Guide
Choosing a scanner for Scan to BIM
The scanner you choose sets the accuracy ceiling of your BIM model and most of the site time. Here is how terrestrial, mobile and handheld capture compare, and how to choose per area.
Three families of scanner
| Type | How it captures | Strengths | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terrestrial (TLS) | From fixed tripod positions | Highest accuracy and range; long-established survey workflows | Slow on large interiors; many setups |
| Mobile / backpack SLAM | While walking, using SLAM to track position | Many times faster on large interiors and industrial sites | Drift on long or featureless routes; check against control |
| Handheld and phone LiDAR | Short-range, walking | Cheap, quick, good for small rooms and details | Centimetre-level accuracy; drift in large spaces |
Terrestrial laser scanners
Tripod scanners from Leica, FARO, Trimble, RIEGL and others remain the reference for accuracy. Each setup measures a dense, precise sphere of points; scans are then registered together. They are the right choice for facades, structure that must meet tight tolerances, long ranges and anywhere a survey must be defensible. The cost is time: a large building can need hundreds of setups.
Mobile and backpack SLAM
Mobile mapping systems such as NavVis VLX and Leica BLK2GO capture continuously while you walk. A 2024 peer-reviewed study in Remote Sensing tested both against a total station and a static scanner and found indoor errors of about 5 mm, with larger errors outdoors (roughly 10 to 60 mm). NavVis' own side-by-side test claims much faster capture than TLS; treat vendor figures as indicative. For large interiors, plants and warehouses at LOD 300, mobile capture is often the best value, especially when tied to a few control points.
Handheld and phone LiDAR
Handheld scanners and phone or tablet LiDAR are ideal for small rooms, quick checks and details. Studies put phone LiDAR at centimetre level for BIM measurements (see Scan to BIM with an iPhone). Two of our public LiDAR samples were rebuilt from phone captures from Niantic Spatial.
How to choose
- Start from the LOA. If the spec calls for LOA40 on structure, plan TLS for those elements. If LOA20 to LOA30 is enough, mobile capture may do the whole job. See how to write a Scan to BIM specification.
- Mix devices. TLS for the facade and critical structure, mobile for the interior, handheld for tight plant rooms is a common, efficient mix.
- Tie into control. A handful of surveyed control points dramatically reduces SLAM drift and lets everything align.
- Plan for coverage, not just accuracy. A precise scanner that misses the ceiling void gives you an incomplete model.
Does the scanner change the modeling?
Noisier data takes more care to model, and sparse areas force more inference. Good automated pipelines handle data from any scanner, but the accuracy of the model can never exceed the accuracy of the scan. We accept scans from terrestrial, mobile, handheld and phone devices, including FARO, Leica, NavVis, RIEGL and XGRIDS formats, up to 200 GB per file. Read point cloud file formats for what to export.
Have a scan? Send it to us and get separated, editable Revit and IFC objects back within 48 hours.
Frequently asked questions
Is mobile laser scanning accurate enough for Scan to BIM?
Often, yes. A 2024 peer-reviewed study found indoor errors around 5 mm for NavVis VLX and Leica BLK2GO, adequate for many LOD 300 existing-conditions models, especially when tied to survey control.
When should I use a terrestrial laser scanner?
Use TLS where tight tolerances matter (LOA40), for facades and long ranges, and where a defensible survey record is required.
Can I mix scanners on one project?
Yes. Mixing TLS for critical areas with mobile capture for interiors is common and efficient, as long as all data ties into the same control.
Sources
- Gharineiat et al., Assessment of NavVis VLX and BLK2GO SLAM scanner accuracy, Remote Sensing 16(17), 2024
- NavVis, Testing NavVis VLX side by side with a terrestrial laser scanner (vendor test)
- Adam et al., The suitability of smartphone LiDAR for 3D BIM applications, 2024
- Developments in the Built Environment, iPad Pro LiDAR accuracy study (2023)
- USIBD, Level of Accuracy (LOA) Specification