Asset Inventory from Aerial Imagery: Map Your Territory in 2026
Find the physical assets your team sells to, services or builds near. Define the search, review the evidence and put a value on each accepted site before expanding the territory.
An asset inventory from aerial imagery locates visible physical assets, checks them against a buyer's rules and connects each site to dated evidence, parcels and owners. Asset Search uses aerial and satellite imagery with property records and public datasets across the contiguous United States. Every candidate receives human review and a fits, rejects or unresolved answer. Start with a small paid pilot credited toward the full order, then expand or monitor the territory.
What matters most
- Asset Search covers searches from one county to the contiguous United States, with 38 asset types illustrated in this guide.
- Every candidate gets one of 3 reviewed dispositions: fits, rejects with a reason, or unresolved with a field check.
- In the county planning model, manual inventory takes 121 staff hours and 620 vehicle miles before sales outreach.
- Two signed service accounts among 180 accepted sites produce $105,500 in five-year gross profit in the worked model.
Say your service manager has 480 possible generator sites to check in one county. Eleven minutes of desk research per address consumes 88 hours; another 36 field checks at 55 minutes each, including travel time, bring the inventory to 121 staff hours before anyone starts calling the sites that fit. Allow another 620 vehicle miles.
The same assignment could be propane tanks behind industrial buildings, stormwater ponds beyond shopping centers or cooling towers on campuses. A directory is the starting point. The manager still needs to establish what is there and whether it fits your work, then find the person who controls the next decision.
Asset Search by PorchRocket handles that investigation across a county or the contiguous United States. Every candidate gets a reviewed answer backed by dated evidence. Parcel and owner information connects the observation to a property your team can investigate. Start with the decision your team needs to make, then define what the inventory must prove.
What does asset search mean for a service territory?
For a service company, asset search means locating physical equipment or site features that meet written buying rules, then returning enough evidence to assign the next action.
An aftermarket director might need every visible cooling-tower installation that could fit a refurbishment method, while a stormwater manager searching the same county needs a basin inventory detailed enough to assign field inspections without sending crews back to the office for directions. A site development team might need parcels with a particular arrangement of pavement and open ground. The territory is the same. The decisions differ.
I would write the question as a decision: “Find sites our service department should inspect for a four-unit maintenance proposal.” That tells the search team to distinguish a multi-unit campus from four separate addresses. “Find generators” leaves the counting rule open.
Keep three levels separate in the specification:
- An asset is the visible object or feature, such as an enclosure or pond.
- A site groups the assets that belong in one investigation or field visit.
- An account is the organization your team will approach or serve.
Five enclosures can mean one site and one account. A single owner can control several sites. Count each level explicitly before using the inventory to size a territory or set a sales quota.
I would scope Asset Search first when a requirement calls for custom rules and reviewed exceptions, particularly if several branches need to apply the same equipment definition across different territories and reconsider earlier decisions when their service method changes. Its recall-first process searches beyond existing directories, looking for installations across brands as well as unlisted or newly built sites. People review every candidate before delivery. The installed-base mapping guide develops that approach for manufacturers and service networks.
If the immediate job is prospecting rather than an equipment census, use the aerial imagery lead generation guide to connect a visible feature to an offer and follow-up plan. An inventory should feed a named decision, even when the first delivery is a spreadsheet.
Match the specification to the receiving team. The manufacturer asset-search guide addresses dealer and aftermarket decisions; the service-company guide focuses on recurring accounts. Use the utilities and energy guide for infrastructure programs and the municipal inventory guide for city departments sharing a location record.
Thirty-eight asset types and the decisions they support
Asset Search can investigate 38 asset types illustrated below, from tanks and energy equipment to water infrastructure, agricultural structures and parcels matching a building prototype.
The buyer column identifies who would put the find to work. The final column gives a gross-benefit calculation before acquisition or investigation spending. For sales, weight account or project gross profit by the probability that an accepted find becomes paid work. For operations, price the staff time avoided. Subtract the remaining investigation and acquisition costs to calculate net value per find.
