Drone building cleaning in Charleston, South Carolina
The buildings we quote most often in Charleston are office towers, hospitals and medical campuses, university and school campuses, hotels and resorts, condominium and HOA buildings and apartment communities. Charleston's office market totals about 6.1 million square feet, with 3.3 million of that Class A and 2.7 million in buildings between 100,000 and 500,000 square feet.
Tethered drones flown by FAA Part 107 pilots, water-fed poles and ground crews where flight is not the right tool, no scaffolding or boom lift, and a fixed price at our published national rate after a free site survey.
Documented project · Florida
Belmont Village, Coral Gables, FL
- 130,000+ sq ft of exterior cleaned
- 7 days start to finish
- Zero lifts, scaffolding or closures
- 2×/year asked back on a semi-annual schedule
Quick facts
- Coverage
- Charleston and Charleston County
- Season
- mid-March to early December
- Reach
- Up to 200 ft per staging position
- Insurance
- FAA Part 107 · $2M liability · $1M umbrella
Fully Insured
$2M liability · $1M umbrella
FAA Compliant
Part 107 Certified
Commercial Projects
Up to 200 ft by drone
Where we work in Charleston
Crews and equipment mobilize anywhere in the United States, with travel built into a fixed quote after a free site survey. The buildings we quote most often in Charleston are office towers, hospitals and medical campuses, university and school campuses, hotels and resorts, condominium and HOA buildings and apartment communities.
Downtown Charleston
The downtown Charleston office submarket holds about 928,500 square feet of space, roughly two thirds of it Class B stock in older buildings.
Medical District
The Medical University of South Carolina has grown into a 76 acre medical complex with more than 89 buildings on the peninsula.
College of Charleston campus
The College of Charleston occupies 80 acres of downtown with 156 buildings put up between 1770 and 2015, a mix of historic and modern exteriors.
Charleston Historic District
The Charleston Historic District covered about 770 acres when it was listed in 1966 and was designated a National Historic Landmark district in 1960.
Charleston building stock
Charleston had a population of 150,227 at the 2020 census and is the county seat of Charleston County.
Charleston's office market totals about 6.1 million square feet, with 3.3 million of that Class A and 2.7 million in buildings between 100,000 and 500,000 square feet.
The tallest structure in Charleston is a 255 foot church steeple, so the peninsula's commercial stock is mid-rise rather than tower, while the state's tallest office buildings stand in Columbia.
The Medical University of South Carolina complex covers 76 acres with more than 89 buildings, including the Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital with 250 pediatric beds.
A tethered drone reaches up to 200 ft, about 18 stories, from one staging position; taller towers are worked from podiums, setbacks or the roof. Height is a planning question at the survey, not a limit.
Climate, soiling and season in Charleston
Charleston has a humid subtropical climate with mild winters, hot humid summers and significant rainfall all year, and almost half the annual rain falls as thundershowers between June and September.
Water-based washing pauses in freezing weather; the freeze dates shown are averages and the survey confirms the window for your building. Recurring clients are booked at the start of the window.
Flying and washing in Charleston
These are the rules that shape a job here; we plan around them at the survey, not on site.
Controlled airspace here needs FAA authorization before launch; LAANC grants it in advance and it is filed as part of scheduling.
Class C airspace sits over Charleston around Charleston International Airport, and LAANC coverage is available at most controlled airports in South Carolina, so authorization is arranged before the flight.
Charleston's city code Chapter 22 Section 5 prohibits remote controlled aircraft in parks and playgrounds.
The Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission bars launching in all county park areas unless a permit is granted for a designated area, which covers James Island County Park and Folly Beach County Park.
Chapter 27 Section 27-40 of the Charleston city code prohibits illicit discharges and illegal connections to the city storm sewer system and makes it unlawful to convey anything except stormwater or other approved discharges into it.
The Charleston Public Service Department issues encroachment permits for placing a fixture in the public right of way or a city easement, and the construction work itself needs separate permits.
Flights stage from the client's own property with the owner's written consent; public parks and rights of way are not used as launch sites without a permit.
Rinse water is contained and recovered wherever the local storm-drain rule requires it, and the containment method is written into the proposal.
Any sidewalk or lane closure is permitted with the city before the job and its lead time is part of the schedule.
State-level drone law, licensing and the statewide season are on the South Carolina page. See also where drones need permits.
Pricing in Charleston
We publish our prices. The commercial rate of $0.12–$0.25 per square foot, fixed after a free site survey, is our published national rate, and every job in Charleston is a fixed price after a free site survey. Bigger jobs get lower rates: from 40,000 sq ft the quotable range is $0.12–$0.20 per square foot.
- 10,000 sq ft facade
- $1,200–$2,375
- 40,000 sq ft facade
- $4,800–$8,000
There is no minimum charge on any job, and a maintenance contract runs 20–30% below the one-off price per visit. The full model, with what moves the rate, is on how we price.
