Scan to BIM Services
Converting point cloud and laser scan data of existing buildings and structures into accurate, working Revit models.
Renovation, retrofit and asset-documentation projects often start with a scanned building and no usable model — the scan data alone isn't something a design team can work in directly. A point cloud is an extremely accurate record of what exists, but it's also an enormous, undifferentiated dataset that has to be interpreted and turned into discrete, modelled building elements before anyone can actually design against it.
What This Service Covers
We convert point cloud and laser scan data into coordinated Revit models — architectural, structural and MEP as required — giving design teams a working BIM model of an existing building or structure to design from.
This is commonly used for renovation and retrofit projects, heritage documentation, and facilities teams that need an accurate as-built model of existing assets.
How Much As-Built Irregularity to Capture
Modelling from scan data is a judgement exercise as much as a technical one — real buildings are rarely perfectly plumb, level or square, and we agree with you upfront how much of that as-built irregularity to capture versus how much to idealise for design purposes, since modelling every deviation exactly as scanned can make a model needlessly difficult to design against.
Scan registration and accuracy are checked before modelling starts, because a model built from poorly registered scan data will carry that error forward invisibly — it's much cheaper to catch a registration problem before modelling than to discover it later when a wall doesn't line up correctly between floors.
Heritage Fidelity and Multi-Storey Registration
For heritage or architecturally significant buildings, we can model to a higher level of geometric fidelity where the project calls for it, capturing decorative or non-standard elements that a purely functional as-built model would typically simplify away.
Multi-storey buildings scanned in separate sessions carry a specific registration risk worth flagging: if each floor's scan was registered independently rather than tied back to a shared site-wide control, small misalignments between floors can go unnoticed until the model is assembled as a whole. We check for this specifically rather than assuming floor-to-floor consistency by default.
Extracting Data for Structural Assessment
Where the point cloud is being used to inform structural assessment — checking for out-of-plumb columns or deflection in an existing structure, for instance — we work closely with the structural engineer to confirm which measurements from the scan they actually need extracted and to what precision, rather than delivering a generic model and leaving that extraction work for later.
What You Get
- Revit models built from point cloud/scan data
- As-built architectural, structural and MEP models
- Model-derived 2D drawings
- Coordinated federated models for design use
- Scan registration and accuracy verification notes
Where This Is Used
- Renovation and retrofit projects
- Heritage building documentation
- Facilities and asset management
- Existing structure documentation for design teams
- Plant and industrial facility as-built modelling
How It Works
- 01
Scan data intake
Point cloud or laser scan data supplied, along with the modelling scope and LOD target, and a check of scan registration accuracy before modelling begins.
- 02
Scope & quote
Discipline coverage and deliverables confirmed before modelling starts, along with how much as-built irregularity should be captured versus idealised.
- 03
Modelling
Revit model built directly from the registered scan data, with judgement calls on idealisation documented as they're made.
- 04
Review
Model checked against the scan for dimensional accuracy before delivery.
- 05
Delivery
As-built model delivered, with drawings produced on request.
Software We Use
Industries We Support
Related Projects
Multi-Discipline BIM Clash Detection
Illustrative example: federated model coordination and clash detection across architectural, structural and MEP models.
View projectPoint Cloud to BIM — Existing Building
Illustrative example: converting laser scan data of an existing building into a working Revit model for a renovation project.
View projectRelated Services
Frequently Asked Questions
- This service covers conversion of supplied point cloud/scan data into a BIM model. Let us know if you need scanning arranged and we can advise on scope and suitable providers.
- Accuracy depends on the quality and density of the supplied scan data, and on the registration accuracy we verify before modelling starts — this is discussed during scoping against your intended use for the model.
- Yes, where the scan data supports it, all three disciplines can be modelled from the same point cloud.
- This is agreed with you upfront — real buildings are rarely perfectly square or level, and we model as much of that irregularity as your intended use for the model actually requires, rather than defaulting to one extreme or the other.
- Yes, for architecturally significant or heritage buildings we can capture decorative and non-standard elements to a higher geometric fidelity where the project calls for it.
- We check specifically for floor-to-floor registration misalignment in this scenario, since scans registered independently per floor rather than to a shared site-wide control can carry small offsets that only become apparent once the full model is assembled.
- Yes, where the model is being used to check for out-of-plumb columns or existing deflection, we work directly with the structural engineer to confirm which specific measurements they need extracted from the scan, and to what precision.
- Yes, provided the individual scans share a common registration or control reference, we can combine data from multiple sessions into a single coordinated model, flagging any registration uncertainty we find between sessions.
- Yes, where original design drawings are available alongside scan data, we can produce a comparison highlighting where the as-built condition has diverged from the original design.
- Yes, an accurate as-built model is a common and valuable starting point for adaptive reuse projects, where understanding the exact existing condition shapes what's actually feasible in the new design.
- We can work with common point cloud formats such as E57 and RCP/RCS, along with registered scan data exported in other standard formats — confirm your specific format during scoping.
- Yes, where MEP elements are visible and captured in the scan data, they can be modelled alongside architectural and structural elements as part of the as-built model.
- This depends heavily on building size, complexity and the LOD agreed for the model, and is confirmed as part of your quote once scan data and scope are reviewed.
- Yes, scope can be limited to whichever floors or areas your project actually needs modelled, rather than requiring the whole building to be captured and modelled at once.
- Where a previous scan or survey exists for comparison, we can produce a deviation analysis highlighting change over time, which is useful for monitoring structures suspected of settlement or movement.
- Yes, an accurate as-built model of an existing tenancy shell is a strong starting point for fit-out design, particularly where existing services and structural elements need to be worked around precisely.
- This varies by intended use, but LOD 200–300 is common for general design and renovation purposes — higher LOD is scoped specifically where a project needs fabrication-level as-built accuracy.
- Yes, an accurate as-built model can support a condition assessment exercise, though the assessment judgement itself would sit with the relevant qualified professional reviewing the model.
- Yes, we can supply a lightweight point cloud viewer file alongside the Revit model so your team can independently spot-check the model against the original scan data at any time.
- Yes, staging modelling delivery across a large facility, prioritising the areas your project needs first, is a practical way to keep an ongoing large-site project moving without waiting for the entire facility to be modelled at once.
- Yes, where the scan reveals a structural element noticeably out of plumb or level beyond what would normally be expected, we flag it for the structural engineer's attention rather than silently modelling around it.
- Yes, scan-to-BIM conversion extends to civil and infrastructure structures such as bridges, provided suitable scan data is available.
- Yes, a short summary noting anything notable found during modelling — significant as-built deviations, areas of lower scan confidence, or structural observations worth flagging — is a useful accompaniment to the model itself.
- Yes, an accurate as-built model produced during a renovation project has ongoing value for facilities management well after construction finishes, provided it's structured with that longer-term use in mind from the start.
- Yes, scope can be as small as a single room where high-precision as-built information is needed for a specific design decision, rather than requiring a whole-building modelling exercise.
- Yes, where the scan reveals a physical condition inconsistent with available design records, we note the discrepancy so your team can decide how to address it, rather than silently reconciling the two.
- Yes, dense industrial and process plant environments are a common scan-to-BIM use case, and modelling depth is agreed based on which systems your project actually needs represented.
Get a Quote for Scan to BIM
Tell us what you need and our team can review the project requirements.