Some targets need records or a field check to settle their identity. A rectangular enclosure starts as an observed enclosure; the agreed evidence determines whether it earns a generator, storage or unresolved label.
| Asset or visible target | Who buys the find | Decision the inventory feeds | Value per accepted find to calculate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Propane tank candidates | Propane retail sales manager | Which sites deserve an account review | Expected annual account gross profit times retained years times win probability |
| Above-ground fuel tank candidates | Fuel and tank service director | Where to request a service-history review | Lifetime inspection and service gross profit times win probability |
| Tank farms and terminals | Industrial maintenance business leader | Which multi-tank sites fit the crew | Gross profit from the eligible work package times win probability |
| Standby generator enclosures | Generator service manager | Which campuses warrant equipment verification | Annual maintenance gross profit times retained years times win probability |
| Generator rows and multi-enclosure sites | Aftermarket network director | Where a field specialist should go first | Eligible units times gross profit per serviced unit times win probability |
| Cooling towers | Refurbishment estimating director | Which installations fit a repair method | Expected refurbishment gross profit times technical eligibility and win rates |
| Substation sites | Utility service program manager | Which locations enter a scoped field survey | Survey hours avoided times loaded hourly cost |
| Pad-mount enclosure candidates | Equipment service network | Which enclosures need identification | Service contribution times confirmation probability times win probability |
| Solar farms | Solar service operations director | Where to propose a site review | Inspection and maintenance account gross profit times win probability |
| Rooftop solar arrays | Solar maintenance sales manager | Which building owners to approach | Service account gross profit times win probability per accepted building |
| Battery storage compound candidates | Storage service business leader | Which compounds need records checked | Contract contribution times technical eligibility and win probabilities |
| Water towers | Tank maintenance estimator | Where to investigate upcoming maintenance scope | Expected project gross profit times invitation and win probabilities |
| Stormwater ponds | Stormwater service manager | Which sites enter a maintenance route review | Annual maintenance gross profit times contract years times win probability |
| Dry detention basins | Basin maintenance estimating team | Which sites need access and scope checks | Scoped mowing, sediment or repair gross profit times win probability |
| Culvert opening candidates | Drainage asset manager | Where to send a field inspection crew | Avoided search and documentation hours times loaded hourly cost |
| Outfall candidates | Municipal stormwater program manager | Which drainage outlets need field verification | Manual locating and documentation cost minus retained fieldwork cost |
| Impervious surface areas | Stormwater program analyst | Which parcels need measurement review | Measurement hours avoided per parcel times loaded hourly cost |
| Paved parking areas | Paving estimating director | Which lots deserve a takeoff and site walk | Expected paving or sealcoating gross profit times win probability |
| Snow service pavement | Snow operations manager | Which sites fit route and equipment capacity | Seasonal gross profit after travel and standby costs times win probability |
| Lawns and planting beds | Grounds maintenance sales manager | Which properties fit a recurring route | Annual account gross profit times retained seasons times win probability |
| Loading docks | Dock service department | Which buildings deserve a service-program call | Dock service account gross profit times win probability |
| Industrial outdoor storage yards | Yard services business leader | Which sites fit surfacing or maintenance work | Scoped work contribution times qualification and win probabilities |
| Truck and trailer parking yards | Commercial site services manager | Which yards enter an account review | Lifetime contribution after route travel times win probability |
| Waste containers and compactors | Waste hauling or equipment sales manager | Which stops deserve a service conversation | Route-stop gross profit times retained periods times win probability |
| Rooftop HVAC equipment | HVAC service sales manager | Which buildings warrant a PM proposal | Annual PM gross profit times retained years times win probability |
| Roofs and skylights | Roof service estimator | Which buildings fit a survey offer | Repair and maintenance account gross profit times win probability |
| Pools | Pool service manager | Which properties fit service coverage | Seasonal gross profit after route cost times win probability |
| Sport courts | Resurfacing estimating director | Where to request a court-condition visit | Expected resurfacing project contribution times win probability |
| Athletic fields | Field contractor estimating director | Which campuses enter replacement research | Expected qualified project gross profit times win probability |
| Vegetation near visible lines | Vegetation program manager | Which corridors need authorized field assessment | Survey hours avoided per segment times loaded hourly cost |
| Cell towers | Telecom site service manager | Which structures fit a service territory | Eligible site service contribution times win probability |
| Rooftop antennas and dishes | Telecom maintenance planner | Which buildings need installation records checked | Service contribution times confirmation and win probabilities |
| Center-pivot irrigation systems | Agricultural equipment service leader | Which farms warrant equipment qualification | Service and parts account gross profit times win probability |
| Grain bins | Agricultural equipment sales manager | Which sites fit a maintenance or retrofit offer | Eligible project and follow-on contribution times win probability |
| Poultry houses | Agricultural building service team | Which clusters fit crew capabilities | Contribution per qualified building group times win probability |
| Drive-thru prototype parcels | Site development director | Which sites deserve access and planning diligence | Search and preliminary diligence hours avoided times loaded hourly cost |
| Car wash prototype parcels | Development acquisitions manager | Which parcels move to engineering review | Internal sourcing and screening cost avoided per accepted site |
| Childcare prototype parcels | Expansion director | Which sites enter local requirements review | Screening hours avoided times loaded hourly cost |
Use the same approach for multifamily service contracts: decide whether the count means buildings, campuses or management accounts. For multifamily sourcing based on visible property features, the inventory supplies observed facts for further diligence. Assign the next inspection or records check to each candidate.
