iScano · Scan to BIM
Scan to BIM services
High-accuracy laser scanning turned into Revit models you can design, coordinate and document from. LOD 200 to 400, architectural, structural and MEP, for existing buildings across Canada and the US. One team from the site visit to the Revit file.
Get a Scan to BIM quoteCall (917) 383-3456
In Canada, call (647) 773-1341 · scope and LOD agreed before every quote
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Trusted in Canada and the US
Deliverables
What you get from a Scan to BIM project
One capture can support all six. Which of them are included, at what LOD and in which formats, is agreed in writing before we quote. The model is built from the point cloud, not from old drawings.
Architectural Revit model
Walls, floors, roofs, openings, stairs and ceilings modelled from the point cloud. LOD 200, 300, 350 or 400 is set per element by what the downstream use needs, not by project phase; the quote lists the LOD per element group.
Structural model
Columns, beams, slabs, bracing and foundations where visible. Sizes and levels taken from the scan, not the old drawings, so what you design against is what was built.
MEP model
Ductwork, piping, conduit, cable tray and equipment above ceilings and in plant rooms. Modelled to the LOD you need for routing new services around the old ones.
Registered point cloud
The scan itself, registered and cleaned, in E57 and RCP. Open it in ReCap or Navisworks to check the model against reality yourself.
2D CAD from the same scan
Floor plans, RCPs, sections and elevations in DWG, cut from the model or drawn from the cloud. The same capture supports both the model and the 2D drawings when both are in scope.
IFC, Navisworks and clash checks
IFC and NWC exports for teams outside Revit, plus a Navisworks clash check of the new design against the as-built model when that check is in scope.
How we build the model
How a scan becomes a Revit model
Five steps, one team. Swipe through them.Pick a step.
1. Scope
What the model is for, which elements, which LOD, and the software your team works in.
More detail
What the model is for, which elements, which LOD, and what your team works in: Revit, AutoCAD 3D, Plant 3D, Navisworks, Revizto. Whether you live in BIM or are opening Revit for the first time changes how we build it and how we hand it over. If you already collaborate in Autodesk Construction Cloud or Procore, we deliver into that.
2. Capture
Terrestrial, mobile or drone, chosen for the question. Density goes where it matters.
More detail
Terrestrial scanning for architecture, MEP and anything that has to be where the agreed modelling tolerance needs dense capture. Mobile scanning for large general-construction areas without dense services. Drone and photogrammetry for roofs, sites and façades. Density goes where your questions are, not spread evenly over the building.
3. Register
Every station aligned into one checked point cloud, delivered early in E57, RCP or RCS.
More detail
Every station aligned into one cloud, registration error checked, then delivered early in E57, RCP or RCS with its metadata, so your team can start looking, and can merge future scans with it.
4. Model
Built in Revit on the cloud, to the agreed LOD. Hidden services flagged, never guessed.
More detail
Architectural, structural and MEP elements built to the agreed LOD, with extraction tools where they help and meshing where a surface needs it. Services hidden above hard ceilings are scanned where access is opened for us, or modelled as assumed and flagged, never guessed silently.
5. Verify and deliver
QA/QC against the cloud, a review with you on screen, then RVT, IFC or NWC, the cloud and a walkthrough video.
More detail
The 3D model goes through our QA/QC check against the point cloud (a written deviation report when the scope calls for one). We walk the model with you on screen, make the revisions, then deliver the RVT in your template, IFC or NWC for the rest of the team, the point cloud, and a short walkthrough video of the model.
The people on site
Modelled by the people who scanned the site
The technician who registers the point cloud works next to the modeller who builds the Revit file. When something in the cloud is ambiguous, a pipe behind a duct, a wall that is not plumb, they go back to the scan photos or ask the person who stood there, instead of guessing.
Every model is built to a written scope: which elements, which LOD, which Revit template. Before it leaves, it goes through our QA/QC check against the registered point cloud; a written deviation report is available when the scope calls for it.
- Scoped before the scanElements, LOD and your Revit template agreed in writing, so the model fits how your team works.
- Checked against the cloudEvery model goes through QA/QC against the point cloud before delivery. A deviation report when you need one.
