Drone photo and video — and where it's actually allowed

The DC airspace situation, plainly

The DC Special Flight Rules Area is measured from Reagan National Airport, not from the District boundary. It is split into a 15-mile inner ring — the Flight Restricted Zone — and a 30-mile outer ring. Inside the FRZ, drone flight is prohibited without specific FAA authorization, which in practice means no drone at all. In the outer ring, Part 107 work requires SFRA-specific authorization on top of standard LAANC.

That is why we never promise aerials before checking the address. Every property is verified in B4UFLY before the shoot, and if we cannot fly, the drone portion is not charged.

Drone availability by market

• •Washington DC — inside the FRZ, no flight
• •Arlington — the entire county is inside the FRZ, no flight
• •Alexandria — effectively all FRZ, no flight
• •McLean — FRZ, no flight
• •Falls Church — FRZ, no flight
• •Hyattsville — FRZ, no flight
• •Bethesda — split; the inner edge is in the FRZ, checked by address
• •Chevy Chase — split; checked by address
• •Silver Spring — split; checked by address
• •Rockville — outer SFRA, flight with authorization
• •Potomac — outer SFRA, flight with authorization
• •Vienna — outer SFRA, flight with authorization
• •Fairfax — outer SFRA, flight with authorization

What we shoot when we can't fly

In FRZ markets we cover the same selling points from the ground: elevated exterior angles, full-facade wide shots, block and streetscape context, outdoor living space, and — where the building allows — rooftop or upper-floor views. Rowhouse and condo listings in DC and Alexandria rarely need an aerial to sell; they need the interior and the street to read well.

When drone is worth it

• •Large lots, acreage and irregular parcels in Potomac, Fairfax and Rockville
• •Waterfront, park-adjacent or golf-adjacent homes
• •Properties where the roof, driveway or outbuildings are part of the story
• •New construction where the surrounding development matters