Cooper Aerial Surveys

What Cooper Aerial Surveys does

Cooper Aerial Surveys Co. is a privately held aerial mapping and geospatial services firm headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, founded in 1970 and self-described as the largest aerial-mapping-dedicated firm in the U.S. Southwest. The company delivers professional photogrammetric mapping and imagery services to governmental, engineering, and developmental organizations across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, operating in verticals including municipal government, oil & gas, waste management, transportation, mining, renewable energy, facilities management, airport maintenance, and flood analysis.

The technical platform integrates aerial photogrammetry with airborne GPS/IMU, aerial LiDAR remote sensing, UAV/drone data collection, terrestrial/mobile 3D laser scanning, and GIS analysis. In-house LiDAR acquisition and processing is combined with photogrammetric software to produce 3D point clouds fused with imagery. Core product offerings include Aerial Mapping Services, Aerial LiDAR Services, UAV/Drone Services, GIS Services, Orthophotography, 3D Scanning Services, Conventional & Aerial Survey Services, and Printing & Plotting. Deliverables span DTM, DEM, DSM, TIN, LAS point clouds, and planimetric features, produced in downstream formats including AutoCAD, Civil 3D, Microstation, ESRI Geodatabase, PLS-CADD, ReCap, and Revit.

The firm operates a project-based professional services model with custom, quote-based pricing tied to project scope, acreage, contour intervals, GSD resolution, deliverable format, and geographic coverage. Revenue comes from both one-off mapping projects and multi-year on-call contracts, exemplified by the Republic Services national landfill mapping relationship ongoing since 2015 and similar multi-site engagements for R360 and GFL. Distribution is direct enterprise sales to government agencies, engineering firms, energy and utility operators, and mining developers, with no reseller or distributor channels. The firm maintains FAA airspace coordination as a core capability for airport-related work.

Name

Cooper Aerial Surveys

Legal name

Cooper Aerial Surveys Co.

Website

https://site.cooperaerial.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cooper Aerial Surveys is a privately held aerial photogrammetry and LiDAR mapping firm, founded 1970 and based in Phoenix, AZ, serving governmental, engineering, and developmental organizations across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aerial Surveying and Geospatial Services

NAICS

Surveying and Mapping (except Geophysical) Services (54137)

akta.pro primary industry

Aerial Surveying & Crop Scouting (Imaging, Mapping, Stand Counts) (AFACAIAJ)

Keywords

• Aerial photogrammetry services
• LiDAR mapping solutions
• UAV drone surveying
• Orthophotography and GIS
• Topographic land surveying

Headquarters

HQ city

Azusa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Aerial Mapping and Survey Services: Project-based professional services providing aerial mapping, LiDAR, photogrammetry, orthophotography, land surveying, and geospatial services to government, engineering, and developmental organizations throughout the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
2. On-Call Contract Services: Multi-year on-call contracts providing recurring mapping services for national accounts across multiple sites, such as the Republic Services landfill mapping contract ongoing since 2015.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Cooper Aerial Surveys provides professional aerial mapping, photogrammetry, LiDAR, UAV/drone, GIS, orthophotography, 3D laser scanning, and conventional land surveying services to governmental, engineering, and development organizations. Projects are delivered as topographic and planimetric maps, orthorectified imagery, DTM/DEM/DSM/TIN terrain models, and point cloud data in AutoCAD, Civil 3D, Microstation, ESRI, LAS, DWG, and Revit formats across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

