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Davidson County explores EagleView aerial imagery for faster, richer revaluation and public‑safety use
Summary
County assessment staff reported about 3.8% of parcels were appealed in the revaluation notices; the board heard a vendor demonstration of high‑resolution oblique and orthogonal imagery and discussed annual vs. multi‑year capture cadence and integration with GIS and 911 systems.
Davidson County officials on April 2 reviewed the early results of the current property revaluation and heard a demonstration of high‑resolution aerial imagery that county staff say could speed mass appraisal discovery and help other departments including 911 dispatch and fire response.
Assessment staff reported about 3,700 appeals filed — roughly 3.7–3.8% of parcels — four weeks after notices went out. The county’s appraisal team said sales analysis and neighborhood‑level modeling underlie the mass appraisal and that staff had used aerial photography during the revaluation to discover improvements not previously recorded.
Doug Maker of EagleView demonstrated oblique imagery — four‑sided angles of buildings captured from airplanes — and one‑inch orthophotography. He and county staff described multiple uses beyond assessment: emergency dispatchers could pull imagery into mapping screens to help locate 911 callers; fire and law enforcement could view structure sides and surrounding hazards; and planning, zoning and permitting teams could verify building footprints and permit compliance.
EagleView recommended an enterprise licensing model that gives county departments shared access; staff estimated a pilot enterprise capture would cost in the tens of thousands per flight with a near‑term quote discussed near $69,000 for more complete county coverage, and additional analytic services (building outlines and automated change detection) run at per‑parcel rates. Commissioners discussed capture cadence (annual vs. multi‑year) and the state’s imagery schedule (the state provides imagery on a regional schedule about every four years with additional QA/QC lag time). The county is weighing whether to augment state imagery for more frequent updates and to support planning, public safety and appraisal workflows.
Why it matters: Faster detection of new construction and changes can reduce the time assessors spend fielding appeals and improve property records; integration with dispatch and fire mapping can also support emergency response decisions.
What’s next: Staff said they will evaluate vendor proposals, pricing and integration options and return a recommendation to the board.