For targets outside this table, use the specialty asset search catalog to define the visible structure and its look-alikes. The fabric structure guide applies that process to covered buildings and domes. The port infrastructure guide covers terminal assets and the equipment around them.
Public programs have their own record requirements. EPA’s stormwater program guidance includes a storm sewer system map among the elements of a Phase II MS4 illicit discharge program. Visible outfall candidates can support the field work needed to build that map.
From search rules to dated evidence
A custom investigation runs through four stages: define the buyer’s rules, generate candidates, review the evidence and deliver a disposition for every investigated site.
First, put the buyer’s experts in the rule-setting conversation, particularly the application engineer who can explain which visible features distinguish a promising installation from a look-alike and the territory manager who knows where travel makes the proposed account unworkable. Ask the estimator about crew fit. Set the exclusions together.
Write inclusion rules and exclusions separately. For a generator program, include visible groups of equipment enclosures on industrial campuses within the service territory, then write a separate exclusion for isolated enclosures the department does not want to inspect. “Interesting equipment” is too broad.
I would also define the awkward cases before the search expands. Decide how to treat partial views, multiple parcels under one campus and objects visible in an older view but obscured in the newer one. Put the answer in the rule sheet, with an example where possible.
The investigation cross-references aerial and satellite imagery with public datasets and property records, including owner data. The candidate search aims for recall: give review a chance to assess possible matches, including sites absent from the buyer’s directory. People then check candidates against the rules.
Public data strengthens the investigation when its reporting scope matches the question. The EIA’s guide to electric power data describes generating units at facilities with at least 1 megawatt of on-site nameplate capacity. Its current EIA-860 data description retains that facility threshold and covers existing and planned generators. That scope is different from a search for every small generator enclosure. My inference is straightforward: a facility threshold leaves smaller facilities outside that inventory’s intended coverage.
Before delivery, connect each disposition to the facts that decided it. “Fits because four separate enclosures are visible within the agreed campus boundary” is a reason someone can review. “High score” gives the service manager another research job.
Retain the rule version with the inventory so the team can identify which earlier decisions need another look when the buyer accepts smaller installations or extends a dealer territory into an area that was previously excluded. Preserve the earlier answer, too. Branch managers can then compare the decisions without reinterpreting every image.
Aerial vs satellite imagery for physical asset data
Judge a candidate image by whether it resolves the target and supports the decision; record its capture date and map alignment separately.
For scale, USGS lists the visible bands on Landsat 8 and 9 at 30-meter ground resolution, with a 15-meter panchromatic band. A 30-meter pixel represents 900 square meters on the ground. That example explains why a broad land-observation image answers a different question from a close view of rooftop equipment. Satellite images have different resolutions; assess the specific image.
Enlargement does not settle a weak observation. USGS explains that making an aerial photograph larger adds no object detail, so a larger display cannot supply evidence of the distinguishing shape if that shape was never captured. Request a better observation.
Map alignment matters when the deliverable includes parcels or measurements. USGS describes an orthoimage as a photograph corrected for camera tilt and terrain displacement, with a uniform scale that supports map overlays. Ask the search team to explain how an observation connects to the parcel being returned.
I would inspect one easy example and one difficult example during the pilot, choosing the difficult site to test whether partial visibility or several equipment groups close together will change the answer under the buyer’s rules. Make the hard call before expanding.
Cross-reference the views available for a candidate. An alternate view can settle an enclosure’s relationship to a building; a later view can show that a yard layout changed. The satellite vs aerial imagery guide goes deeper on choosing evidence for the question. Keep the capture dates attached to both views.
Refreshing the inventory when sites or requirements change
With Asset Search, sites are rechecked as new imagery arrives, and existing evidence can often answer a changed specification without waiting for another capture.
Specify two refresh jobs when the inventory will support a service network for several years: a territory refresh to identify physical changes, and a requirement refresh to reconsider already observed installations under a new rule. Give each edition a rule version.
A new repair method might make a previously rejected equipment arrangement serviceable. The earlier dated view may contain everything needed to reconsider that site. Requiring another image before reviewing the changed rule would leave an eligible installation out of the next sales edition.
