Updated June 2026 — prices reflect 2026 market conditions
What Is 3D Laser Scanning?
3D laser scanning (LiDAR) captures the precise geometry of buildings and structures using laser beams — producing a dense digital point cloud with millions of XYZ coordinates. Handheld scanners are portable, battery-powered variants ideal for smaller objects, complex interiors, and areas that fixed-tripod scanners cannot easily access.
Professional terrestrial scanners achieve ±1–3mm accuracy and capture 500,000 to 1 million points per second.
When Should You Use It?
- Pre-design and feasibility — capturing as-built conditions before renovation or extension
- Measured building surveys — replacing traditional tape-and-total-station surveys with greater speed and accuracy
- Refurbishment and fit-out — verifying existing structure aligns with design intent
- Heritage and listed buildings — non-contact documentation of fragile historic fabric
- Construction QA — comparing as-built against design model for sign-off
- Structural health monitoring — detecting settlement, deflection, or deformation over time
- Reverse engineering and product inspection — handheld scanners for component inspection and CAD model creation
Harrow Coverage
We provide handheld 3D laser scanning services throughout the London Borough of Harrow — including Harrow-on-the-Hill, North Harrow, South Harrow, Harrow Weald, Rayners Lane, Pinner, Stanmore, Wealdstone, Kenton, Belmont, and surrounding areas.
Typical Costs (UK 2025)
| Project Type | Typical Cost (ex VAT) | | --- | --- | | Small residential (3-bed house) | £800–£2,500 | | Starting price (basic survey) | From £450–£495 | | Medium commercial (office floor) | £3,000–£10,000 | | Large/complex (hospital, factory) | £10,000–£50,000+ | | BIM with LOD 300 | ~£7/m² | | BIM with LOD 400 | ~£10/m² | | 2D CAD drawings | £300–£1,500/drawing | | On-site scanning rate | £150–£300/hr | | Data processing | £50–£120/hr |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How accurate is handheld 3D scanning?
Professional handheld and terrestrial scanners achieve ±1–3mm accuracy — well within the tolerances required for construction documentation and BIM.
Q: When is handheld better than tripod scanning?
Choose handheld for confined spaces, complex interiors, MEP environments, or when fast mobilisation is needed. Choose tripod for whole-building surveys and survey-grade accuracy.
Q: What deliverables can I get?
Point cloud files (.e57, .rcp, .las), 2D AutoCAD drawings (floor plans, elevations, sections), 3D Revit/BIM models (LOD 200–400), and mesh files for visualisation.
Q: What does scanning cost in Harrow?
Small residential: £800–£2,500. Commercial: £3,000–£10,000+. Always confirm deliverables at the quote stage — CAD and BIM models cost more than raw point cloud data.