Advanced Terrain Mapping

Drone LiDAR Survey Ireland

Airborne LiDAR scanning that penetrates vegetation to map the ground beneath. Capture bare-earth terrain, canopy structures, and complex surfaces with ±2cm accuracy – even on densely overgrown sites where photogrammetry falls short.

Last updated: April 2026

Get a Free Quote Call 087 205 2331

Sub-canopy Mapping

±2cm Accuracy

EASA Certified

LIDAR ACTIVE

Drone LiDAR survey of power line corridor and vegetation clearance mapping, Ireland

What You Receive

Key Deliverables

Every LiDAR survey includes a comprehensive set of classified point cloud data and derived products, delivered in your preferred format. Every LiDAR survey delivers both a Digital Terrain Model (DTM) of the ground surface and a Digital Surface Model (DSM) of the top of vegetation — the difference between them is how we quantify canopy penetration. Laser scanning (LiDAR) typically produces a classified point cloud with 150–500+ points per square metre depending on flight height and sensor; point cloud density is configurable on brief.

Dense Point Clouds

Multi-return LiDAR point clouds with densities exceeding 300 points per square metre for detailed terrain analysis.

Bare-Earth DTMs

Vegetation-stripped digital terrain models revealing the true ground surface beneath canopy and undergrowth.

Canopy Height Models

Precise vegetation height mapping derived from the difference between first-return and bare-earth surfaces.

Cross-Section Profiles

Longitudinal and transverse cross-sections extracted at any interval along your specified alignments or corridors.

Classified Point Data

Fully classified point clouds separating ground, vegetation, buildings, and structures per ASPRS standards.

Contour Maps

LiDAR-derived contour lines at your chosen interval, far more accurate than photogrammetry under canopy cover.

61 million point cloud – high-density LiDAR scan showing terrain, vegetation, and structures

Drone LiDAR point cloud heights survey Ireland

Height-colourised point cloud – elevation variation clearly mapped across the survey area

Drone LiDAR CAD triangulation mesh survey Ireland

CAD contour extraction – 0.25m interval contours derived from LiDAR bare-earth DTM

1. The Sensor: DJI Zenmuse L2

The L2 fires 1.2 million laser pulses per second at the ground. Each pulse can record up to 5 returns. A single pulse can hit a tree canopy, pass through a gap, clip a branch, and finally hit the ground. One pulse, five data points at different heights. That is how LiDAR sees through vegetation. The L2 also carries an integrated RGB camera, giving you a colourised point cloud.

2. Flight Planning for LiDAR

LiDAR flights are planned differently to photogrammetry. We fly lower – typically 50–80m AGL – because point density drops with altitude. Flight lines are tighter, with 30–40% sidelap rather than the 65% used for photo overlap. The IMU inside the L2 needs a proper initialisation flight pattern – a figure-of-eight at the start and end of each sortie. Skip that and your accuracy degrades.

3. Processing & Classification

Raw LiDAR data is millions of points with no labels. We run the data through DJI Terra for trajectory correction, then CloudCompare and LAStools for classification. Every point is labelled: ground, low vegetation, high vegetation, buildings, noise, power lines. The ground classification is the critical one – get it wrong and your DTM will have phantom hills where trees used to be.

4. Multiple Returns – Why They Matter

First return = the top of whatever the laser hit first (usually canopy). Last return = the lowest surface reached (usually ground). The returns in between tell you about vegetation structure. Penetration rate depends on density and time of year. A deciduous woodland in January might give 80% ground penetration. The same site in July might drop to 30–40%. We always advise on optimal timing.

	Drone LiDAR	Photogrammetry
Vertical accuracy	±3–5cm	±5cm
Vegetation penetration	Yes – sees through canopy	No – surface only
Orthomosaic output	Basic (from integrated camera)	High-resolution
Processing time	Faster – direct measurement	Slower – heavy computation
Cost (10-hectare site)	Higher – specialist sensor	Lower – camera-based
Best for	Forestry, flood risk, archaeology	Construction, planning, monitoring

The simple rule: if the ground is visible from the air, photogrammetry is cheaper with better visual outputs. If the ground is hidden under vegetation, LiDAR is the only way. For complex sites we fly the L2 and get both in a single flight.

Forestry & Timber

Coillte and private forestry managers use drone LiDAR for canopy height models, individual tree detection, and timber volume estimation. A single flight covers a 50-hectare plantation, providing height, crown spread, and density data that feeds directly into forest inventory systems. In a recent project across 140 hectares of private forestry in Co. Wicklow, we completed the survey in a single day and delivered a fully classified point cloud and canopy height model within 48 hours.

