Before hiring a drone cleaning company, confirm the pilot holds an FAA Part 107 certificate, ask for proof of insurance, and ask how long the company has been flying cleaning drones. Then ask to see a completed building like yours, which cleaning method they will use on your surface, and how the crew will work around your operations. A company that answers all six with specifics has done this before.
Six questions worth asking
Is your pilot FAA Part 107 certified?
Commercial drone work in the United States requires the pilot to hold an FAA Remote Pilot Certificate under Part 107. It is a quick thing to ask for, and a company that hesitates has answered the question.
Are you insured for this work?
Ask for a certificate of insurance before anyone flies near your building. A drone, a pressurized hose and a facade full of glass is not a job to take on trust.
How long have you been flying cleaning drones?
Holding a drone steady against a tall facade in wind, while a crew manages the hose below, takes practice. Ask for years of experience and the kinds of buildings cleaned.
Can you show me a building like mine?
Look for case studies with real numbers: building height, how long the job took and how many people were on site. Photos alone do not tell you how the job went.
Which method will you use on my surface?
High pressure suits concrete and masonry. EIFS, painted surfaces and historic brick need a low-pressure softwash. The wrong choice can damage a building, so the answer should name your surface. Our guide to pressure washing vs. softwashing explains the difference.
How will you work around my operations?
Ask what hours the crew will work, who is on the ground, and what happens when staff or the public need the space. A good crew includes visual observers and plans its flights around your building's schedule.
Red flags and good signs
Red Flags
- Vague about certification or insurance
- No finished projects to show, only drone footage
- One cleaning method for every surface
- No plan for people and traffic below
- A price with no scope, timeline or crew size
Good Signs
- Certificate and insurance offered without being asked twice
- Case studies with heights, timelines and crew sizes
- Method matched to your building's surface
- A named crew: pilot, observers and pump operator
- A written quote covering scope, schedule and work hours
How Godwin Facility Services answers them
We are FAA Part 107 certified and fully insured, and we have been flying cleaning drones since 2021 as one of the first Lucid Bots customers. Our published case studies cover a 16-story casino hotel tower cleaned in six working days and a 162-foot working sugar refinery cleaned in about two weeks without a shutdown. We softwash and pressure wash, and choose between them by surface. We are based in Mississippi, work across the Southeast, and travel nationwide by request.
Hiring questions
Does a drone cleaning company need an FAA license?
Yes. Commercial drone work in the United States requires the pilot to hold an FAA Remote Pilot Certificate under Part 107. Ask to see it before any drone flies near your building.
What should a drone cleaning quote include?
A clear scope of the surfaces to be cleaned, the method for each surface, the expected timeline, the size of the crew, and the hours the crew will work so the job fits around your operations.
How much experience should a drone cleaning company have?
Look for a company that can show completed buildings similar to yours, with real numbers such as height, timeline and crew size. Flying a cleaning drone near a tall facade in wind, while managing a hose, takes practice that a newly purchased drone does not provide.