Constructions pros don't have time for inaccurate measurements. Whether you're in construction, remodeling, or real estate, a room scanning app can help you save time on the job site.
Gone are the days of using a wheel or measuring tape to measure your job site. If you're still doing that, you're likely wasting precious hours that could be spent elsewhere. But which app is right for you? Investing in a software is an important decision, and it depends on how your business runs.
How Room Scan Apps Work
What does LiDAR stand for?
If you got a new iPhone or iPad lately, you may have seen Apple talk about LiDAR technology. Well, what is that? It stands for Light Detection and Ranging technology. LiDAR uses short bursts of pulsing light to measure distances. With this, you can scan a room to create a site plan that matches the physical space. This is also the core technology behind augmented reality, or AR.
You can access LiDAR devices from several of Apple's Pro models on both iPhone and iPad.
In the image above, you can see the LiDAR sensor. It's the large, dark circle located to the right of the two camera lenses.
What's LiDAR used for?
Today, LiDAR and GPS (Global Positioning System) technology are used in tandem to accurately measure the location of items in an area. The LiDAR data is merged with the geographic coordinates to identify precise data in a given area. You can use this to map trees in a landscape, or windows, and doors within an interior space.
In topography and GIS applications, planes and drones are used to map terrain.
The tech has been in development for sixty years. In the 1980s, the emergence of GPS revolutionized how we saw the world by helping to create incredibly detailed 3D topographical maps with LiDAR.
How does LiDAR Work?
There are three core elements of a LiDAR system: the laser, the scanner, and the GPS:
- The color and intensity of the laser can vary depending on the application. Green light is most often used for underwater topographical scanning.
- Infrared lasers have been used in cell phones for more than ten years to assist with auto-focusing for camera apps.
- The scanner collects the return signal for the software to then synthesize into real-world data.
- GPS navigation systems secure the position and orientation of the sensor to ensure data accuracy.
LiDAR vs AR for Room Scans
Let's get some terms straight here - LiDAR is the core technology that powers AR Scanning. AR (Augmented Reality) was a phrase coined in the 1990s and describes a merging of the real world with an informational overlay.
AR can take a stream of video information delivered by the camera. It synthesizes the data from accelerometers, gyroscopes, GPS, and compasses, tracking physical features and objects. In a room scan context, this could be using AR to preview what a certain flooring might look like in your space, with the "AR floor" overlaid on top of your real floor in the camera.
[fs-toc-omit]Can I still use AR for a room scan to create a floor plan?
For room scanning, the app is what is referred to as markerless AR, where nothing is pre-programmed, so the app has to recognize common features such as corners, doors, or window openings.
You can use AR to scan rooms, but it uses imagery to determine floors, walls, and ceilings based on algorithms that determine which end is up. Literally.
LiDAR, on the other hand, works in the dark and uses physical distances to determine room dimensions. The more complex a measuring job, the more processing power is needed, which means that AR may sometimes struggle in complicated spaces.
[fs-toc-omit]Core AR Elements
Most cell phones and tablets are AR-ready, with sensors, cameras, accelerometers, GPS, and a solid-state compass, for directional capability
Which Products are Best for Scanning a Room to Create a Floor Plan?
Many tools offer room scanning across a wide range of applications. You have tools that can generate 2D plans or 3D walkthroughs or help you visualize what your new couch might look like. But should you invest in such a tool for your business?
First, you’ll need to decipher whether you actually need a 3D model as the end goal, or if a 2D model will suffice for your needs. Some apps use LiDAR and AR technology to create a 3D model, but some only use it as a means to get measurements, which may only be needed in a 2D environment.
Examples of 3D room scans that may only require 2D work
Say you’re a planning a remodel, and you need to estimate costs for flooring, drywall, and windows. The 3D model is great, but at the end of the day, your costs will be based on calculating materials by the linear foot or square footage. For that, you want a 2D floor plan. It's nice to have a 3D model to help visualize, but at the end of the day, you only really need to look at the walls and know the ceiling height to calculate your area of material requirements.
We’ve taken a look at some of the market leaders, the names that will come up when you go looking on a search engine, to help you decide whether they fit the bill.
Here are 7 of the Best Room Scan Apps
1. ArcSite
ArcSite is a sophisticated field software tool that takes you from the first line to the last dollar. It started as a CAD drawing tool primarily built to run on native mobile devices. Its primary use is for drawing on-site plans, and capturing important measurements in the field with detailed annotations and photos. The LiDAR-based room-scanning app allows floor plans to be generated in seconds by simply walking around your site.
- Pricing is tiered based on feature sets starting at $10/mo.
- Floor plan shape libraries are freely available to build out and customize drawings.
- Collaboration and cloud sharing are available.
- Exports to AutoCAD, PDF, PNG. DXF
[fs-toc-omit]Best for:
- Business owners, project managers, estimators looking for efficiency gains in field operations.