Flood Risk & Hydraulic Modelling

The OPW flood mapping programme relies on accurate bare-earth DTMs for hydraulic modelling. LiDAR is the only way to generate these in vegetated floodplains. Our classified ground models feed into HEC-RAS and MIKE FLOOD models for site-specific flood risk assessments.

Archaeology

Ringforts, field systems, and enclosures hidden under grass, scrub, or woodland show up clearly in a bare-earth LiDAR model. We have worked on sites where photogrammetry showed a flat field and LiDAR revealed a complete medieval settlement pattern underneath.

Power Line & Utility Corridors

LiDAR surveys of power line corridors measure exact clearance between conductors and surrounding vegetation. We classify the point cloud to isolate power line and vegetation points separately, then run clearance analysis to identify encroachment.

LiDAR is worth it when:

The site is overgrown or forested – LiDAR pulses penetrate canopy, photogrammetry cannot
Flood risk assessment for OPW submissions – bare-earth DTMs under vegetation are essential
Archaeological survey under vegetation – subtle earthworks become visible in classified point clouds
Power line and utility corridor mapping – captures wire positions and vegetation encroachment
You need ground data under dense cover – forestry inventory, woodland management plans

LiDAR is NOT worth it when:

The site is open ground – photogrammetry gives the same accuracy at lower cost
The site is small – under 2 acres of open ground, mobilisation cost is hard to justify
You only need visual imagery – LiDAR produces point clouds, not photographs
Budget is tight and the ground is visible – photogrammetry is roughly 40–50% cheaper per acre

“The LiDAR survey through dense woodland gave us bare-earth terrain data we simply could not have obtained any other way. Outstanding technical capability.”

Aoife Brennan

Senior Planner, Limerick City & County Council

Drone LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) uses a laser scanner mounted on a drone to measure distances to the ground and objects below. It emits thousands of laser pulses per second and records their returns, creating a highly detailed 3D point cloud of the terrain and any features on it.

Photogrammetry uses overlapping photographs to create 3D models and works best on open, visible terrain. LiDAR uses laser pulses that can penetrate gaps in vegetation and tree canopy to reach the ground below. This makes LiDAR essential for wooded sites, overgrown land, and areas where the ground surface is obscured.

Yes. LiDAR laser pulses find gaps between leaves and branches, with multiple returns captured from different layers. Even in dense coniferous forest, a proportion of pulses reach the ground, allowing us to generate accurate bare-earth terrain models. Deciduous forests are best surveyed in winter when leaf cover is minimal.

Our drone LiDAR surveys achieve ±2cm vertical accuracy on hard surfaces and ±5cm in vegetated areas. This is achieved through RTK/PPK GNSS positioning, IMU calibration, and ground control validation. These accuracies meet the requirements of engineering design and environmental assessment projects.

Drone LiDAR surveys in Ireland typically start from €950 for smaller sites, rising to €2,500–€4,000+ for large-area corridor or forestry projects with full classified deliverables. LiDAR costs more than photogrammetry, but is significantly cheaper than terrestrial survey methods on vegetated sites. Contact us with your site boundary for a no-obligation fixed-price quote.

We deliver point clouds in LAS/LAZ format, DTMs and DSMs as GeoTIFF rasters, contour maps in DXF/DWG and Shapefile formats, and cross-sections in DXF/CSV. All data is provided in your preferred coordinate system (ITM, Irish Grid, or any EPSG code).

Drone LiDAR Survey Ireland

Key Deliverables

Dense Point Clouds

Bare-Earth DTMs

Canopy Height Models

Cross-Section Profiles

Classified Point Data

Contour Maps

LiDAR Survey Outputs

Need to Map ThroughDense Vegetation?

How LiDAR Capture Actually Works

1. The Sensor: DJI Zenmuse L2

2. Flight Planning for LiDAR

3. Processing & Classification

4. Multiple Returns – Why They Matter

LiDAR vs Photogrammetry – When to Use Which

Typical LiDAR Projects in Ireland

Forestry & Timber

Flood Risk & Hydraulic Modelling

Archaeology

Power Line & Utility Corridors

When LiDAR Is Worth the Investment

LiDAR is worth it when:

LiDAR is NOT worth it when:

What LiDAR Data Looks Like

Who Uses Drone LiDAR?

Forestry Management

Flood Risk Assessment

Environmental Surveys

Archaeological Sites

Corridor Mapping

Powerline Surveys

Mine & Quarry Surveys

Road & Rail Design

Floodplain & Flood Risk Surveys

Woodland & Canopy Surveys

Trusted by Planners & Infrastructure Teams

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Resources

Get a Quote forThis Service

Further reading from our Knowledge Hub

Ready to Get Started?

Need to Map Through
Dense Vegetation?

Get a Quote for
This Service