Outsourced firms are a good fit for unusual deliverables, strict drawing standards or very bespoke families. For existing-conditions models of plants, factories, warehouses and buildings, Moving Atoms delivers separated Revit and IFC objects within 48 hours instead of weeks.
How outsourced Scan to BIM works
A Scan to BIM firm receives your registered point cloud and brief (LOD, disciplines, standards), links the cloud in Revit, and models each element by hand. Published market guides quote this work per square foot with minimum fees. One US provider's guide gives a range of about $0.15 to $0.75 per square foot depending mainly on LOD, with typical minimums around $2,500, and estimates $7,500 to $37,500 of modeling for a 50,000 square foot commercial building, on top of scanning. Turnaround scales with area and LOD.
How Moving Atoms works
Moving Atoms is a Scan to BIM service, not a modeling tool you operate. You upload your scan from any scanner (E57, LAS/LAZ, PLY, RCP/RCS, PTS/PTX, FLS, LGSx, meshes or a zipped project, up to 200 GB per file, resumable in the browser), choose the level of development you need, and within 48 hours every object comes back separated, measured and editable, in Revit, IFC, STEP, USD or GLB. For sites that cannot send data out, the conversion can run on-site so the scan never leaves the building. You can open finished examples, including Revit downloads, in our LiDAR samples.
Side by side
| Outsourced modeling firm | Moving Atoms | |
|---|---|---|
| How | Modelers trace the cloud in Revit | Automated reconstruction and object separation, reviewed by our team |
| Turnaround | Usually quoted in weeks for larger sites | Within 48 hours |
| Output | Revit, sometimes IFC | Revit, IFC, STEP, USD, GLB |
| Objects | To the brief; equipment often simplified | Every object separated, including equipment and fixtures |
| Pricing | Per square foot with minimums (see sources) | Quote per site |
| Sensitive sites | Data shared with the firm | Optional on-site processing; data stays in the building |
When an outsourced firm is the better choice
- You need custom Revit families, drawing sets or company-specific standards modeled by hand.
- The scope is small and one-off, and a few weeks is fine.
When Moving Atoms is the better choice
- You need the model this week, not next month.
- The site is dense with equipment and piping that manual teams simplify.
- You need the model in open formats, or as a SimReady world for robots.
Send us a scan and get separated, editable Revit and IFC objects back within 48 hours.
Frequently asked questions
How much does outsourced Scan to BIM cost?
Published guides quote roughly $0.15 to $0.75 per square foot depending on LOD, with minimum fees. See our Scan to BIM cost guide for what drives the price.
How long does outsourced Scan to BIM take?
It scales with area, LOD and the firm's capacity, and larger projects are usually quoted in weeks. Moving Atoms delivers within 48 hours.