Drones in construction: structure, roof, facade and site inspection

Who it is for

• Site managers, project managers, engineering firms and health and safety coordinators commissioning drone flights on French sites
• Property managers, asset owners, local authorities and infrastructure managers having roofs, facades and structures inspected in France
• Professional drone operators, French or foreign, working for the construction industry in France

What this guide does not do: This guide replaces neither remote pilot training, nor the advice of a site safety coordinator, nor legal advice · It does not repeat the general basics (categories, training, registration): those are covered in the complete 2026 guide

Contents of the complete guide

1. The site decision grid: which framework, which paperwork, which lead time (free extract below)
2. Urban sites: notification, perimeter and back-planning
3. Co-activity: prevention plan, PPSPS and site induction
4. Cranes, plant and site areas: flying in a moving environment
5. Bridges, railways, roads and networks
6. Thermography, cleaning and missions with special conditions
7. Data, deliverables and confidentiality
8. Model contract and brief
9. Insurance: what aviation liability does not cover in construction
10. Site checklists, frequent mistakes and worked cases

Included: 19 checklist items and 3 decision or reference tables.

Introduction

This edition is for anyone who flies, or has someone fly for them, a drone over a construction site, a roof, a facade or a civil engineering structure in France. In construction, a mission rarely fails because of aviation rules alone. It fails because of layers nobody coordinated: a notification filed too late, a site safety coordinator who discovers the drone on the morning of the flight, a crane swinging through the flight path, a "report" delivered as a folder of unsorted photos.

The common basics (categories, training, AlphaTango registration, penalties) are covered in the Complete guide to French drone regulations 2026; this edition deals only with the trade, with decision tables, models to copy (fields to fill in are in [brackets]) and checklists to print. French terms are kept where you will meet them on site or in paperwork, with an explanation.

This guide is up to date as of 30 September 2026. C-DRONE is neither the French civil aviation authority (DGAC) nor an official body, and it issues neither certified training nor authorisations: only official texts (Légifrance, the Géoportail restriction map, the AlphaTango portal) are authoritative. When in doubt, check the source before flying.

The site decision grid: which framework, which paperwork, which lead time

Before any quote, a construction mission is qualified with four questions. Where is the site (inside a built-up area or not, under a restricted zone on the Géoportail map)? Who will be under the drone (only people involved in the operation, or also passers-by, drivers, residents)? What must the drone do (look, measure, or spray something)? When must it fly (daytime, dawn, night)? The answers set the framework, and therefore the minimum lead time. The table covers the most frequent cases.

Two reading rules. The lead-time column is a planning minimum, not a promise: an objection from the préfecture or three windy days shift everything. And the framework is chosen for the whole mission: if a single pass requires approaching an open street, that pass sets the framework for the whole day.

Five questions to ask the operator before signing, which reveal in two minutes whether they know construction: under which framework will you fly on this exact site? Who files the préfecture notification, and when? Have you already written a PPSPS or taken part in a joint preliminary inspection? What report do you deliver, in which formats? Does your insurance cover damage to the inspected structure and errors in the report? An operator who answers all five precisely is rare, and worth the price.

Frequently asked questions

How do I receive the guide?

Right after payment you are redirected to the complete guide's page. Bookmark it, or print it to PDF (Ctrl+P or Cmd+P, “Save as PDF”). Stripe also emails you the receipt.

Do I get an invoice?

Yes: Stripe generates the invoice and emails it. You can enter your company name and VAT number at checkout.

Is the guide kept up to date?

Yes. The guide's page is updated when the rules change; your access stays valid and you always read the latest version.

Does this guide replace the official texts or a training course?

No. C-DRONE is neither the French civil aviation authority (DGAC) nor a training organisation: the guide explains and organises the paperwork, with links to the official sources, which alone are authoritative.

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