Return both observation dates for physical changes. A new enclosure first seen between two captures has an observation interval; assign its commissioning date only when a record or site contact establishes when the equipment entered service. Those are separate fields.
Clouds and shadows also deserve explicit treatment. USGS’s cloud cover validation datasets label clear pixels separately from clouds and cloud shadows. For a buyer reviewing an apparent removal, the operating question is whether the later view provides enough visibility to decide. An obscured object belongs in review.
I would set refresh priorities around the buyer’s action window. A branch opening in a new county needs a baseline first. A network watching new generator rows needs reviewed changes tied to service territories. The new-installation change detection guide covers those event definitions; the asset monitoring guide explains the subscription workflow.
Choose a delivery cadence the team can work. A quarterly edition with assigned follow-up beats a growing folder of unread change files. The scope should say how newly available imagery enters that edition and what happens when an area has no newer adequate view.
How accurate is a geospatial asset inventory?
Use a pilot to test two different errors, false matches and missed assets, while reporting unresolved cases separately against the buyer’s counting rules.
A list can contain excellent matches while still missing large parts of the territory. Checking twenty delivered hits tells you about those hits. To test omissions, inspect an independent sample of geography or a reference set assembled without relying only on the candidate list.
Every candidate disposition comes back from Asset Search, including rejects and unresolved sites, so the buyer can inspect where judgment was required and revisit those decisions when an engineer identifies a different installation arrangement the service department can handle. Keep those records.
| Disposition | What the answer means | Evidence the buyer should see | Next action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fits | The site meets the agreed search rules | Dated view and observed facts supporting inclusion | Assign research, outreach or a scoped inspection |
| Rejects | At least one agreed rule excludes the site | Rejection reason tied to that rule | Retain the record for later rule changes |
| Unresolved | One unanswered question prevents a decision | Available evidence and the missing fact | Perform the specified field or record check |
For example, label a screened enclosure unresolved if the agreed question depends on identifying the equipment inside it. Name the check: obtain a permitted ground photo or the equipment schedule. “Needs more research” does not tell a branch manager what to assign.
Use the precision and recall fractions described in NIST’s object detection metrics. For an asset inventory, precision is correct matches divided by all reported matches in the test. Recall is qualifying assets found divided by all qualifying assets in the independently checked reference area. Choose the reference area before judging the result, and keep sites separate from equipment counts in both fractions.
I would sample the boundary cases deliberately, using contrasting parts of the territory such as rural parcels and dense industrial blocks, then checking a multi-building campus where several asset classes could be assigned to the same address. Review rejects as well as fits. Count equipment separately.
An inventory acceptance threshold should be specific to the decision. A route planner might accept an unresolved equipment subtype while still needing the correct gate location. A refurbishment program might need that subtype settled before a field specialist travels. Record which fields are required for acceptance, then report how many rows satisfy them.
Asset Search’s pilot and quote define the custom investigation’s acceptance terms. The record you approve should make the reasoning visible, including the unresolved check.
Connecting assets to parcels, owners and buying contacts
Keep a stable site identifier beside each asset location and its parcel reference, then record the owner separately from the operator and service buyer.
The parcel gives the investigation a property reference. Miami-Dade County’s property search instructions support owner-name searches and describe the folio number as a unique parcel identifier. Use the identifier supplied by the relevant jurisdiction and retain the jurisdiction name with it.
I would distinguish the recorded property owner from the equipment owner and record the operating organization separately, leaving room for the sales team to confirm who approves service instead of assigning that authority to the first name in a parcel record. Unknown is a valid entry.
On a campus, retain both the asset location and the site address so a field assignment points to the observed equipment while the account record keeps the address used for correspondence with the owner. The mailing address may lead to a different entrance.
Owner information also lets a sales manager investigate the portfolio effect. If several accepted sites connect to one recorded entity, research whether one buyer handles the work. Keep the sites separate until that relationship is confirmed. One conversation could open several buildings, but the inventory should preserve each building’s evidence.
The commercial property owner research guide explains how to work from a parcel record toward the person who approves services. For buyers comparing locations for a new facility, the site selection data guide connects visible fit with later checks of access and utilities, followed by local planning review.
For city, county or school work, use Bid Control by PorchRocket to follow public contracts and prepare the bid packet. The asset inventory can inform which work and territories fit your crew; the solicitation supplies the purchasing requirements for that contract.
CSV, Excel and GIS delivery the team can use
Asset Search returns CSV, Excel, GIS-ready files or an import for a CRM or dealer system, with the format agreed during the pilot.
