Stockpile measurement from drone flights, in the browser
Fly the yard, upload the photos and measure every pile on a surface model built from your own flight. Draw the toe, choose a base plane, and read volume in cubic yards or cubic meters. On Team and above the same numbers come out as a stockpile report in PDF for the month-end close.
net volume
net volume
The month-end count
Stockpile volume without a walking survey
A walking GNSS survey of a busy yard takes hours, puts a person next to loaders and haul trucks, and still leaves gaps between the shots. A tape and an eyeball estimate is faster and wrong in a way nobody can audit.
A mapping flight captures the whole surface of every pile in minutes. The photogrammetric surface model has a height value for every cell on the ground, so volume is computed from the whole shape of the pile, not from a handful of points.
- Nobody walks the face of a pile
- Every pile on site is captured in the same flight
- The surface is saved, so a number can be checked again later
How the volume is computed
Drone volume measurement software with three base plane methods
Volume is the space between the stockpile surface and a base plane under it. The surface comes from the digital surface model (DSM) of your flight. The base plane is your choice, because the right one depends on how the pile sits on the ground.
- Lowest point: the base is a flat plane at the lowest elevation inside your toe line. Good for piles on a flat pad.
- Average of perimeter: the base is a flat plane at the mean elevation of the toe line. A common default for most yard piles.
- Custom elevation: you type the base elevation. Useful for bins, bunkers and piles against a known slab level.
Each measurement shows cut volume, fill volume, net volume, area, perimeter and maximum height. Values display in metric or US units, and the base plane method is printed next to every result so the next person reads the same number the same way.
Monthly inventory
A stockpile report your accountant can file
On Team and above each measured pile goes into a PDF stockpile report: a map of the site with the toe lines, a table of piles with name, material, volume and the base plane used, and the flight date. Run the same measurement on next month's flight and the report lines up pile for pile.
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A name for each pile and its material
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Cut, fill and net volume in cubic yards or cubic meters
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CSV export of the measurement table on every plan
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A view link for the site manager or the finance team, no seat needed
Getting a number you can defend
What controls the accuracy of a stockpile volume
Volume accuracy comes from the flight, not from the software alone. Ground sampling distance, overlap, lighting and control all feed into the surface model. As general guidance, a lower flight gives a finer GSD, generous overlap (often 75 to 80 percent front and 70 percent side) helps the matching on uniform material, and ground control points tie the surface to your site datum.
Where the toe line sits matters as much as the surface. Draw it on the orthomosaic at the break in slope, and keep the same method month to month. On Team and above you can add GCPs and checkpoints and get an accuracy report with the residuals at each checkpoint. Drone GCP setup and calculating stockpile volumes are covered in detail on the blog.
Try it on a real surface
Measure a stockpile in the demo
The demo loads a stockpile yard on a public elevation surface. Click around a pile, pick a base plane and read area, cut, fill and net volume, with a preview of the report layout. No account is needed.
Pricing
The plan that fits a stockpile program
Volume measurement is included on every plan, starting with Starter at $99 per month. PDF stockpile reports come with Team at $249 per month or $2,490 per year, with 15,000 processed images a month and 10 team seats. Operators with several yards who compare flights over time use Business at $599 per month, which adds the progress timeline and change detection.
Questions
Stockpile measurement FAQ
For a pile on a flat, hard pad, lowest point or average of perimeter give similar results. For a pile on uneven ground, average of perimeter is the usual choice. For a bin or a pile against a known slab, use a custom elevation. Keep the same method for the same pile from month to month.
Yes. Draw a toe line around each pile, name the material and every measurement is saved to the project and listed in the report.
Not always. For relative month-to-month tracking, consistent flights without control often work. When the numbers feed financial statements or a contract quantity, GCPs and checkpoints give you an accuracy report to back them.
Yes. On Team and above, cut and fill runs against a previous survey of the same site, so you see where material was added or removed. Business adds a progress timeline with change detection across every flight of the site.
Anyone you send a view link to, in any browser, without a seat. Team members with a seat can edit measurements.
Related pages
More on drone mapping for sites and yards
Put next month's stockpile count on a map
Upload one flight of your yard and measure every pile in the browser, with a report you can file.