Product overview

Cooper Aerial Surveys offers a comprehensive aerial mapping and geospatial services platform serving multiple industries including oil & gas, waste management, transportation, mining, renewable energy, facilities maintenance, energy, flood analysis, airport maintenance, and municipal/government sectors. The core platform consists of Aerial Mapping Services with photogrammetry integrated with GPS/IMU, supported by complementary modules including Aerial LiDAR Services for 3D terrain modeling, UAV/DRONES for agile data collection, GIS Services for geographic analysis, Orthophotography for rectified aerial imagery, and Conventional & Aerial Survey Services for boundary and topographic surveying. The platform produces Digital Terrain Models (DTM), Digital Elevation Models (DEM), Digital Surface Models (DSM), and Triangulated Irregular Network (TIN) as structured data outputs. Additional services include 3D Scanning Services, Printing & Plotting, and remote FTP delivery for data distribution. The company operates in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, positioning itself as the largest aerial mapping firm in the Southwest with over 50 years of experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aerial Mapping Services High-quality photogrammetric mapping integrated with airborne GPS and inertial measurement units (IMU), enabling contour and planimetric data visualization in stereo format with digital imagery as the base map for government, engineering, and development clients.
• Aerial LiDAR Services Remote sensing service using laser pulses to measure distances and generate high-resolution 3D topographic surface information, with the ability to penetrate vegetation; acquired, processed, and validated in-house and integrated with photogrammetric workflows for government, engineering, and energy clients.
• UAV/Drone Survey Services UAV-based data collection operated by FAA-certified pilots using a fleet of multi-rotor and fixed-wing drones with various sensors and GPS technology, supporting stock pile volumes, site inspections, 3D site modeling, agriculture, traffic studies, construction progress, and accident inspections.
• GIS Services Geographic information systems service for gathering, managing, and analyzing geographical data to produce maps and 3D scenes, supporting industries including transportation, municipal, federal, industrial, commercial, residential, environmental, and oil and gas.
• Orthophotography Aerial photography combined with geometric map qualities, with distortions from lens and camera tilt removed, enabling measurement of distance, calculation of area and directions, and determination of feature shapes and GPS coordinates.
• 3D Scanning Services Terrestrial, mobile, and aerial 3D laser scanning service collecting data processed for BIM, CAD, and other modeling software packages, with deliverables in formats including 2D DWG, AutoCAD Overlay, CADWorx, SolidWorks, Navisworks, ReCap, 3D Mesh Model, AutoCAD Plant 3D, Autodesk Revit, Civil 3D, and raw point clouds.
• Conventional & Aerial Survey Services Boundary and topographic surveying services including ALTA/NSPS Land Title surveys, lot combinations, results of survey, topographic surveys, ground control, legal descriptions, lot splits, right-of-way, research, final plats, preliminary plats, and as-built surveys.
• Printing & Plotting Wide format printing service including banners, posters, signs, laminating, dry erase/UV protection, public information signage, mounting, wall murals, and framing.

Quantifiable outcome

• Projects covering entire municipalities (e.g., 17.5 square miles for Bethlehem Township, 42 square miles for SRPMIC)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• FAAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooper Aerial coordinates with FAA for airspace clearance on airport mapping projects, demonstrating compliance with federal aviation requirements for aerial data collection operations.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Phoenix LiDAR Systems: Manufacturer of aerial LiDAR sensors and hardware used by surveying firms, including aerial mapping service providers. Comparable as an enabling technology provider in the same LiDAR value chain that Cooper's deliverables depend on, rather than as a direct competitor.

Direct peers

• GPI Geospatial: Geospatial division of GPI providing aerial mapping, LiDAR, GIS, and surveying for transportation, utilities, and government clients. Direct comparable to Cooper in service mix, vertical exposure, and professional services delivery.
• Merrick & Company: Engineering and geospatial firm offering aerial LiDAR, photogrammetry, and remote sensing for energy, infrastructure, and government clients. Closely comparable to Cooper across service mix (LiDAR, ortho, GIS, surveying), target verticals, and project-based delivery model.
• Pickett and Associates: Aerial surveying and mapping firm providing photogrammetry and LiDAR to government and engineering clients, with long-tenured industry relationships. Comparable to Cooper in technology platform, customer base, and project-based services model.
• Kucera International: Provider of aerial photography, LiDAR, photogrammetric mapping, and GIS services to government, energy, and engineering clients. Direct match to Cooper in technology stack (photogrammetry, LiDAR, GIS), customer verticals, and project-based commercial model.
• Aerial Services Inc. (ASI): Long-standing aerial mapping and LiDAR firm serving government, transportation, and utilities across the Midwest. Closely comparable to Cooper in service offering (aerial photography, LiDAR, orthophotography, GIS), vertical mix, and professional services project model.
• Continental Mapping Consultants: Provider of aerial photography, LiDAR, photogrammetry, and GIS services for government, transportation, and defense clients. Direct comparable to Cooper in service mix (aerial mapping, LiDAR, GIS) and target verticals, operating as a similarly sized professional services firm.

Broad incumbents

• SAM (Surveying And Mapping, LLC): Large national surveying, mapping, and geospatial services firm serving transportation, energy, and government. Comparable through overlapping aerial mapping, LiDAR, and conventional surveying offerings, with a broader geographic reach than Cooper.
• Woolpert: Large, established AEC and geospatial firm with broad aerial mapping, LiDAR, and surveying capabilities across government and commercial clients. Comparable because it overlaps Cooper's core aerial mapping + LiDAR offering but operates at much greater scale and across many additional services.
• NV5 Geospatial (formerly Quantum Spatial): Geospatial arm of NV5 Global, formed from the Quantum Spatial acquisition, providing aerial LiDAR, photogrammetry, and remote sensing at national scale. Direct overlap with Cooper's aerial mapping and LiDAR service line, but with significantly larger capital base and national footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cooperaerial

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cooper Aerial Surveys