- A straight answer up frontIf a job needs a surveyor, a different LOD, or is not worth modelling, we say so before you spend anything.
Level of development
Which LOD do you need?
Most projects mix levels: LOD 300 for the building, 350 where the trades meet, 400 only for what gets fabricated. LOD defines what is modelled and how reliably it can be used; it does not by itself define accuracy, which is scoped separately. Pick one to see what it includes.
Already have a scan?
BIM modelling services from a point cloud you already have
Scan to BIM does not have to start with our scanner. If you already hold a point cloud from another provider, a drone survey or an earlier project, we quote the Revit modelling from it: architectural, structural and MEP elements at the LOD the project needs, in your Revit template and coordinate system when you have one.
Point cloud to BIM work is scoped the same way as a full job: which elements, which floors, which LOD, and what is marked as not visible. Send us the E57 or RCP with a note on the scope and we will tell you what it takes.
Case studies
Real Scan to BIM projects, and what the model was for
Every project below started with our own point cloud. Five produced a Revit model; one checked a fabricator's design model against the scan. Read what went right, what did not, and what the client did with the file.
Heritage · Toronto
Heritage seniors home, Sherbourne Street
A city-owned building with no usable drawings, scanned and modelled in Revit for the architects planning its renewal.
Read the case study →
Residential · Toronto
Victorian house renovation, the Annex
Two-phase scan-to-BIM for a design-build firm: the whole house first, then the opened-up structure once demolition exposed it.
Read the case study →
Public housing · Etobicoke
Two Toronto Community Housing sites
Gyms and a garage scanned for an architecture firm so the retrofit design started from measured structure, not archive sets.
Read the case study →
Industrial · Hamilton
Working metal plant, machines on the move
A running plant scanned around production so the engineers could plan a line move against a model of what is really there.
Read the case study →
Food plant · Etobicoke
Nine conveyor lines in a live food plant
A two-day shutdown scan turned into a 2D plan for the contractor and a 3D model, IFC and clash check for the integrator's engineers.
Read the case study →
Steel · Mississauga
As-designed vs as-built steel
Three contractors, one set of numbers: the erected frame and poured slabs scanned and compared with the design model, on one set of survey control.
Read the case study →Point cloud in, Revit model out
Drag to compare the scan with the model
The crane bay of a working metal plant: the registered point cloud on the left, the Revit model built from it on the right.
From the Hamilton plant case study.
Why iScano
Why teams choose iScano for Scan to BIM
A reality-capture company with more than a decade in LiDAR, modelling existing buildings across Canada and the US. Most of what we model was built or altered without a reliable set of drawings; the Revit file we hand over is often the first measured record the building has had.
- One team, end to end. The crew that scans is the team that models, so questions about the cloud get answered by the person who stood in the room.
- Scoped before it is priced. Elements, LOD and template agreed in writing before we quote.
- Your formats. RVT in your template, IFC and NWC for the rest of the team, E57 and RCP for the cloud, DWG when you need drawings too.
- Checked before delivery. Every model goes through QA/QC against the point cloud, and we walk it with you on screen before it is final.
Need drawings rather than a model? See as-built documentation. Need the scan only? See 3D laser scanning services.
Equipment and software
Sebastian Graterol
Co-founder · Geomatics engineer
More than a decade in LiDAR and photogrammetry. Reviews every Scan to BIM scope with the team before it is quoted.
Reviews
What clients say
Where we work
Where we do Scan to BIM
Canada: (647) 773-1341
United States: (917) 383-3456
- Toronto
- Ottawa
- Montreal
- Vancouver
- Calgary
- Kitchener-Waterloo
- Winnipeg
- Ontario
- New York City
- Connecticut
- Chicago
- Dallas-Fort Worth
- Miami
- Fort Lauderdale
- Florida
Most of our Scan to BIM work is scan to BIM in Toronto and the GTA, scan to BIM in New York City, Chicago, Miami and Calgary. All areas we operate →
FAQ
Scan to BIM: questions we get before a quote
What is the difference between Scan to BIM and Scan to CAD?
