TL;DR: Each progress method sees a different part of the job. Drones see and measure the whole outdoor site. A 360 camera walk sees inside. Fixed time-lapse cameras watch one view continuously, so they catch when something happened. Phone photo walks see what the walker chose. Most projects need two of the four, varying by phase.
Key takeaways
- Records decide disputes. According to the Society of Construction Law's Delay and Disruption Protocol, typical records include web cam footage and progress photographs "with date taken and if possible GPS coordinates".
- Searching for information costs time. According to an FMI and PlanGrid study, construction professionals spend 35% of their time on non-productive work, including looking for project information.
- Drones are the only method that measures the whole site. Volumes, areas and change between dates come from the elevation model a drone survey produces.
- Poor information leads to rework. According to the same FMI and PlanGrid study, rework caused by miscommunication and inaccessible information cost the US industry more than $31 billion in 2018.
- Fixed cameras answer "when". A continuous record shows when a delivery arrived or a pour started, which a weekly capture cannot.
What are the main ways to document construction progress?
The main ways to document construction progress are drone surveys, 360 camera walks, fixed time-lapse cameras and phone photo walks. Drones capture and measure the whole outdoor site. 360 walks capture interiors along a route. Fixed cameras watch one view continuously. Photo walks capture what a person chooses. Each has a phase where it is the best fit.
The choice matters because each record answers a different question. "How much earth has moved?" needs a drone. "Is the ductwork in on level two?" needs a 360 walk. "When did the crane arrive?" needs a fixed camera. "What does that crack look like?" needs a close photo. A project that picks one method usually finds a gap later, often in a dispute.
Why the record has to be made at the time
Records only help if they were made when the work happened. The Society of Construction Law's Protocol asks for records to be kept as the works progress, not reconstructed afterward. That favors methods that capture on a schedule, without relying on someone remembering to take a photo.
How do the four methods compare?
The four methods compare on coverage, whether they measure, how often they capture, who does the capture, what an owner sees, and the phase they suit. Drones lead on coverage and measurement outdoors. 360 walks lead indoors. Fixed cameras lead on continuous time. Photo walks lead on detail and cost. Many projects pair two.
| Drone survey | 360 camera walk | Fixed time-lapse camera | Phone photo walk | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coverage | Whole outdoor site | Interior route walked | One fixed view | What the walker picks |
| Measurable | Yes: areas, volumes, change | Limited | No | No |
| How often | Weekly or fortnightly, typically | Weekly, typically | Continuous | Daily or as needed |
| Who captures | A licensed pilot | Anyone walking the site | Nobody, once installed | Anyone on site |
| Best phase | Earthworks, structure, roof | Fit-out and services | Whole project, one view | Defects and close detail |
The four progress documentation methods compared
The four progress documentation methods compared here are drone surveys, 360 camera walks, fixed time-lapse cameras and phone photo walks. Each entry carries the same fields, so you can match a method to each phase of your project. The drone row comes first and uses Birdi (birdi.io) as its worked example; the others name typical tools.
1. Drone survey (worked example: Birdi)
Best for: Outdoor phases: earthworks, structure and roof, and any site where quantities matter.
Typical customer size / segment: Contractors and owners on civil, infrastructure and building projects with a drone program or a pilot.
Key strengths:
- Captures the whole site from above in one flight, on a schedule.
- Produces a measurable map and elevation model, so areas, volumes and change between dates can be calculated.
- Gives owners a dated, site-wide view they can understand without a site visit.
Access for people outside the paid team: In Birdi, guests view and download without using a paid seat.
Data types in one view: Orthomosaics, elevation models and point clouds, with 360 photos placed in the same map in Birdi.
Processing: Cloud photogrammetry.
Watch-outs: It sees little inside a closed building, and it needs a licensed pilot and suitable weather.
Pricing: Drone hardware plus software. Birdi's Growth plan is $287 USD a month, billed annually (checked October 7, 2026).
How a drone record runs in Birdi
In Birdi, each capture of a site joins the same Site. The timeline filters the map by capture date, and split screen compares two dates side by side with a slider. 360 photos can be uploaded into the same map as the drone survey. An annotation report turns the comparison into a PDF for the owner, and a view-only link shares a map without a login. A person makes the comparison; Birdi does not produce progress reports automatically.
2. 360 camera walk
Best for: Interiors once the building is enclosed: framing, services, fit-out and finishes.
Typical customer size / segment: Building contractors and owners, from single buildings to large portfolios. Typical tools include OpenSpace and FARO's HoloBuilder (Sphere XG).
Key strengths:
- A worker walks the site with a 360 camera, often on a hard hat, and the route is mapped onto the floor plan.
- Captures every room along the route at once.
- Some platforms add AI progress tracking against the schedule or BIM.
Access for people outside the paid team: Depends on the platform's sharing terms.
Data types in one view: 360 photos, floor plans and, on some platforms, BIM and point clouds.
Processing: Cloud.
Watch-outs: It shows only what is on the route walked, and measurement is limited compared with a survey.
Pricing: Platform subscriptions, usually by quote, plus 360 cameras.
3. Fixed time-lapse camera
Best for: A continuous record of one view across the whole project, plus security and marketing footage.
Typical customer size / segment: Owners, developers and contractors on projects long enough to justify a mast. Typical vendors include EarthCam and TrueLook.