- Professionals in traditional floor plan creation applications: Architects, Engineers, Designers, Construction, Real Estate
- Specialty contractors (Basement & Waterproofing, Fence, Decks, Gutters, Foundation Repair, Builders, Inspections)
[fs-toc-omit]Integrations:
- Job management platforms: Jobber, Job Nimbus, SolutionView, ServiceTitan
- CRM: SalesForce, Zoho, LeadTrack, Improveit 360, mySalesman
- Measurement tools: Leica, Bosch, Moasure
- Finance: QuickBooks
- Payments: Wisetack
- General: Zapier, Open API
[fs-toc-omit]App Store User ratings:
4.7 out of 5
Visit ArcSite's AR Room Scanner for a 14-day Free Trial
2. Magicplan
Magicplan is geared towards arenovators, individuals, and businesses with a core focus based on insurance claims, inspections, and loss adjustments. Their tool also allows you to scan scan a room and create a floor plan in seconds.
[fs-toc-omit]Best for:
When you need to put together a condition survey prior to agreement and commencement of remedial works, Magicplan knows your niche.
- If you require photographic evidence backup, as well as plans that show what remedial works are required, done, and still to do, this popular app will cover off everything you need.
[fs-toc-omit]App Store User ratings:
4.7 out of 5
3. Room Scanner from Measure Square
Room Scanner is an app from Measure Square. They are best known for their commercial flooring software. They offer several related apps that scan rooms, but they share some of the same core features in different wrappers: RenoPlan, and M2 AR Measure.
[fs-toc-omit]Best for:
It generates a file you can export to RenoPlan or their Measure Square Mobile app for further product layout and estimating for sales quotes. It's created primarily for:
- DIYer - Create floor plans for DIY projects or to send to contractors
- Home - Measure room areas, and perimeters
- Contractors - Save and store floor plans and measurements
[fs-toc-omit]App Store User ratings:
4.5 out of 5
4. CubiCasa
Finland-based CubiCasa started out as a scanning IT service that could produce plans from scans and photographs for the real estate market.
Today they supply 3D layouts for listings and a tiered service that delivers in a day, or faster if you go premium.
- Most of the work they do is as service, to enhance the final deliverable, whether it be a floor plan, or a hybrid real estate layout for a listing sheet.
[fs-toc-omit]Best for
[fs-toc-omit]App Store User ratings:
4.2 out of 5
5. Floor Plan - CamPlan AI
One of the newest apps to be released is Camplan. It's a 2D site plan app that also offers room scanning.
- It partners with both LiDAR and AR and integrates GPT AI to deliver reports and design suggestions.
[fs-toc-omit]Best for:
- Architects and designers who want AI-generated insights alongside their scans.
- Tech-savvy early adopters looking for a futuristic take on room scanning.
- Users interested in integrating LiDAR and AR for enhanced spatial analysis.
[fs-toc-omit]App Store User ratings:
3.7 out of 5
6. PolyCam
PolyCam has a free download available, so you can try the basic functions before committing to their enterprise level that has access to features that a business would need. It uses a mix of LiDAR and advanced photogrammetry to produce 3D models that can then be exported into 2D plan views.
- There is an option to have a full-color rendering through the photogrammetry for a detailed record of an existing building, its condition, and its contents.
[fs-toc-omit]Best for:
- Designers and 3D modelers who need high-quality, full-color scans of existing spaces.
- Restoration and insurance professionals documenting building conditions.
- Hobbyists and small-scale users who want a free, basic scanning tool before upgrading.
[fs-toc-omit]App Store User ratings:
4.7 out of 5
7. RoomScan Pro LiDAR floor plans
The Brits haven’t been sitting on their hands either when it comes to taking advantage of the new scanning tech. The RoomScanPro and RoomScanClassic from Locometric uses Apple tech to point-scan a room and develop it into a range of products, from photo-accurate 3D imagery to floor plans.
- If you regularly carry out property condition surveys, one cool feature of RoomScanClassic is that you can dictate notes directly onto any photographs taken with the app.
[fs-toc-omit]Best for:
- Property surveyors who need to document room layouts with voice notes and photos.
- Real estate professionals looking for a fast, app-based floor plan solution.
- Homeowners and DIY renovators wanting a simple way to scan their space.
[fs-toc-omit]App Store User ratings:
4.2 out of 5
Bonus Reviews for Room Scanning Apps
SketchUp from Trimble
SketchUp is a popular 3D modeling software. It has integrations with the Canvas LiDAR app. While this isn't exactly in the same category as the other standalone room scan apps, for those users already using SketchUp in their workflow, it can be something to consideration.
If you don't already use SketchUp, it probably isn't the best fit because the workflow is complex. It would involve turning the 3D drawing into a 2D floor plan, and then you would need to apply products and additional third-party plugins for creating takeoffs and estimates.
What Room Scan Apps Are Best for Construction Pros
The majority of these apps have been developed to attract more buyers to real estate listings. On average buyers will look at ten homes before making an offer, and listings with a floor plan receive up to 52% more click-throughs than ones that don’t.
Other apps have emerged through niche construction sectors, such as insurance, where record-keeping and evidence-based invoicing are key to getting estimates agreed.
And it’s no surprise that flooring companies have been early adopters of this technology, with a laser focus on square footage.
Conclusion
There are a handful of apps to choose from for scanning rooms to floor plans, so you'll need to try them out to make your decision. If you're looking for field software that powers your business from the first line to the last dollar, choose ArcSite.
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