Choose the file around the person who must act. A sales manager needs account assignments and disposition fields. An operations team needs asset locations and the next field check. A GIS analyst needs geometry with an identified coordinate reference system. The same site identifier should connect those views of the inventory.
For GIS delivery, ask which geometry suits the task: points for equipment locations, polygons for searched areas or site boundaries, and lines for corridor segments. Agree on whether a point marks an asset or a site representative location. Labeling both as “latitude” and “longitude” without a location role invites confusion.
OGC describes GeoPackage as a portable open format that can hold vector features and imagery tiles. It is one format to discuss when scoping a GIS-ready handoff. Confirm the requested file with the receiving team before ordering the full territory.
| Field group | Fields to agree before expansion | Why the receiver needs them |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | Site ID, asset ID where needed, asset count | Preserve the relationship between one campus and several objects |
| Location | Coordinates, coordinate reference system, site address, parcel identifier | Put the observation on the correct property |
| Evidence | Capture dates, dated views, observed facts, review date | Recheck the reason for the decision |
| Decision | Fits, rejects or unresolved; reason; rule version | Route accepted work and preserve earlier judgments |
| Ownership | Owner information and decision-maker contact where applicable | Research the route to the authorized buyer |
| Workflow | Receiving territory, next field check, buyer-assigned follow-up | Give the row an owner inside the buying team |
Treat workflow fields as handoff requirements to agree, rather than assuming every buyer wants the same layout. Test a multi-asset site and a rejected candidate in the destination system. Check that a refresh updates the existing site instead of creating a second account.
The market intelligence guide explains how this physical evidence fits alongside customer history and territory planning. A good import preserves the reason the team selected each location.
What should an asset inventory pilot include?
Test search rules and the receiving format with a small paid pilot; most Asset Search buyers start with one credited toward the full order.
Choose a pilot geography that exposes the hard cases. I would include a mixed industrial area and a contrasting area relevant to the territory, rather than selecting only known easy sites. Supply known examples for calibration, but also inspect search coverage beyond those examples.
Write the acceptance sheet before reviewing results. State the counting unit and required fields. Write down how to handle unresolved sites. If an accepted result requires a confirmed installation type, say which evidence establishes that identity. If an observed enclosure is enough to justify a field visit, say that instead.
The fee structure can follow the way your organization buys, without a separate software or imagery purchase. Match the fee basis to the unit the organization approves:
| Buying situation | Fee basis to discuss | Scope question to settle |
|---|---|---|
| A defined candidate backlog needs dispositions | Per completed investigation | What evidence and review make an investigation finished? |
| Sales needs new sites meeting an acceptance test | Per accepted result | What qualifies for acceptance, and how are duplicates handled? |
| A territory needs recurring checks and refresh editions | Subscription | Which changes and rule revisions belong in each edition? |
| Payment needs to follow a specified business outcome | Success-based terms | What outcome, attribution and acceptance process will both sides use? |
For the county service campaign in this guide, I would discuss per accepted result for the initial search, with a credited pilot first. If the same department then watches new installations across its branch network, discuss a monitoring subscription.
The two-minute form starts the scoping conversation. Describe your target and geography, explaining what the receiving team needs to decide; Asset Search returns a scope and quote. The pilot ships in the agreed format. Custom timing and acceptance belong in that scope.
Compare geospatial asset detection companies on the evidence and investigations returned. Ask the same questions of an internal analyst team. An inexpensive row with no decision reason still leaves someone on your payroll to decide what it means.
What does a county inventory cost to build by hand?
The opening county model costs $5,692.80 in staff time and vehicle expense before outreach, using 121 hours at $43 and 620 miles at an assumed $0.79.
Use your own loaded staff cost and vehicle cost in this worksheet. Loaded staff cost includes the compensation and employer costs you choose to allocate. The vehicle figure is an assumed operating cost covering fuel, maintenance and vehicle ownership.
| Manual inventory task | Assumption | Arithmetic | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desk review of candidates | 480 addresses at 11 minutes each | 480 x 11 / 60 = 88 hours; 88 x $43 | $3,784.00 |
| Field checks, including travel time | 36 checks at 55 minutes each | 36 x 55 / 60 = 33 hours; 33 x $43 | $1,419.00 |
| Vehicle operation | 620 miles at $0.79 per mile | 620 x $0.79 | $489.80 |
| Inventory total before outreach | 121 staff hours and 620 miles | $3,784 + $1,419 + $489.80 | $5,692.80 |
Put the same boundary around the delivered-inventory comparison. Suppose reviewing 180 accepted sites takes four minutes per site: 12 staff hours. Retain all 36 field checks at the same 55 minutes each. That produces 45 staff hours, a reduction of 76 hours from the manual workflow, before adding the custom search quote.
