type: inspection, survey, delivery, or public safety
Airspace compliance tooling with LAANC integration, FAA Part 107 records, Remote ID logging, and BVLOS workflow support
Imagery and data analytics pipelines that turn raw RGB, thermal, and LiDAR captures into client-ready deliverables automatically
Drone fleet management dashboards with maintenance scheduling, pilot records, utilization tracking, and regulatory audit trails

The problem

Sound familiar?

Pilots completing missions but inspectors spending hours in desktop tools to extract findings from raw imagery before a report can go to the client?
Airspace authorizations managed across three apps and a spreadsheet, with no single audit trail when a regulator or client asks for proof?
Fleet growing past what a shared drone log can track, with maintenance intervals missed, pilot certifications expiring, and utilization data living in someone's head?

Short answer

RaftLabs builds custom drone and UAV software for aerial inspection firms, survey businesses, and enterprise UAV programs: flight planning, airspace compliance, imagery analytics, inspection reporting, and fleet management. A focused first module launches as a validated v1 in 12 to 16 weeks, from around $30,000 to $60,000; the full platform grows from there at a fixed, agreed cost.

Trusted by

01 Diagnosis

Where drone and UAV operations actually leak

01
Problem
The platform is priced for someone bigger than you
Solution
The pricing models of the big platforms are too expensive for small companies that don't have steady large clients. Per-seat pricing at $329 to $499 a month compounds quickly: a five-person team pays approximately $30K a year at list price. Only DJI drones are supported, no Skydio, Autel, or Parrot. The sensor you actually fly isn't accepted. So the operation lands on a patchwork of tools, and the workflow is the struggle.Custom software priced for your operation, built around your aircraft and your sensors, gives you the platform without the enterprise bill. The outcome is software that fits the fleet, not the other way around.
02
Problem
You can fly beautifully and still lose the client
Solution
You can fly beautifully and still lose a client to a disorganized handoff. The clients who stay are the ones who never had to ask you twice for the same thing. Raw imagery is in cloud storage. Findings are in a field tech's notes. The inspection report template is a Word document updated by hand. When the gap between data capture and client delivery runs two to four hours per site, it caps how many jobs the team can complete in a week.Custom inspection report generation pulls annotated findings, thermal overlays, and georeferenced imagery into a structured client deliverable automatically after the pilot confirms the job is complete. Report generation that currently takes two hours drops to under fifteen minutes. The outcome is a handoff that keeps the client.
03
Problem
Compliance is a compounding admin load
Solution
Without proper records, growing drone programs face compounding risks: expired credentials, maintenance gaps, and missing flight records that fail client audits. LAANC requests in one app. FAA Part 107 waivers tracked in a folder. NOTAMs checked manually before each flight. Remote ID compliance logged separately. When an enterprise client or a regulator asks for a complete operational record, assembling it takes time the team doesn't have.A unified airspace compliance system integrates LAANC authorization, NOTAM feeds, Remote ID logging, Part 107 pilot records, and waiver tracking into one searchable audit trail. The outcome is a single export, not a two-day records exercise.
04
Problem
Processing is a black box with no SLA
Solution
Processing takes 2 to 24 hours in the cloud with no guaranteed SLA: a real bottleneck for time-sensitive work. Point-cloud editing is possibly the most important aspect of the work, and it's a very time-consuming process requiring operators to interactively interrogate the data in 3D. Processing aerial imagery can often feel like a dark art, requiring expensive software and specialized knowledge.Post-flight imagery pipelines ingest RGB, thermal, multispectral, and LiDAR captures and run processing workflows that produce orthomosaics, point clouds, 3D models, and thermal anomaly maps without manual intervention. The outcome is deliverables on the client's deadline, not the cloud queue's.