Scan to CAD turns the point cloud into 2D drawings: plans, sections, elevations in DWG. Scan to BIM turns it into a 3D Revit model whose elements carry information: a wall knows it is a wall, with a type, a height and a relationship to the floor. If you need to coordinate trades, run clash detection or manage the building afterwards, the model is the right deliverable. If the team needs measured existing-condition plans, sections, elevations or a lease plan, CAD is often enough; permit submissions remain with the responsible design professional and the jurisdiction. We deliver both from the same scan. See as-built documentation for the drawing side.
Which LOD should I ask for?
LOD 300 is the usual starting point for existing-building work: elements at their measured size, shape and position; higher LOD only where a use needs it. LOD 350 where trades meet and you need connections, hangers and clearances for coordination. LOD 200 for feasibility and massing. LOD 400 only for elements that will be fabricated from the model. Most projects mix levels, and we scope them element by element rather than one LOD for the whole building. Our LOD guide goes deeper.
How accurate is the model?
The point cloud is registered to ±3 mm typical (2–4 mm depending on range and setup). The model is built to that cloud and checked against it in QA/QC, and where a wall is out of plumb or a slab is not level we say so rather than let the model hide it; a written deviation report can be included in the scope. Modelling tolerance is agreed in the scope, because a heritage façade and a warehouse do not need the same one.
What formats do you deliver?
RVT in your Revit template and version, IFC for teams outside Revit, NWC for Navisworks, E57 and RCP for the point cloud, and DWG if you also want drawings. If your engineers work in SolidWorks or Plant 3D we export accordingly. Tell us what your team opens and we deliver that.
How long does a Scan to BIM project take?
On-site capture is usually one to two days for a commercial building, longer for MEP-dense plants. Modelling depends on size, LOD and how much MEP there is: a few days for a small architectural model, several weeks for a full plant at LOD 350. We give you a date with the quote and deliver the point cloud early so your team can start looking while we model.
What drives the cost?
Four things: the size of the building, how much is in it (an empty warehouse and a mechanical room are very different per square metre), the LOD, and which disciplines you need modelled. Dense MEP at LOD 350 is typically the largest single driver. Send the address, building type, disciplines and LOD and we will scope it; our Scan to BIM cost guide explains the ranges.
Can you model MEP and structure, not just architecture?
Yes: ductwork, piping, conduit, cable tray, equipment, columns, beams, bracing and slabs, from the same scan. Hidden elements (above hard ceilings, inside chases) are scanned with the ceilings open or modelled as assumed and flagged.
Do you work in our Revit template and coordinate system?
Yes. We model in your template, levels and shared coordinates if you send them; otherwise we set up a clean project with agreed levels and document the project origin and reference points; if geodetic or legal survey control is required, we work from the control the licensed surveyor provides. If a licensed surveyor needs to tie the model to a geodetic system, we work with them and say so before the scan.
We already have a point cloud. Can you model from it?
Yes. Send the registered cloud (E57, RCP or LAS) with its registration report and we quote the modelling on its own. We tell you first if the cloud is too thin or has gaps where you need detail, because a model is only as good as the scan under it.
Where do you do Scan to BIM?
Across Canada and the US; see the city pages above for coverage and phone numbers; teams in several cities, project-based coverage elsewhere.
What is the difference between CAD to BIM and Scan to BIM?
CAD to BIM rebuilds a model from existing 2D drawings and carries whatever those drawings got wrong or left out. Scan to BIM builds the model from a laser scan of the building as it stands today, so the model shows the actual positions of walls, structure and services, not the ones that were planned.
What information is included in the model elements?
The quote states which elements are modelled, their LOD and any parameters or asset information required. A geometric model does not automatically include a full facility-management dataset.
Get a quote
Tell us about the site. We'll tell you what it takes.
The address, the building type, the disciplines and the LOD you need is enough to start.
Prefer to talk? Canada (647) 773-1341 · US (917) 383-3456
What to send for a quote: the address and building type, roughly how big, what the model is for, which disciplines and elements, the LOD, whether you already have a point cloud, your Revit version and template, any coordinate or survey-control needs, site access, and the date you need it. A rough version of that is enough to start.
- Scope and LOD agreed before every quote
- Crews across Canada and the US
- RVT, IFC, NWC, E57 and DWG, in your template