The field visits and 620 miles remain in this comparison. The saved work comes from desk research. At $43 per hour, 76 hours represents $3,268 in staff capacity. Whether buying the search reduces total spending depends on the scope and quote. Whether it releases the service manager depends on who would otherwise do the research.
Give that released capacity a job. Seventy-six hours can fund 228 twenty-minute blocks for account research and contact attempts. The campaign budget below uses 30 of those hours, or 90 blocks, and leaves 46 hours for other department work. Track qualified conversations and proposals against those scheduled blocks.
I would run a small manual sample when deciding how to build an inventory internally. Time every task from opening the address through the recorded disposition. Include parcel lookup and documenting the reason. That measured pace is the comparison to use when the Asset Search quote arrives.
Value per find and the five-year account return
An accepted site’s economic value equals its probability of producing business times the gross profit that business contributes, minus the additional cost of acquiring that business.
Carry the county model forward with 180 accepted multi-unit industrial sites. Assume two become service accounts, a 1.11% site-to-account rate. Each account produces $26,375 in annual revenue at a 40% gross margin after direct service costs, including route travel, and stays for five paid years.
Set a $6,250 ceiling for the entire inventory-and-outreach campaign. Carry forward the 45 review and field-check hours and 620 miles, then add 30 outreach hours at the same $43 loaded rate. Internal labor is 75 x $43 = $3,225; vehicle expense is $489.80, for $3,714.80 before purchased research and any other campaign charges. Approve the custom quote only if all costs fit the ceiling. The ROI calculation uses the full ceiling as spending.
Customer lifetime value, or CLV, measures the gross profit expected from an account over the relationship. Under these assumptions:
- Annual gross profit per signed account: $26,375 x 0.40 = $10,550.
- Five-year gross profit per signed account: $10,550 x 5 = $52,750.
- Gross profit from two signed accounts: $52,750 x 2 = $105,500.
- Customer acquisition cost, or CAC: $6,250 / 2 = $3,125 per signed account.
The account value comes from a multi-unit service program. Do the estimate around the equipment verified on site and the work included in the agreement. A single small enclosure deserves its own account economics.
Lead-list ROI measures gross profit after acquisition spending, divided by that spending. Here it is ($105,500 minus $6,250) / $6,250 = 15.88 times, or about 1,588% over five years. These are undiscounted gross-profit dollars across five paid years, with constant annual revenue and margin and acquisition spending counted once. Percentages, per-site amounts and ratios are rounded to two decimals unless shown as whole percentages.
| Outcome from the same 180 accepted sites | Low | Base | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accounts signed | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Site-to-account conversion | 0.56% | 1.11% | 1.67% |
| Five-year gross profit | $52,750 | $105,500 | $158,250 |
| Total acquisition spending ceiling | $6,250 | $6,250 | $6,250 |
| CAC per signed account | $6,250 | $3,125 | $2,083.33 |
| Gross profit after acquisition spending | $46,500 | $99,250 | $152,000 |
| Five-year lead-list ROI | 7.44 times | 15.88 times | 24.32 times |
The base case assigns $105,500 / 180 = $586.11 in expected lifetime gross profit per accepted site across the file. The spending ceiling is $6,250 / 180 = $34.72 per accepted site for the entire campaign. Keep the units visible. An accepted site has a different value from a signed account or a serviced piece of equipment.
For a project contractor, substitute project contribution for recurring account value. A $37,800 project at a 31% gross margin produces $11,718. Two such projects contribute $23,436. Against the same $6,250 acquisition spending, ROI becomes ($23,436 minus $6,250) / $6,250 = 2.75 times. Add later service only when it belongs in your account plan.
For an inventory program with no sales goal, value the find through work avoided. Estimate the hours to locate and document the asset manually, then subtract the work still needed after delivery. A municipal asset manager can compare that amount with the investigation quote without pretending each mapped pond generates revenue.
My decision rule is to expand when the accepted sites pass technical review and the low case supports the full campaign cost. Use the lead-list ROI calculator to change conversion and spending, and the customer lifetime value calculator to change retention. Test account life before raising the close rate. The low case still returns 7.44 times the campaign cost after acquisition spending; preserving five paid years matters more than adding a few extra names to the file.
How to map assets in a territory, step by step
Build the first inventory in eight steps, beginning with the buyer’s decision and ending with an assigned action and a repeatable refresh rule.
