The short answer
Drone and aviation insurance usually combines liability, which responds if the aircraft injures someone or damages property, with hull cover for damage to the aircraft itself. Cover for equipment such as cameras and sensors, and for professional use, can be added. Rules for flying and for insurance differ by country and by type of operation, so a licensed broker confirms what applies to you.
- Commercial drone operators doing inspection, mapping, photography or agriculture work
- Hobbyists with an expensive drone or camera payload
- Owners of small private aircraft or part-owners in a flying group
- Flying clubs, instructors and small operators
- Businesses that hire contract pilots and want to understand their own exposure
No broker in the network handles this yet. You can still prepare and save the request now. It is kept, and requests like it show us which brokers to find next.
Outside Alberta, Canada you can prepare and save a request today; sending opens place by place. Brokers answer with their own quotes. Broker.insure does not quote, advise or take commission.
01 / What it covers
The parts worth understanding
Liability
Pays for claims if the aircraft injures someone or damages property on the ground or in the air. Clients, venues and landowners often ask for proof of it before allowing an operation.
Hull or aircraft damage
Repairs or replacement of the aircraft after a covered loss such as a crash or fire. Whether it applies in flight, on the ground or both is set out in the wording.
Payload and equipment
The camera, thermal imager, sensor or other equipment carried, which can be worth more than the airframe. It is often a separate item with its own limit.
Use of the aircraft
The policy is built around stated uses such as recreation, inspection or instruction. Using the aircraft for something not listed can leave a claim in doubt.
Pilot qualifications
Insurers frequently set conditions about who may fly, including licences, certificates or experience. Letting an unqualified friend fly is a classic cause of a declined claim.
Territory and restricted airspace
Where the aircraft may be flown under the policy. Rules about controlled or restricted airspace are set by authorities, and an operation that breaks them may not be covered.
02 / Get ready
Bring this, and expect these questions
Gather
- Make, model, serial number and approximate value of each aircraft
- A description of any camera, sensor or other payload and its value
- Intended uses: recreation, commercial work, training or other
- Pilot details: certificates, licences, hours flown and any prior incidents
- Where you fly and keep the aircraft, including any hangar or storage arrangements
- Any permissions, certificates or operating approvals the work needs, as confirmed with the authorities
- Client contracts that set out insurance requirements and any additional insured wording
- Number of flights or hours expected each year
- Past losses and the maintenance history of the aircraft
A broker will ask
- What aircraft do you operate, and what are they worth along with their payloads?
- Is the flying for fun, for clients or for your own business, and what are the tasks?
- Who will be flying, and what certificates and experience do they have?
- Where will the aircraft be flown, and will it be near people, buildings or airports?
- Do you operate at night, beyond line of sight or in other special conditions?
- Do clients, landowners or venues need to be named on your policy?
- Have you had a crash, a near miss or a claim with this or an earlier aircraft?
- How is the aircraft stored and transported?
Not sure of an answer? Leave it. "Not known yet" is a fine answer, and a broker will help you fill it in.
03 / Build your request
Answer a few questions. Get your own list.
Pick what fits. Your answers shape the list beside them, and they are saved to your request as plain facts a broker can read. "Not sure yet" is always a fine answer.
04 / Three situations
See which one sounds like yours
A roof inspector adding a drone to the business
A home inspector has bought a drone to look at roofs without climbing. A client has asked whether the inspector carries cover for flights and the inspector's general policy does not mention aircraft.
First steps. Ask the current insurer in writing whether drones are excluded, then bring the aircraft details, pilot certificate and a description of the work to a broker. Confirm what operating rules apply to your flights with the authorities, since the broker will ask about compliance.
A wedding videographer with an expensive camera drone
The aircraft carries a high-end camera and flies over outdoor ceremonies with guests nearby. A venue has asked for a certificate naming it as an additional insured before it will allow flights.
First steps. Send the broker the venue's exact request, the equipment list and a description of how close flights come to people. Ask how the camera is covered if it is lost or damaged in the air and whether the policy applies at venues abroad.
Three friends co-owning a light aircraft
A partnership has owned a small plane for two years with one insurer. Now one partner wants to add a pilot who recently qualified, and another plans a cross-border trip.
First steps. Provide each pilot's licence, hours and recent experience, and describe the proposed trip to the broker before it happens. Ask how a new pilot affects the terms and whether territory or hangar rules in another country change anything.
05 / Words you will hear
The jargon, in plain words
- Remotely piloted aircraft
- An aircraft flown by a person on the ground using a controller. Most commercial drones fall in this class, which brings its own pilot and operating rules.
- Payload
- The equipment an aircraft carries, such as a camera or thermal imager. It can be worth more than the airframe and is often insured as a separate item.
- Pilot warranty
- A policy condition naming who may fly the aircraft and what certificate they must hold. A flight outside it can leave a claim unpaid.
- Third-party liability
- Cover for harm the aircraft causes to others, such as injured bystanders or damaged vehicles. Clients often ask to see it before letting flights happen.
- Special flight operations certificate
- Permission from the regulator for flights that fall outside the standard rules. Insurers want to see it and the conditions attached before covering such flights.
06 / Common mistakes
What trips people up
- Assuming a home or business policy covers aircraft, when many exclude them outright.
- Letting someone else fly without checking whether the policy allows them.
- Forgetting to insure the payload, which can be the most valuable part.
- Using a recreational policy for paid work, which can void a claim.
- Ignoring local flying rules and restrictions, which can affect both safety and insurance.
- Not telling the insurer about a change of use, a new pilot or a new location.
Ready when you are
Turn this into one clear request.
Save it, add what you know, and choose when to send it. A licensed broker who handles drone and aviation insurance takes it from there.
07 / Questions people ask
Straight answers
Do I need insurance for my drone?
Rules vary by country, by the weight and type of the aircraft and by how it is used, and they change over time. Even where it is not strictly required, clients and venues often ask for it, and a household policy may exclude aircraft. A licensed broker can confirm what is required and what is sensible for your flying.
Does home insurance cover a drone?
Often only partly, or not at all. Many home policies exclude aircraft or limit what they pay, especially for liability when the drone is flying, and few cover business use. Check the wording or ask your insurer in writing, then tell your broker what is left uncovered.
What is the difference between drone liability and hull insurance?
Liability responds when the aircraft causes injury or property damage to others, and it is the part most often required. Hull cover pays for damage to the drone itself. Many operators have both, plus a separate item for expensive cameras and sensors, each with its own limits and conditions.
Can I get insurance for commercial drone work?
Yes, specialist insurers write it, usually based on the use, the pilot's qualifications and the places you fly. You will be asked about the type of work, your operating permissions where they apply and your clients' requirements. A broker with aviation experience can explain what to prepare and how to present your operation.
Is aircraft insurance different from drone insurance?
The concepts overlap: liability, hull and conditions on the pilot and the use. But aircraft are typically valued, inspected and underwritten with greater attention to licences, maintenance and flight hours, and international rules also apply. Because of this, a broker who handles general aviation is the better contact for a crewed aircraft.
General information, not insurance advice. Broker.insure is a directory and request service: it is not an insurer and does not quote, bind or advise. Policy terms, availability and what is required where you live depend on your situation and on licensed professionals. Updated 2026-10-31.