Who reviews the imagery?

A licensed Building Class Contractor with over 20 active construction and inspection certifications. The point of independent third-party documentation is independent third-party expertise — not just a pilot uploading photos.

Do you provide pay-app verification packages?

Yes. Our reporting can be sequenced to AIA pay-app schedules so each progress draw has matching defensible visual documentation.

Aerial orthomosaic and 3D site mesh of a commercial construction project showing milestone progress for owner, lender, and general contractor documentation

Core Service

Commercial Job Site Progress Inspections

Independent third-party drone documentation of commercial construction sites. Weekly or milestone aerial verification for owners, GCs, lenders, and architects.

Overview

Commercial construction projects move fast, and the people writing the checks are rarely standing on the dirt. Holmes and Watson provides independent, recurring drone documentation of commercial job sites — giving owners, general contractors, lenders, and architects a defensible visual record of what was actually built, when. As licensed Building Class Contractors with over 20 industry construction and inspection certifications, we read a job site the way a builder does, not the way a drone hobbyist does. We know what should be in the ground at week 6, what flashing should look like before the cladding goes up, and where coordination between trades typically breaks down.

Why Choose Drone Commercial Job Site Progress

Owners and lenders need independent verification of what they're paying for. Holmes and Watson provides defensible, recurring aerial documentation reviewed by a licensed contractor — not a hobbyist with a drone — so what gets reported is what a builder would see.

When to use it: Use commercial job site documentation for any major commercial project from groundbreaking through closeout, especially when owner, lender, or insurer stakeholders need recurring independent verification.

What We Inspect

Site logistics, laydown, and crane positioning
Foundation pours, structural steel, and framing milestones
Roof, envelope, and exterior wall progress
MEP rough-in coordination from above
Trade sequencing and pay-application verification
Safety conditions, fall hazards, and OSHA-relevant exposures

Our Process

Project Onboarding

We review plans, schedule, and milestone targets with the owner or GC, then establish a repeatable flight plan and ground control points.

Recurring Documentation

Weekly, bi-weekly, or milestone-triggered flights capturing the same overlapping orthomosaic and elevations every visit.

Inspection-Grade Review

A licensed contractor reviews the imagery — not just a pilot — flagging quality, sequencing, and constructability issues you'd want to catch early.

Owner & Lender Reporting

Cloud-hosted timelines, side-by-side date comparisons, and pay-app verification packages delivered to all stakeholders.

Deliverables

Recurring high-resolution orthomosaic maps, 3D site meshes, side-by-side timeline comparisons, milestone progress reports suitable for AIA pay-app backup, and a hosted cloud viewer for owners, GCs, and lenders.

Cost Factors

Project size and flight duration per visit
Documentation cadence (weekly vs. milestone-only)
Cloud-hosted viewer access for stakeholders
Reporting depth and pay-app integration

Frequently Asked Questions

Most projects run weekly or bi-weekly. Some prefer milestone-triggered flights (foundation, structural steel topping out, dry-in, etc.). We'll match the cadence to the project's pay-app schedule and stakeholder reporting needs.