In today’s construction landscape, the most valuable asset isn’t machinery, manpower, or even materials — it’s clarity. Teams that see their jobsite clearly make faster decisions, catch issues earlier, and keep projects moving with confidence. UAV/drone reality capture has always offered a clean, broad overview of a project jobsite, but what began as a niche capability has quickly evolved into an industry essential, delivering job‑wide visibility that helps teams make better decisions every day.
“Drones are no longer a luxury on jobsites,” says Ryan Holmes, “they’re a necessity. But beyond the safety and speed benefits, this year we will see more project teams leaning into aerial reality capture for overall site progress tracking and scheduling.”
Below, Ryan lists three top ways that UAV/drone aerial reality capture accelerates progress tracking and improves project outcomes across the construction lifecycle.
1. Tracking equipment, assets, and material deliveries
Knowing what’s onsite – and where – is critical for productive construction management. UAV data provides clear, up‑to‑date visuals that help teams pinpoint the location of:
- Heavy equipment
- Tools
- Material stockpiles
- Recent deliveries
Multivista’s UAV/drone services are specifically noted for capturing material and equipment locations across indoor and outdoor storage areas. In other words, drones don’t just help document work – they help optimize the flow of equipment and resources on site.
2. Integrating UAV mapping with earthwork tracking
Earthwork is a time‑critical and costly phase of construction. UAV mapping allows teams to track earth movement with exceptional accuracy and speed.
Multivista’s UAV mapping insights highlight how aerial mapping and laser scanning help teams assess how much earth has been moved over specific time periods.
Using Hexagon Multivista analytics, project teams can generate cut/fill maps and volume calculations that make it possible to determine exactly how much material has been cut or added, where it has been placed, and how much work remains.
Holmes confirms, “Clients are increasingly requesting mapping exports to support VDC workflows. Earthwork is one of these use cases as an ROI can quickly be realized through providing an accurate and timely understanding of the earth movement and the balance of a site as measured against the design surfaces from the architectural drawings.”
This level of insight allows teams to understand production rates, estimate how long remaining tasks will take, and adjust schedules accordingly.
3. Improving Scheduling, Logistics & Overall Project Efficiency
With accurate, time‑stamped aerial data, teams can measure how much progress has been made in any given timeframe. That means they know:
- How long certain Earthwork volumes took to move
- Whether equipment is being used efficiently
- The pace at which materials are arriving and being installed
- When downstream trades should be scheduled to avoid delays
Frequent UAV/drone documentation gives teams a near‑real‑time ability to compare site conditions to plans, identify workflow bottlenecks, and eliminate potential rework before it happens.
This keeps projects running on time and helps avoid the costly domino effect of delayed trades or misaligned deliveries.
From progress tracking to hazard identification, UAVs enhance nearly every aspect of jobsite monitoring. “Using drone services on jobsites,” Holmes says, “is transforming how teams operate by enhancing efficiency, safety, and sustainability.”
If you’d like help integrating UAV reality capture or earthwork analytics into your next project, Multivista’s certified UAV teams and analytics tools are ready to help. Reach out for a demo.
