Floor plan methods compared
There are four practical ways to create a floor plan: tape measure and graph paper, a laser distance meter with manual redraw, a dedicated 3D scanner, or a LiDAR-equipped smartphone. Each produces a different result in a different amount of time at a different cost.
| Method | Time (3-room apartment) | Output | Accuracy | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tape measure + graph paper | 2–4 hours incl. redraw | Manual sketch or CAD file | ±2–5 cm (operator-dependent) | Low (tools only) |
| Laser distance meter + CAD | 1–2 hours incl. redraw | CAD file (manual) | ±1–3 mm per measurement | Low to medium (meter and software) |
| LiDAR smartphone scan Fastest | 10–20 minutes | Automatic 2D floor plan + 3D model | Within 1% (about 1–2 cm per wall) | iPhone Pro (already owned by most) + app |
| Dedicated 3D scanner | 30–90 minutes + processing | Point cloud, 3D model | 1–3 mm | €5,000–€50,000+ |
For architects, energy consultants, electricians, and tradespeople who need a usable floor plan quickly, LiDAR scanning is the fastest method that still delivers professional accuracy. A tape measure is slower and introduces more human error. A dedicated 3D scanner is more precise but costs 10–50 times more and takes longer on-site.
How long does it actually take?
Time on-site is the most important variable for most professionals. The comparison below shows real-world time for a 3-room apartment (approximately 70 m²), including the time to produce an exportable file.
2–4 hours total
30–60 min. measuring on-site. 1–3 hours redrawing in CAD or by hand. Any missed measurement requires a return visit.
1–2 hours total
20–40 min. measuring on-site. 40–80 min. drawing in CAD. Faster than tape measure, but still requires manual redraw for every room.
10–20 minutes total
Scan each room continuously without taking individual measurements or notes. The floor plan is generated automatically and can be exported to PDF, DXF, or IFC directly from the app.
The time saving compounds across a working week. A professional who documents three apartments per week saves over 200 hours per year by switching from tape measure to LiDAR scanning.
How to create a floor plan with a smartphone: step by step
The following steps apply to LiDAR scanning with an iPhone Pro or iPad Pro running Metaroom. The process is the same regardless of building type or room size.
| Step | What you do | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Open the app | Open Metaroom on your iPhone Pro or iPad Pro and create a new scan project. | 30 seconds |
| 2. Start scanning | Walk through each room slowly, pointing the camera at walls, floors, and ceilings. The LiDAR sensor captures geometry continuously. No individual measurements are needed. | 2–4 min. per room |
| 3. Connect rooms | Walk through doorways to connect rooms into a single floor plan. The app stitches them together automatically. | Included in scan time |
| 4. Review the scan | Check the 3D preview for gaps or missed areas. Re-scan any corner that needs more coverage. | 1–2 minutes |
| 5. Export | Choose your format: PDF, DXF, IFC, Excel, or 30+ others. Export directly from the app or from the Metaroom Workspace. Both the 2D floor plan and 3D model are included. | 1 minute |
The total time for a 3-room apartment is 10–20 minutes on-site. There are no return visits for missed measurements, no manual redraw, and no conversion between formats.
Which method is right for your job?
The right method depends on what the floor plan will be used for, how often you need one, and what accuracy the job requires.
| If you need to… | Best method |
|---|---|
| Produce a floor plan for a renovation quote | LiDAR scan: fast, accurate, exportable to PDF |
| Document a building for an energy audit | LiDAR scan: exports to Excel and PDF for energy software |
| Create a base plan for electrical or lighting planning | LiDAR scan: exports to DXF for DDS-CAD, DIALux, and Relux |
| Produce an as-built CAD or BIM model | LiDAR scan: exports to DXF and IFC for AutoCAD and Revit |
| Measure a single room for fitted furniture | Laser distance meter: faster for a single measurement |
| Survey a structure to millimeter precision | Professional laser scanner. LiDAR is not sufficient for this. |
LiDAR scanning is not the right tool for every situation. For the majority of professional building documentation, however, it is faster, more reliable, and produces a better output than any alternative at comparable cost.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Metaroom is a professional floor plan scanning app for iPhone Pro and iPad Pro. It uses the LiDAR sensor built into these devices to measure room geometry directly and produces a dimensioned 2D floor plan and 3D model automatically after each scan. Accuracy is within 1%, or about 1–2 cm per wall. Results export to PDF, DXF, IFC, Excel, and 30+ other formats. A 3-room apartment scans in 10–20 minutes.
