Drone video in Brussels: what drives the price

Why there is no price list

Two shoots that look alike on paper do not take the same work. A house on the edge of town and a building near the airport are prepared very differently.

Every flight depends on the location, the airspace and the editing expected. A published price would be wrong half the time. Too high for a simple flight, too low for a complex one.

So every project gets its own quote. It is free, with no obligation, and lands within 24 hours. It lists each item, so you know what you pay for.

What a drone quote includes

A quote is not just flight time. The flight itself is often the shortest part. Everything around it matters as much.

These are the items you will find in a DroneBXL quote. Some change from one project to the next. Others are always included.

• Preparation: checking the address, reading the geozones, planning the flight.
• Clearance: a request to skeyes or the zone manager when the airspace requires it.
• Time on site: setting up, flying, repeating takes until one works.
• Editing and grading: cut, pace, colour, music if planned.
• Deliverables: photos, edited video, vertical versions, raw footage for an agency.
• Travel: beyond 50 km from Brussels, costs are listed in the quote.
• Always included: one revision, commercial usage rights and €1.6 million professional liability insurance.

What changes the price: time and place

The first factor is time on site. A property films quickly. An industrial site with several buildings takes more scouting and more passes.

Location then weighs in two ways. First, indoors or outdoors. An indoor flight means FPV, with ducted propellers and short runs.

Then the surroundings. People nearby, a busy street, an active worksite. Each constraint adds preparation and sometimes a fixed time slot.

The date matters too. Evening light or a weekend shoot takes more careful scheduling. An event cannot move, so it is prepared earlier.

Editing and format: the most underestimated item

Two clients can ask for the same flight and end up with different budgets. The gap usually comes from editing.

Raw footage for your agency takes little work after the flight. An edited, graded film with a soundtrack takes much more.

Format plays a part as well. A horizontal version for your website is one deliverable. Each vertical cut for Reels, TikTok or Shorts is another.

Finally, the type of drone. A standard drone gives steady shots that edit quickly. An FPV one-take shot needs several passes and finer editing.

• Raw footage only: delivered in the format your agency asks for.
• Edited video: cut, graded and scored, delivered as MP4.
• Vertical versions: added if you ask for them in the quote.
• Photos: high-resolution JPEG, handed over on site.

Why Skeyes clearance matters in Brussels

Almost all of Brussels is controlled airspace. The BCAA publishes UAS geographical zones on the Droneguide map. Every address is checked there before quoting.

Around a controlled aerodrome, the CTR splits into three geozones: VLL 0, VLL 1 and VLL 2. Access rules and heights differ from one to the next.

Lead times differ too. Skeyes asks for submission at least 15 days before the flight in VLL 0 and VLL 1. In VLL 2, it drops to three hours.

Some zones answer to another manager. EU buildings, royal estates, prisons. Their consent comes on top of air traffic control.

Finally, a flight outside open-category limits moves to the specific category. It then needs an operational authorisation from the BCAA.

All this does not only shape preparation. It also sets the earliest possible date. A rush request in VLL 0 can simply be impossible.

What never changes from one quote to the next

Some commitments are the same for every shoot. They are not options. They appear in every quote.

If weather conditions are unfit to fly, rescheduling costs nothing. Rain, fog or strong wind ruin the footage and make flying unsafe.

• Free quote with no obligation, within 24 hours.
• Skeyes clearance handled for you when the zone requires it.
• Photos handed over on site, edited videos within 3 to 5 working days.
• One revision included before the final version.
• Commercial usage rights included: website, social media, trade fairs, advertising.
• Every job covered by €1.6 million professional liability insurance, certificate on request.

How to brief for an accurate quote

The clearer the request, the more accurate the quote. Three lines are enough to start. Six details are enough to price it without back and forth.

If you do not have every detail yet, send what you have. We come back with the right questions, and the quote follows within 24 hours.

• The exact address: it sets the geozone and the clearance needed.
• The preferred date, and whether it can move: it sets the skeyes lead time.
• How the images will be used: listing, website, social media, advertising, inspection report.
• The format: photos, horizontal video, vertical versions, raw footage for an agency.
• The target edit length: a short teaser or a longer film.
• The delivery deadline, especially if a publication date is already set.