Hidden Costs
After accounting for the overhead of professional operations, one must give careful thought to whether the project is of a suitable type or size to be efficiently achieved using UAV data collection methods—or whether manned aircraft are more appropriate.
There are situations where UAVs may still be the best option, but its important to note that they require expertise, which brings even more costs.
Your Site is Inaccessible
If a survey of a site is essential, but is either accessible or problematic for health and safety reasons, UAV deployment can be ideal—regardless of what size the site is. Even if that site is small though, do not necessarily expect the project to be delivered at a lower cost.
Hidden Costs: You will have to pay for operations, and ensure your team has the proper training and expertise.