Drone LiDAR Surveys in South Carolina

Classified point clouds and CAD-ready contours in days, not weeks. Up to 1,000 acres flown in a single day by licensed South Carolina surveyors.

Surveying All of South Carolina Since 1982.

Why Abraham Land Surveying for Drone LiDAR

• Days, not weeks. Most ground crews need weeks to topo a big site. We fly it, process it and hand you usable data in days.
• Up to 1,000 acres in a day. Large tracts, long corridors and multiple sites don’t have to stretch your schedule.
• Licensed SC surveyors since 1982. Your data is collected and checked by a surveying firm that has worked all over South Carolina for more than 40 years, not just a drone operator.
• Tools we trust. We work with Trimble, Leica and Carlson in the field and in the office.
• The deliverable you actually need. A classified point cloud, CAD contours and surfaces, or both.

Drone LiDAR Deliverables Menu

Pick what you need. Most projects use one or two of these. Not sure? Tell us what the data is for and we’ll recommend the right package.

1. LiDAR point cloud. Georeferenced point cloud of your site or corridor, in South Carolina State Plane Coordinates and the NAVD88 vertical datum by default (we’re surveyors, after all), delivered in LAS or LAZ.
2. Classified point cloud. Points classified so you can work with the bare ground separately from what sits on top of it: buildings, vegetation, poles & wires and more. LAS or LAZ.
3. CAD contours and surfaces. Delivered in DWG, ready to drop into your CAD workflow.
4. Point cloud and CAD together. The most common package: the classified point cloud plus contours and surfaces.
5. Aerial photos. Aerials of sites, stations and facilities.
6. Subcontract capture for surveyors and engineering firms. We fly it, you keep the client.

Industries We Serve

• Electric Utilities: Transmission and distribution corridors, substations and stations, with poles, wires and vegetation captured in the point cloud. Clients drop our point clouds into PLS-CADD all the time.
• Civil Engineers: Topo surfaces, contours, CAD-ready files and ground-classified point clouds for design.
• Land Developers: Fast feasibility topos on large tracts, due diligence, paired with boundary and ALTA surveys.

Utilities we work with: From a small municipal utility to a state-sized utility to a multi-state one: the City of Newberry, Santee Cooper, Dominion Energy and more.

Need a traditional ground topo instead, or as well? See our Topographic Surveys page.

For Surveyors & Engineering Firms

Have a client who needs drone LiDAR but no drone crew of your own? Bring us in as your subcontractor. We fly the site or corridor, deliver the data under your project, and you keep the client relationship. Licensed SC surveyors, days not weeks, and a quote within 24 hours. Call (803) 276-8719 or send us a KML.

Recent Drone LiDAR Work

Transmission corridor and station aerials for large utilities. We do a lot of drone LiDAR for Santee Cooper’s transmission department. One recent job: an approximately 8,300-linear-foot LiDAR corridor, plus station aerials. Read the case study

Greenville Pickens Speedway. When the track was being brought back to life, we donated a boundary survey and a LiDAR scan to help the revival get started. Watch the LiDAR flythrough below. Read the case study

How It Works

1. Send us your site. Email a KML or boundary file, or just a map with the area marked. Send it through our contact page or call (803) 276-8719.
2. Get your quote within 24 hours. Free estimates, always.
3. We fly it. Up to 1,000 acres in a day.
4. We process and check it. Classified point clouds, contours and surfaces, reviewed by licensed surveyors.
5. You get your data in days, not weeks. Typically 3–5 business days, depending on the product. LAS, LAZ, DWG or other popular formats.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a drone LiDAR survey take?

Days, not weeks: typical turnaround is 3-5 business days after the flight, depending on the product. We give you a firm date with your quote.

How many acres can a drone LiDAR survey cover in a day?

Abraham Land Surveying flies up to 1,000 acres in a single day, and long corridors work too.

What deliverables come from a drone LiDAR survey?

Classified point clouds (LAS or LAZ), CAD contours and surfaces (DWG), or both, plus aerial photos if needed. Data is in South Carolina State Plane coordinates and the NAVD88 vertical datum by default.

How accurate is drone LiDAR?

It depends on the site and what the data is for. As a licensed surveying firm, we tie the data to survey control, check it, and add ground survey where needed; if you need 1-foot contours, we’ve got you covered.

How do I get a drone LiDAR quote in South Carolina?

Send us a KML or boundary file (or a map with the area marked) through our contact page or call (803) 276-8719, and we’ll quote within 24 hours. Estimates are always free.

Can another surveying or engineering firm subcontract drone LiDAR to you?

Yes. We fly the site or corridor and deliver the data under your project, and you keep the client relationship. For projects that require it, we deploy compliant aircraft.

Got a site or corridor that needs LiDAR?

Tell us where it is and what you need. Send us your KML or boundary and we’ll quote within 24 hours. Estimates are always free.

Surveying All of South Carolina Since 1982.