02 What we ship

Drone and UAV software we build

Flight planning and mission management
Mission planning interfaces with interactive map overlays, automated flight path generation, and waypoint editors let pilots configure and review missions on desktop or tablet before takeoff. Pre-flight checklists tied to aircraft type, weather API integrations that surface go/no-go conditions, and geofencing rules tied to your operational area confirm every flight starts from a documented, approved plan. Post-mission data ingestion automatically associates telemetry logs, flight paths, and captured media with the mission record so nothing requires manual filing.
Built for commercial inspection firms, aerial survey companies, and enterprise drone programs managing multiple concurrent operations across multiple locations.
Airspace compliance and regulatory record-keeping
LAANC integration submits controlled airspace authorization requests and retrieves approvals within the platform, replacing the manual app-switching that currently adds steps before every flight in controlled airspace. FAA NOTAM feeds surface active restrictions relevant to a planned flight path automatically. Remote ID broadcast logs are captured and stored against each mission record. Part 107 pilot records, certificate renewal dates, and training documentation are stored and surfaced when a certificate approaches expiry.
Built for US commercial operators needing a single audit-ready operational record, and adaptable to CAA requirements in the UK and CASA requirements in Australia and New Zealand.
Imagery processing and analytics pipelines
Post-flight imagery pipelines ingest RGB, thermal, multispectral, and LiDAR captures and run processing workflows that produce orthomosaics, point clouds, 3D models, thermal anomaly maps, and vegetation index outputs without manual intervention. Integration with processing engines including Pix4D Engine, OpenDroneMap, and WebODM means you select the output standard, not the processing workflow. Computer vision models trained on your specific inspection type annotate findings automatically before they reach the inspector's review queue.
Built for inspection companies reducing post-processing time per job, survey firms standardizing output quality, and enterprise clients who need analytics integrated with their existing GIS or asset management systems.
Inspection report generation
Structured report templates map inspection findings, annotated imagery, GPS coordinates, severity ratings, and recommended fixes into the format your clients expect. That might be a PDF inspection report, a structured JSON feed for an asset management API, or a branded HTML deliverable the client opens through a portal. When the inspector confirms findings in the review tool, the report generates in minutes rather than hours. Client-specific report formats are configured once and applied to every job for that client.
Built for drone inspection companies running structured inspection programs for infrastructure, real estate, energy, and construction clients.
Drone fleet management dashboards
Fleet dashboards track every aircraft by serial number, model, and operational status. Flight hours, battery cycle counts, and sensor calibration intervals update from telemetry logs after each mission without manual entry. Maintenance alerts trigger before service intervals are exceeded so aircraft aren't taken offline reactively mid-contract. Utilization reporting shows hours flown per aircraft, per pilot, and per client.
Built for drone service companies managing five or more aircraft, enterprise drone programs with geographically distributed fleets, and public safety agencies requiring documented operational records.
Drone delivery and logistics software
Order management interfaces connect delivery requests to available aircraft and pilots, with route planning that accounts for airspace constraints, payload capacity, and weather conditions along the flight path. Real-time tracking surfaces delivery status to dispatchers and recipients. Ground control station software gives operators situational awareness across multiple simultaneous delivery flights with alert escalation for off-course or signal-loss events.
Built for commercial drone delivery operators, logistics companies adding last-mile UAV capacity, and enterprise operators building regulated delivery corridors.

03 Buy, build, or wait

The drone software question is really about whether the platform fits your aircraft, your sensors, and your clients.

Buy or rent

DroneDeploy/Pix4D, while you fit
Standard operations before the per-seat pricing, the DJI-only support, and the processing black box bite.
Open-source tooling, as a bridge
OpenDroneMap is a cost-effective alternative to proprietary photogrammetry. Honest before the dark-art learning curve hits.

Build custom

When the platform is priced for enterprises
Too expensive for small companies without steady large clients. Built around your fleet, priced for your size.
When the handoff loses clients
You can fly beautifully and still lose a client to a disorganized handoff. The deliverable is the product.
When compliance compounds
Missing flight records that fail client audits. One audit trail, not five tools.

Bottom line

Stay on the platform while the pricing fits the fleet size. Build when the cost, the client handoff, or the compliance load outgrow it.

