Point cloud to deliverable
Scan-to-CAD vs Scan-to-BIM
Short answer
Scan-to-CAD turns a laser-scanned point cloud into 2D and 3D CAD drawings - the layered DWG and PDF files that design and permitting work from. Scan-to-BIM builds an intelligent model whose elements know what they are, usually exchanged as IFC. The right choice depends on what your project's software and workflow actually consume, not on which sounds more advanced.
What scan-to-CAD gives you
Dimensioned 2D drawings - floor plans, elevations, sections - and 3D linework, drafted from the point cloud rather than from assumptions. Delivered as layered AutoCAD DWG with scaled PDFs, it is what most design, permitting and renovation work in Western North Carolina actually consumes. If your architect or contractor works in AutoCAD or reviews PDFs, this is the deliverable that drops straight into their workflow.
What scan-to-BIM gives you
A model built of intelligent elements - a wall that knows it is a wall, with a thickness and a height, rather than four lines. Exchanged in the open IFC format, it supports coordination between disciplines and downstream facilities use. The modelling effort is real: every element the model should know about has to be built from the cloud, which is why scope is agreed element-by-element before work starts.
Which one your project needs
Ask what will consume the file. A permit set, a renovation design or a lease exhibit needs drawings - scan-to-CAD. Clash coordination between structure and services, or an owner building a live facilities model, needs BIM. Choosing BIM when the project only ever needed drawings pays for intelligence nobody uses; choosing CAD when the team works in a modelling platform means someone rebuilds the model later at their rate, not ours.
What we deliver, and what we say no to
MeasuredPlan scans on site across Western North Carolina and delivers registered point clouds, scan-to-CAD drawing sets in layered DWG and PDF, and IFC models where a model is required. Native-platform authoring beyond that scope - detailed Revit family creation, MEP systems modelling - is specialist work we name plainly as outside our lane, the same way we refer boundary surveys to a licensed surveyor.
At a glance
Side by side
| Scan-to-CAD | Scan-to-BIM | |
|---|---|---|
| Output | 2D and 3D CAD drawings | An intelligent 3D model |
| Typical formats | Layered DWG, scaled PDF | IFC, plus the source point cloud |
| Elements are | Lines and layers | Objects that carry data |
| Feeds | Design, permitting, leasing, records | Coordination, clash detection, facilities |
| Effort and cost | Lower - drafting to agreed scales | Higher - modelling scoped element by element |
Questions
Common questions
Is IFC the same as Revit?
No. Revit is one vendor's BIM authoring platform; IFC is the open, vendor-neutral format models are exchanged in. An IFC model opens in Revit, Archicad and other platforms. We deliver IFC, which keeps the model usable whatever software your team runs.
How much does scan-to-BIM cost?
It is quoted per project, as one fixed price with travel included, because the cost drives on building complexity and how much the model must know - which elements, to what level of detail. Agreeing that scope up front is what keeps the number fixed.
Do I need BIM for a renovation permit?
Usually not. Permit submissions in this region are reviewed as 2D drawings, so a scan-to-CAD set covers them. BIM earns its cost when multiple disciplines must coordinate in one model, or the owner will use the model after construction.
Related services
What this applies to
Last reviewed: 2026-08-21 · Asheville, NC
Still unsure?
Describe the decision, not the document
Tell us what you are trying to do and we will say which drawing answers it - including when that is work we do not do.
“MeasuredPlan gave us a clear starting point for our renovation. The site visit was professional, communication was easy, and the final measured plans were simple to share with our contractor and design team.”