Each week, I get a report that quietly captures something pretty extraordinary: how far we’ve come in integrating drone technology into the construction process. It’s not just about flight logs or video counts, it’s about technology changing the building process. 

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Just last week, our drone team logged:

• 71 active job sites nationwide
• 48 with UAV operations in place
• 43 required missions
• 46 drone videos captured for site progress, client reviews, and internal planning

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This kind of consistency is possible because we’ve invested in drone technology from the beginning. Back in 2014, we were among the first companies in the U.S. to receive a Section 333 Exemption from the FAA, allowing UAV use on construction sites, something that was unheard of at the time. 

As the rules evolved, so did we. We secured Part 107 waivers, adapted our workflows, and earlier this year, we were proud to be one of the first companies nationally to receive a Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) waiver from the FAA.

This waiver now allows us to fly autonomous missions across large job sites without requiring a direct line of sight—making our operations more efficient, more scalable, and ultimately, safer.

But all of that history only matters because of what it allows us to do today. When 40+ flights a week generate up-to-date visuals across dozens of jobs, we’re not just collecting footage—we’re empowering teams to make faster, better-informed decisions.

At Clayco, drones have gone from experimental to essential. And based on what I’m seeing each week, the view from above just keeps getting sharper.