- Write the decision in one sentence. On days 1 and 2, ask the service director what the file must enable. For the county campaign, that is identifying multi-unit industrial sites worth a maintenance qualification call. Specify the account’s required equipment profile and service territory. Ask who owns the decision to send a technician.
- Define what counts and what excludes a site. On days 3 and 4, have the estimator or application engineer write the asset definition. Separate asset count from site count. Supply examples of fits and rejects, plus one awkward case. Decide which observation can remain unresolved and which field check settles it.
- Scope the pilot with Asset Search. Submit the target and geography through the Asset Search form. Request a small paid pilot credited toward the full order, dated evidence and every disposition. Ask for location, parcel, owner information and the observed facts deciding each question. For this campaign, discuss payment per accepted result.
- Test evidence and coverage before expansion. When the pilot arrives, review accepted sites and a sample of rejects. Inspect an independent area for omissions. Have the buyer’s expert settle disagreements against the rule sheet. Revise the rule once where needed, then preserve the approved version for the larger search.
- Load the pilot into the receiving system. Before approving territory expansion, import several rows. Include a campus with several assets and an unresolved site. Check site identifiers, evidence access and ownership fields. Confirm that the person receiving a field assignment can locate the object without repeating the desk investigation.
- Calculate value per accepted site. During the first two weeks, use your margin and retention records. Set the campaign ceiling before adding territories. Include outreach labor and the field work still required. Use a low case with one signed account if one account would support the investment; otherwise change the geography or target.
- Assign the first field checks and sales actions. Work the first accepted batch during the rest of the month. Confirm equipment details needed for the offer, then record who approves service and the next contact date. Close unresolved questions with the specified check. Send feedback with the site ID so the correction stays attached to the evidence.
- Choose the refresh trigger. At the month-end review, decide whether the next edition follows new imagery, new installations or a changed service method. Keep additions separate from reclassified sites. If several branches receive the file, assign territory ownership before the next edition ships and review duplicate account handling.
Keep the approval group small enough to make decisions: the person defining technical fit and the person who will use the file. Invite GIS or sales operations for the import test. A pilot has done its job when those people can explain why a row fits and what happens next.
When Ground Control self-serve is enough
Use Ground Control for standard property filters, and choose Asset Search when the job needs custom asset definitions, investigation dispositions or ongoing territory monitoring.
For standard building prospecting, the fastest route is Ground Control by PorchRocket: choose your area and filters such as visible storage tanks, rooftop HVAC, loading docks or paved parking. Commercial lists cost $10 to $20 per building, start at 10 buildings and arrive within 48 hours after payment, often sooner. Every property states why it matched. Ground Control sends properties it is 90%+ sure match and credits wrong matches within 30 days. Owner information and decision-maker contact are add-ons. These are target properties for your team to approach; their owners have not requested a quote.
Start with buildings with storage tanks when presence is the filter you need. Choose rooftop HVAC building lists for 2+ or 5+ visible units. A dock service department can use loading-dock property lists, and paving crews can start from properties with paved parking areas.
The self-serve property list catalog also includes industrial yards and other visible building and home features. Building size and business type can narrow those lists before the team starts owner research.
I would choose Asset Search for a manufacturer asking which installations satisfy its own refurbishment rules across several states. I would choose Ground Control for a branch asking for commercial buildings with five or more visible rooftop units in a defined local area. Price and evaluate the work being bought: a standard building match or a custom reviewed investigation.
Building your territory inventory with Asset Search
Asset Search gives your team a reviewed inventory around its own decision rules, with a pilot first and delivery from one county to the contiguous United States.
Send the asset definition and territory to start. If the buyer’s team already has a directory, candidate file or known examples, include them for cross-reference. Describe the decision and the edge cases rather than asking for a particular detection method.
The scoped investigation gives the receiving team six things to work:
- Search rules set with the buyer’s experts, including exclusions and awkward cases.
- A candidate search across imagery, property records and public datasets, followed by human review.
- Location, parcel and owner information, with decision-maker contact where it applies.
- Dated views and the observed facts supporting each decision.
- Every fits, rejects and unresolved disposition, including the field check needed for an unresolved answer.
- CSV, Excel, GIS-ready delivery or an agreed import, with refresh or monitoring terms when the territory needs continuing attention.
For a service territory, start with a credited pilot and discuss per accepted result. For a recurring watch across branch territories, discuss a subscription. Per completed investigation and success-based terms can suit other buying requirements; settle the acceptance unit in the scope.
Tell Asset Search what to find and where in the two-minute form. The team returns a scope and quote, then ships the pilot in your format. No software to learn, imagery to buy or analysts to hire. Give the next field visit a site worth investigating and evidence the crew can check.
