Drone spraying cost in Washington
Researched per-acre rates for agricultural drone spraying in Washington — estimate your job, see the crop-by-crop breakdown, and compare operators.
Estimated cost in Washington
$2,240–$3,520
$14–$22/acre × 160 acres
What’s driving this
- Washington base rate
- $14–$22/acre (row crop)
- Gallons per acre
- 2 GPA → ×1.00
Application only — product & chemical extra.
Sources & how this is estimated
Estimate only — actual rates vary by field size, terrain, and product. Application only; product/chemical extra. Data as of 2025.
Sources: US Ag Drone Directory — Washington operators (PNW Ag Drone orchards $18-28/ac; Austin Drone Solutions all crops/pasture $15-30/ac); US Ag Drone Directory pricing — Pacific Northwest (WA/OR/ID) $14-20/ac band; Ag Drones Northwest — WA/OR drone spraying (steep Walla Walla vineyard work)
Drone spraying cost by crop in Washington
| Crop | Typical cost ($/acre) | Grown in WA (acres) |
|---|---|---|
| Wheat | $14–$22 | 2,375,158 |
| Alfalfa & Hay | $14–$22 | 379,831 |
| Potatoes | $18–$32 | 186,875 |
| Apples | $18–$32 | 171,373 |
| Canola | $14–$21 | 121,394 |
| Corn | $14–$22 | 103,272 |
| Chickpeas | $13–$21 | 93,109 |
| Field Peas | $13–$21 | 80,207 |
| Vineyards | $17–$31 | 69,409 |
| Barley | $14–$22 | 62,399 |
| Lentils | $13–$21 | 44,333 |
| Hops | $18–$32 | 43,079 |
Cost is application only; product/chemical extra — estimates, so request quotes for exact pricing. Acreage is USDA Census of Agriculture 2022 (harvested acres, or bearing acres for tree/vine/berry crops).
What’s grown in Washington
The crops that cover the most ground in Washington, by acreage — every one is a candidate for aerial spraying. Share is of the state’s tracked-crop acreage in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture.
Source: USDA NASS Census of Agriculture 2022 — acres harvested (field crops) and acres bearing (tree, vine & berry crops). Broad categories like pasture and mixed specialty crops aren’t charted here.
What drives the price in Washington
Per-acre rates move with the crop (dense orchard and vineyard canopies cost more than open row crops), the carrier volume (more gallons per acre means more refills and fewer acres per hour), the number of passes, field size and terrain, and whether a restricted-use pesticide is applied (which adds a certified-applicator and recordkeeping surcharge).Washington’s base rate also reflects local regulation, labor, and field geometry.
Sources & confidence
Washington estimate · medium confidence · data as of 2025 — Two Washington operators post explicit per-acre rates: PNW Ag Drone at $18-28/ac for apple/cherry orchards and Austin Drone Solutions at $15-30/ac across most crops and pasture. Row-crop band ($14-22) sits at the low end of those quotes plus the PNW $14-20 directory band (wheat, hops); specialty band ($18-32) reflects high-density apple/cherry/hop and steep-block vineyard work (6-12 passes/season). Confidence medium (multiple in-state operator cards triangulate within ~25%; no WSU custom-rate survey isolating drone/aerial). costIndex 1.32 — PNW premium over Iowa, below California.
30 drone-spraying operators serve Washington. Compare them and request free quotes.
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Drone spraying cost in Washington: FAQs
- How much does drone spraying cost in Washington?
- In Washington, drone spraying runs about $14–$22 per acre for row crops and $18–$32 per acre for orchards, vineyards, and specialty crops (application only, product extra), about 36% above the national median. Field size, carrier volume (gallons per acre), passes, and product all move the number — request quotes for an exact figure.
- Why does drone spraying cost above in Washington?
- Per-acre rates vary by state with regulatory load (permitting, buffer zones, applicator licensing), labor and fuel costs, field size and geometry, and crop mix. Washington's rate reflects those local factors versus the national median.
- Does a restricted-use pesticide cost more to apply in Washington?
- Usually a little. Restricted-use products require a certified applicator, extra recordkeeping and notification, and stricter buffers — a modest per-acre surcharge (often a couple of dollars an acre) on top of the base rate.
- How does gallons per acre change the price?
- Higher carrier volume (more gallons per acre) means more refills and fewer acres per hour, so per-acre cost rises with GPA. Low-volume row-crop jobs (~2 GPA) are cheapest; California and specialty orchard/vineyard work at 5–10 GPA costs more. This is where the technology has moved fastest, though — today's flagship tanks hold roughly 26 gallons, about five times the 2020 models, so drones now cover higher-GPA work far more efficiently than they used to.