Scan-to-BIM

Scan-to-BIM is the process of converting a registered LiDAR point cloud into an intelligent, parametric BIM model — typically in Autodesk Revit — where each modeled element carries the geometry, dimensions, and metadata downstream design and construction workflows need.

FieldScan handles scan-to-BIM as either a bundled service (we scan and model) or as a modeling-only engagement against your existing point cloud data. The deliverable is a Revit file your in-house team can open the next morning and start designing against.

When scan-to-BIM is the right tool

Scan-to-BIM earns its budget on three project types:

Retrofits and renovations of existing buildings. Original drawings are rarely accurate after decades of changes. Scan-to-BIM gives the design team a verified as-built starting point — slab elevations, column locations, MEP routing, ceiling heights — so design decisions are based on what’s actually there, not what someone hoped was there. This is where the highest ROI lives.

MEP coordination and prefabrication. A registered scan paired with an LOD 400 model lets fabricators cut to known geometry instead of field-verifying every dimension. Pre-fab assemblies arrive and fit. On healthcare and industrial work, this routinely saves 5–15% of MEP schedule.

Heritage documentation and adaptive reuse. Historic buildings often lack any digital record. Scan-to-BIM creates one in a format that permits, drawings, and future work can build on. The City of San Diego’s historic districts (Gaslamp Quarter, Sherman Heights, Burlingame) all see this regularly.

The handoff problem most teams underestimate

The single biggest hidden cost in scan-to-BIM isn’t modeling hours — it’s the mismatch between what the modeler produces and what the downstream team can use. A model at LOD 300 with categories the receiving Revit template doesn’t recognize, or with worksets that don’t match the firm’s standards, is a model that gets rebuilt.

FieldScan scopes every job with a kickoff call that confirms your template, your worksets, your level names, your view conventions, and your model element categories. The model arrives matching them. We’ve yet to have a client need to rework a delivered file to fit their project setup.

Pricing and timeline

Scan-to-BIM is priced by modeled square footage and LOD level, not by hours. Indicative pricing for a typical commercial retrofit:

• LOD 200, single discipline (architectural shell only): $0.30–$0.50 per sqft
• LOD 300, full architectural + structural: $0.60–$1.10 per sqft
• LOD 350–400, including MEP: $1.50–$3.00 per sqft

Quotes are fixed-fee once scope is confirmed. We don’t bill by the hour because clients shouldn’t have to manage our calendar.

Typical timelines from registered point cloud to delivered Revit file:

Building size	LOD 300	LOD 400
<20,000 sqft	7–10 days	14–18 days
20,000–60,000 sqft	12–18 days	21–28 days
60,000–120,000 sqft	18–28 days	4–6 weeks
>120,000 sqft	Custom scoping	Custom scoping

What you receive

Every scan-to-BIM delivery includes:

1. The Revit (.rvt) model at the agreed LOD, structured per your firm’s template
2. The linked, registered point cloud (.rcp) so your team can verify any element against scan data
3. A model accuracy report showing measured deviations per element category against the source point cloud
4. AutoCAD-format 2D extracts (plans, sections, elevations) generated from the model
5. An IFC export for non-Revit downstream tools
6. A handoff session — typically 30 minutes — to walk your project lead through model organization and any noted field conditions

Quality gate before delivery

Before any Revit file leaves our shop, it passes a fixed QC checklist: correct shared coordinates, level names matching scope, no orphan or unplaced elements, all model categories assigned, workset structure matching client template, accuracy report attached. The checklist is in every project SOW so there’s no ambiguity about what “done” means.

Frequently asked questions

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Related services

Scan-to-BIM works best as the second stage of a bundled engagement: 3D laser scanning captures the field reality; scan-to-BIM converts it into a usable design artifact. The BIM LOD levels guide explains the LOD framework in depth — read it before scoping if your team is new to LOD-based contracts.