Quick answers
What is an asset inventory from aerial imagery?
It is a location-based record of visible physical assets, joined to evidence and the fields needed for a business decision. A reviewed inventory identifies the site, parcel and owner, records the image date and explains whether the asset meets the buyer's rules. Asset Search returns fits, rejects and unresolved candidates across the agreed territory.
Can you find assets from satellite imagery alone?
Yes, when the image provides enough detail for the target and the search question. Small equipment needs different evidence from a large solar site or industrial yard. Asset Search cross-references satellite and aerial views with property records and public data, choosing evidence around the asset rather than treating every satellite image as equally detailed.
How much does an aerial asset inventory cost in 2026?
Asset Search scopes and quotes the investigation around the territory, asset rules, evidence and delivery requirements. Terms can be per completed investigation, per accepted result, a monitoring subscription or success-based. Most buyers start with a small paid pilot credited toward the full order. Set the acceptance test before comparing the quote with your value per find.
Does Asset Search include property owners and contacts?
Yes. Asset Search returns location, parcel and owner information, with decision-maker contact where it applies. Keep the property owner separate from the equipment owner, site operator and person approving service. Ask for those roles in separate fields so a sales team can confirm purchasing responsibility without losing the connection to the physical site.
How do you measure asset detection accuracy?
Check accepted matches, rejected candidates and an independent sample of the territory. Reviewing only delivered positives cannot show how many assets were missed. Define the counting unit first, then measure correct matches and omissions separately. Asset Search returns every candidate disposition, including unresolved sites with the one field check needed to settle the question.
Can an aerial inventory show equipment age or condition?
Not reliably. Use the inventory for visible characteristics and dated observations. Obtain equipment age, capacity and service requirements from records or an authorized field check. The date an object first appears between two images narrows the observation interval; it does not establish a manufacture date. Ask the service team for the nameplate and maintenance record when specifying work.
Can I receive asset locations as a GIS file or CRM import?
Yes. Asset Search delivers CSV, Excel, GIS-ready files or an import for a CRM or dealer system. Agree on site identifiers, coordinate fields, parcel links and disposition values during the pilot. Test several rows in the destination system before expanding the search, including a site with multiple assets and one unresolved candidate.
Can an asset inventory be refreshed when my requirements change?
Yes. Asset Search rechecks sites as new imagery arrives and re-answers previously searched sites when the buyer changes a specification or repair method. Existing evidence can often settle the revised question without waiting for another image. Monitoring subscriptions track territory changes and return before-and-after dates for reviewed additions, removals or alterations.
Sources used in this guide
Sources are linked at the claim they support and collected here for auditability. Vendor features and prices can change; verify them before purchasing.
- USGS explanation of orthophotos and uniform map scaleU.S. Geological Survey: Explains correction for camera tilt and terrain displacement and the ability to overlay map information. Checked November 2026.
- USGS explanation of image resolution and enlargementU.S. Geological Survey: Supports the distinction between making an image larger and obtaining additional observed detail. Checked November 2026.
- USGS Landsat satellite band designationsU.S. Geological Survey: Landsat 8 and 9 visible bands have 30-meter ground resolution; the panchromatic band has 15-meter resolution. Checked November 2026.
- USGS cloud cover assessment validation datasetsU.S. Geological Survey: Documents separate cloudy, clear and cloud-shadow labels for evaluating satellite imagery. Checked November 2026.
- EIA guide to electric power data, power plant characteristicsU.S. Energy Information Administration: Page 3 of the March 2018 guide explains the one-megawatt facility threshold for EIA-860. Cross-checked against the current EIA-860 data description in November 2026.
- EPA stormwater mapping and illicit discharge program guidanceU.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Lists a storm sewer system map among the elements of a Phase II MS4 illicit discharge program. Checked November 2026.
- Miami-Dade County property search helpMiami-Dade County Property Appraiser: Documents owner-name searches and the folio number as a unique parcel identifier. Checked November 2026.
- OGC GeoPackage standardOpen Geospatial Consortium: Describes the portable open format and its storage of vector features and imagery tiles. Checked November 2026.
- NIST object detection performance metrics, sections 3.2.7 and 3.2.8National Institute of Standards and Technology: Defines precision and recall for object detection; the guide applies these fractions to an independently checked asset reference area. Checked November 2026.
Find the assets your next decision depends on.
Tell us what counts and where to search. Get a scope and quote, then a paid pilot with dated evidence, owners and reviewed answers in your team's format.