[email protected] | 020 8935 5160
Need a quick price for your project? Get a quote
[email protected] | 020 8935 5160
Need a quick price for your project? Get a quote
Point cloud, BIM and CAD deliverables for architects, structural engineers, MEP consultants and main contractors. FARO scanners, 2mm accuracy, full UK coverage.
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A 3D laser scanning survey captures a building, structure or site as a dense cloud of measured points, each one located in 3D space to within a millimetre. A FARO laser scanner sweeps every visible surface from each setup position, recording millions of points per second. We move the scanner through the building, registering each scan to a unified coordinate system, until every space the brief requires has been captured.
The output is a registered point cloud. From that point cloud we then deliver whatever your project actually needs: a Revit BIM model, 2D CAD plans and elevations, a clash-detection deliverable, a mesh model, or just the raw cloud handed over for your own team to work with.
This is what makes 3D laser scanning different from a traditional measured survey: you are not limited to one output. We deliver any combination of the following from a single scan dataset.
A unified point cloud delivered in your preferred format. We routinely supply RCP and RCS for Revit and Navisworks workflows, E57 for cross-platform compatibility, FLS for FARO Scene users, and PTS or PTX for legacy CAD environments. See our guide to point clouds formats and our RCP point cloud explainer for the technical detail.
A Revit model built directly from the point cloud, modelled to your specified Level of Detail. We typically deliver LOD 200 for early-stage design intent, LOD 300 for coordination and tender, and LOD 350 to 400 where elements need to be fabrication-ready. Architectural, structural and MEP disciplines all available, separately or as a federated model. See our scan to BIM for MEP page for plant room and services-specific work.
2D plans, sections and elevations produced from the scan data. AutoCAD DWG, layered to your office standard. This is often the right choice when you want measured-survey-style drawings but the building is too complex, too tall, or too restricted-access to survey conventionally.
Textured mesh models for visualisation, fly-throughs, or import into Rhino, SketchUp or 3ds Max. Useful for client presentations, planning submissions and heritage documentation.
Comparison of as-built scan data against design intent. Useful at handover (verifying installed services match the design model), or partway through a build to catch clashes before they become rework.
A fair question, and one we get from architects regularly. Both services can deliver plans and elevations. The right choice depends on what else you need.
Choose laser scanning when any of the following apply:
Choose a traditional measured survey when:
Honest answer: for most modern AEC projects with any BIM involvement, 3D laser scanning is now the better starting point even if the eventual deliverable is just 2D drawings. The cost difference at our end is smaller than it used to be, and you keep the option to revisit the cloud later.
We scan with the FARO Focus range. Stated accuracy is plus or minus 2mm at 25m, captured at up to two million points per second. Each scan position takes 3 to 8 minutes depending on the resolution setting.
Registration is performed in FARO Scene to a target-and-cloud-to-cloud workflow, with registration error typically under 3mm across an entire building.
For sites that need geo-referencing, we tie the scan network to OS National Grid or to a project grid using GNSS or total station observations.
Architecture and design. Heritage, refurbishment, extension and new-build verification.
Structural engineering. Retrofit assessment, change-of-use, and verified as-built records.
MEP and building services. Plant rooms, risers, and complex services coordination.
Construction and main contracting. As-built handover, progress monitoring, and verification scans.
Heritage and conservation. Listed building documentation, fabric monitoring, and condition surveys.
Real estate and asset management. Floor area verification (NIA, GIA, IPMS) and digital twin foundations.
Survey scope and deliverables vary too much for a one-size price, but as a rough guide:
We are happy to quote against a specification or work to a fixed deliverable list.
Both can produce 2D plans and elevations. A laser scan additionally produces a point cloud (a millimetre-accurate 3D record of the entire building) which can be reused later for BIM modelling, clash detection, fly-throughs or further design rounds. If the project has any BIM involvement, or if the building is complex or services-heavy, scanning is usually the right choice. For straightforward 2D architectural drawings on a simple building, a traditional measured survey is often more cost-effective.
Most commonly RCP/RCS/IFT for Revit and Navisworks, E57 for cross-platform use, FLS for FARO Scene, and PTS or PTX for legacy CAD. Other formats available on request.
We typically deliver LOD 200 for design-intent models, LOD 300 for coordinated tender-stage models, and LOD 350 to 400 where specific elements need to be fabrication-ready. We agree LOD per discipline at quote stage so you only pay for the detail you need.
Stated FARO accuracy is plus or minus 2mm at 25m. After registration of multiple scans, accuracy across an entire building is typically within 3mm. For most architectural and BIM uses this is well in excess of what is required. For specialist applications (precision dimensional control, machine setting out) we can quote against a tighter specification.
Yes. The scanner is silent and class 1 laser safe. We routinely scan occupied offices, retail spaces, residential properties and operational plant rooms with minimal disruption. We agree access and scan timings with the building manager up front.
A typical residential property is one day. A small commercial building is 1 to 2 days. A large or complex site is 3 to 5 days. We scan as many positions as the brief requires, with each setup taking 3 to 8 minutes.
Yes, almost always together. Where the project warrants it we combine ground-based scanning with drone-based aerial capture for roofs and upper elevations.
Yes. Most BIM tools accept E57 or RCP/RCS natively. We deliver in whichever format your team uses, set up to a sensible coordinate origin, and we are happy to walk your modeller through the file structure if helpful.
Across the UK with regular work in London, the Home Counties, the Midlands, the North and Scotland. We also undertake international projects, including completed work in France and Liberia. Send us a postcode and we will confirm coverage and any mobilisation cost the same day.
Email: [email protected]
Call: 020 8935 5160 (Monday to Friday – 09:00 – 17:00)
Essex Office:
92 Bellhouse Ln, Leigh-On-Sea, Essex, SS9 4PQ
London Office:
76 Quill Street, Islington, London, N4 2AD
Typical reply within 24 hours, Mon–Fri
