LiDAR, photogrammetry, traditional ground survey and hybrid workflows each solve different problems. The most expensive mistake in spatial capture is matching the wrong method to the deliverable. Answer six questions and we'll recommend the approach we'd actually use on your project — with the trade-offs called out honestly.
The wrong method costs weeks and re-flies. The right method delivers a single, validated capture that downstream design, earthworks and reporting can run on without question. Six questions, real engineering weighting, no email gate.
We run LiDAR because it's the right tool for most of the work we do. That doesn't make it the right tool for every project. Here's how we actually think about method selection on a scoping call.
Get a project quotePhotogrammetry can only model what its cameras can see. Any project requiring bare-earth surface under canopy needs LiDAR or a hybrid workflow — there is no photogrammetric workaround.
Engineering tolerances of ±20 mm push toward LiDAR or ground survey. Planning-grade visuals at ±150 mm open up photogrammetry as a cost-effective option.
Traditional ground survey is unbeatable on small lots and uneconomical on large corridors. Aerial methods invert that curve. The crossover is usually 5–10 ha for detail capture.
CAD/BIM design surfaces flow naturally from a classified LiDAR cloud. Photoreal orthomosaics flow naturally from photogrammetry. Most engineering projects want both — that's what hybrid is for.
Quick-reference accuracy, throughput and best-fit summary for each method. Use the decision tool above for a project-specific recommendation.
Vegetated sites · engineering DTMs · corridors · mining
Bare sites · visual context · open stockpiles · marketing
Small lots · set-out · cadastral · detail of services
Mixed deliverables · brownfield · master-planning