What to expect in Charleston: a documented project
Our two documented projects were delivered in Florida, where we operate as Vista Drone Cleaning; the first documented Charleston project will be published when it is delivered. Until then, the job below is the reference for scope, duration and price, with the same equipment, method, insurance and price sheet.
Reference project: Miramar Centre II
Workspace Property Trust · Miramar, FL, a four-story Class A office building in Miramar Centre Corporate Park. Delivered in Florida, where we operate as Vista Drone Cleaning.
A prospective tenant walkthrough was booked for Thursday and the job was only confirmed on Monday afternoon. Lifts and scaffolding could not clean the building in the time available, and nothing could block the entrances or take over the parking lot.
Before
After- 48 hours
- to complete the entire building
- ~29%
- below traditional pricing for the same scope
- Zero
- lifts or scaffolding on site
- Minimal
- disruption to tenants and daily operations
Drone facade, window, roof, solar and garage cleaning in Charleston
- Facade and building cleaningStucco, EIFS, brick, painted concrete and metal panel, cleaned from the air without lifts or scaffolding.
- Window cleaningPure-water drone glass cleaning for high-rise and commercial buildings, no swing stage.
- Roof cleaningSoft-wash for tile, metal, shingle and flat roofs with no foot traffic on the membrane.
- Solar panel cleaningPure-water rinse for rooftop and ground-mount arrays, priced per panel.
- Parking garage cleaningDecks, drive lanes, walls and stairwells at a flat per-square-foot rate.
Charleston questions
What does drone building cleaning cost in Charleston?
Commercial work is quoted per square foot, fixed after a free site survey. $0.12–$0.25 per sq ft is our published national rate, and bigger jobs get lower rates: a 10,000 sq ft facade runs $1,200–$2,375 and a 40,000 sq ft facade runs $4,800–$8,000. There is no minimum charge, and a maintenance contract runs 20–30% below the one-off price per visit.
Can you fly a cleaning drone in Charleston?
Controlled airspace here needs FAA authorization before launch; LAANC grants it in advance and it is filed as part of scheduling. Class C airspace sits over Charleston around Charleston International Airport, and LAANC coverage is available at most controlled airports in South Carolina, so authorization is arranged before the flight. Charleston's city code Chapter 22 Section 5 prohibits remote controlled aircraft in parks and playgrounds. The Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission bars launching in all county park areas unless a permit is granted for a designated area, which covers James Island County Park and Folly Beach County Park. Flights stage from the client's own property with the owner's written consent; public parks and rights of way are not used as launch sites without a permit.
Where does the wash water go, and do you need a permit in Charleston?
Chapter 27 Section 27-40 of the Charleston city code prohibits illicit discharges and illegal connections to the city storm sewer system and makes it unlawful to convey anything except stormwater or other approved discharges into it. The Charleston Public Service Department issues encroachment permits for placing a fixture in the public right of way or a city easement, and the construction work itself needs separate permits. Rinse water is contained and recovered wherever the local storm-drain rule requires it, and the containment method is written into the proposal. Any sidewalk or lane closure is permitted with the city before the job and its lead time is part of the schedule.
When is the washing season in Charleston?
Charleston has a humid subtropical climate with mild winters, hot humid summers and significant rainfall all year, and almost half the annual rain falls as thundershowers between June and September. Water-based washing pauses in freezing weather; the freeze dates shown are averages and the survey confirms the window for your building. The state page lists the average freeze dates.
Do you really serve Charleston, South Carolina?
Yes. Crews and equipment mobilize anywhere in the United States, with travel built into a fixed quote after a free site survey. In Florida we operate as Vista Drone Cleaning.
Have you completed a project in Charleston yet?
Not a documented one yet. Our reference projects are two jobs delivered in Florida: Belmont Village in Coral Gables, FL (130,000+ sq ft of exterior cleaned, 7 days start to finish, Zero lifts, scaffolding or closures, 2×/year asked back on a semi-annual schedule) and Miramar Centre II in Miramar, FL (48 hours to complete the entire building, ~29% below traditional pricing for the same scope, Zero lifts or scaffolding on site, Minimal disruption to tenants and daily operations). Work in Charleston uses the same equipment, method, insurance and price sheet, and the first documented Charleston project will be published here when it is delivered.
More general answers are on the national FAQ. See every state on the states directory.
More cities in South Carolina
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charleston,_South_Carolina
- https://www.commercialcafe.com/office/us/sc/charleston/downtown-charleston/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_University_of_South_Carolina
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/College_of_Charleston
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charleston_Historic_District
- https://www.commercialcafe.com/office/us/sc/charleston/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_South_Carolina
- https://rotatepilot.com/drone/where-to-fly/south-carolina
- https://pilotinstitute.com/drones/states/south-carolina/
- https://www.flyusi.org/guides/drone-laws/south-carolina
- https://www.charleston-sc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/123
- https://www.charleston-sc.gov/1959/Encroachments
Get a free site survey in Charleston
Tell us the property. We survey it for free and send a fixed price.