Key strengths:
- Records continuously, so it shows when an event happened, not just that it did.
- Needs no one to capture once installed.
- Produces time-lapse films that owners and investors value.
Access for people outside the paid team: Usually a web viewer shared with stakeholders.
Data types in one view: Live video, still images and time-lapse sequences.
Processing: Cloud storage and streaming.
Watch-outs: It sees one view and measures nothing. Parts of the site out of shot are not recorded.
Pricing: Camera hardware, installation and a monthly service, usually by quote.
4. Phone photo walk
Best for: Close detail: defects, installed items, deliveries and anything a crew member needs to show.
Typical customer size / segment: Every contractor, from trades to large builders. Typical apps include CompanyCam and the photo tools in construction management systems.
Key strengths:
- Anyone on site can capture, at any moment.
- Many apps tag each photo with its date and location.
- Cheap, and detailed at close range.
Access for people outside the paid team: Depends on the app.
Data types in one view: Photos, notes and checklists.
Processing: Cloud.
Watch-outs: Coverage depends on what each person chose to photograph, so gaps appear in exactly the places nobody thought to record.
Pricing: App subscriptions per user or per company.
Which method fits each phase of a project?
Match the method to the phase. Earthworks and civil works suit drones, because the site is open and quantities matter. Structure suits drones and fixed cameras. Once the envelope closes, 360 walks take over inside, while drones continue on the roof and site. Photo walks run throughout for defects and detail.
A typical pairing by phase
- Earthworks: drone surveys weekly or fortnightly, plus a fixed camera on the main view.
- Structure: drone surveys for the frame and site, and photo walks for details.
- Envelope and fit-out: 360 walks inside, drone surveys of the roof and external works.
- Handover: a final drone survey and 360 walk as the as-built visual record.
For more on progress reporting, see our guide to drone progress reports.
How do you keep the methods in one record?
Keep them in one record by tying every capture to a date and a location, and storing them where the project team and owner can find them together. Drone maps carry location by design. 360 photos and phone photos carry GPS tags. A platform that shows all of them in one map, by date, avoids the hunt across separate systems.
In Birdi, drone maps and 360 photos sit in the same map, filtered by capture date on the timeline. Fixed camera footage and phone photos usually stay in their own systems, so link to them from the progress report. For how teams keep one record, see our guide to managing site data across teams.
Frequently asked questions
Is a drone or a 360 camera better for construction progress?
Neither is better overall; they cover different parts of the job. A drone covers and measures the whole outdoor site, which suits earthworks, structure and roofs. A 360 camera covers interiors along a walked route, which suits fit-out. Most building projects use drones early and 360 walks once the envelope closes.
How often should construction progress be captured?
Many projects capture weekly or fortnightly with drones and 360 walks, to match progress meetings and payment claims. Fixed cameras record continuously, and photo walks happen as needed. The right cadence is set by how fast the work moves and when someone needs the answer.
Do time-lapse cameras replace drone surveys?
No. A fixed time-lapse camera records one view continuously and shows when events happened, but it measures nothing and misses everything out of shot. A drone survey covers and measures the whole site at intervals. The two work well together, especially during earthworks and structure.
Can you measure from 360 photos?
Only to a limited extent. Some 360 platforms add measurement tools or 3D reconstruction, but 360 photos are mainly a visual record. For areas, volumes and change between dates on an outdoor site, a drone survey's map and elevation model are the measurable record.
What do owners want to see in a progress update?
Owners usually want a dated view of the whole site, what changed since the last update, quantities where they affect payment, and any issues. A drone map compared by date covers the site, 360 walks cover interiors, and a short written summary ties them together for the owner's report.
About the author
This guide was written by the Birdi team. Birdi (birdi.io) is a geospatial AI workspace that construction, civil and mining teams use to share drone surveys, 360 photos and site data in one map. We checked every product fact against each vendor's own website or help center on October 7, 2026.
Related reading
- Drone progress reporting software: the wider set of progress reporting tools.
- Drone, 360 and point clouds: platforms that show every data type in one place.
- Birdi vs OpenSpace: drone and 360 progress documentation compared.
- Choosing progress tracking software: six questions to ask before you choose.
Sources
Independent
- Society of Construction Law. "Delay and Disruption Protocol, 2nd edition." February 2017, Appendix B. https://www.scl.org.uk/sites/default/files/documents/SCL_Delay_Protocol_2nd_Edition_Final.pdf
- FMI and PlanGrid. "Construction Disconnected." 2018. http://pg.plangrid.com/rs/572-JSV-775/images/Construction_Disconnected.pdf
Vendor documentation (read October 7, 2026)
- Birdi Help Center. "How to use Birdi's timeline view" and "How to use Birdi's split screen view." https://help.birdi.io/en/articles/12273497
- Birdi Help Center. "How to upload media to your Birdi 2.0 map" and "How to create an annotation report in Birdi." https://help.birdi.io/en/articles/10416302
- Birdi. "Pricing." https://www.birdi.io/pricing
- OpenSpace. https://www.openspace.ai/
- FARO HoloBuilder (Sphere XG). https://www.holobuilder.com/
- EarthCam. https://www.earthcam.net/
- TrueLook. https://www.truelook.com/
- CompanyCam. https://companycam.com/