04 How we work

How we build drone software

01
Discovery
Two weeks mapping your operation type, aircraft fleet, airspace classification, regulatory obligations, and existing software integrations. We confirm which outputs your clients require, which manual steps cost the most time per job, and where off-the-shelf tools create workarounds. The risk this retires: the workflow the template assumed.
02
Architecture and integration scoping
We design the data model around your specific operation: telemetry ingestion from your aircraft types, imagery storage and processing pipeline design, airspace API integrations, and the output formats your clients require. Hardware SDK integration is prototyped early because it carries the highest integration risk. The risk this retires: the sensor the software can't read.
03
Build
Two-week sprints with working software at each checkpoint. The highest-risk integration (hardware SDK, airspace API, or imagery pipeline) ships in the first sprint so you see real data flowing through real infrastructure before the majority of the budget is committed. The risk this retires: the integration that fails on the live job.
04
Launch and operations handover
Phased go-live starting with internal pilot use before client-facing features are enabled. Monitoring covers telemetry ingestion, imagery processing queues, and airspace API response times. The risk this retires: the go-live that misses the client deadline.

05 Track record

What drone and UAV businesses get when they work with us

Weeks to launch a validated v1 module: 12-16

Shipping production software: Since 2015

Cost agreed before development starts: Fixed

08 Why us

Why choose us?

01
We've seen your problem before
Across dozens of industries, we recognise your situation fast, then frame the fix around your margin and your operations, not a generic template.
02
We own the number, not the ticket
We measure success the way you do: hours saved, revenue earned, margin recovered. We stay through launch and growth, so the result is ours to own.
03
Serious businesses trust us
Vodafone, T-Mobile, Cisco, Energia, Aldi, Nike. Building since 2015. Serious businesses keep coming back because we stay accountable long after launch.

09 Questions

Common questions

: Yes. DJI Mobile SDK and DJI Onboard SDK integration is a standard part of drone software projects for DJI-operated fleets. We also integrate with Autel, Skydio, and third-party flight controller APIs where required. Hardware integration scope is confirmed during discovery because SDK capability varies by aircraft model and firmware version.
: Yes. We build drone software with FAA Part 107 operational records, LAANC airspace authorization workflows, Remote ID broadcast logging, and NOTAM feed integration designed in from the start. For UK operations, we build to CAA requirements. For Australian operations, CASA regulatory structure is scoped during discovery. Compliance architecture is never retrofitted.
: A focused first module (mission planning, an inspection report generator, or a fleet dashboard) launches as a validated v1 in 12 to 16 weeks, from around $30,000 to $60,000. From there the full drone operations platform covering flight planning, airspace compliance, imagery processing, and fleet management grows to $100,000 to $180,000 as you add aircraft types and integrations. Cost is fixed and agreed before development starts.
: Yes. Imagery pipelines that ingest RGB, thermal, multispectral, and LiDAR data, run processing workflows using tools such as Pix4D Engine, OpenDroneMap, or custom computer vision models, and output annotated reports and 3D models are within our scope. The sensor types and output formats are confirmed during discovery so the processing pipeline matches your deliverable standard.
: Off-the-shelf platforms such as DroneDeploy, Pix4D, or Airdata UAV cover standard operations well. Custom software makes sense in three cases. Your client deliverable format, compliance workflow, or data integration doesn't fit any platform's configuration options. You're building a product to sell to other drone operators. Or platform licensing becomes a constraint at the scale you're targeting. Discovery scoping will tell you which decision makes economic sense.
: Yes. Data delivery integrations that push inspection findings, georeferenced imagery, and analytics outputs to platforms such as Esri ArcGIS, IBM Maximo, SAP PM, Bentley AssetWise, and custom REST APIs are a standard part of inspection and survey software projects. The integration targets are confirmed during discovery and built to the client's data schema, not a generic export format.
: Start with the handoff, not the flight. The workflow is the number-one struggle for new drone mapping businesses, and trying to manage recurring work with spreadsheets and email chains is a one-way ticket to chaos. We scope the first module around the client deliverable: mission records, imagery processing, and the report format your clients expect. The flight side can stay on your current tools while the delivery side gets built properly. That's the module that wins repeat clients.

Drone and UAV software by product

Get a build-vs-platform plan for your fleet

Tell us your operation type, your aircraft, and where the current platform costs you hours per job. We'll tell you what we'd build, what it costs, and what we'd leave alone.

Scope and cost agreed before work starts. No surprises. No obligation.
Working prototype within 3 weeks of kickoff.
Pay by milestone. You see progress before each invoice.
60-day post-launch warranty. Bug fixes, UI tweaks, and deployment support. No retainer.
All conversations are NDA-protected.

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