3D Laser Scanning Surveys
High-precision point cloud surveys across London and the South East — capturing every detail of a building to 1–3 mm accuracy, delivered by an RICS-regulated team.
Millimetre-accurate point cloud data
Blackacre provides high-precision 3D geospatial data of buildings, structures and external development sites. Our scanners reach accuracies of 1–3 mm and capture at 500,000 points per second, building dense, reliable point clouds that record a building exactly as it stands.
That data becomes the single source of truth for the rest of a project — whether it feeds an architect’s measured building survey, a heritage restoration, a BIM model, or our right to light and daylight & sunlight analysis. Because we keep the scanning and modelling in-house, everything stays consistent from capture to CAD.
Survey-grade accuracy
Points captured per second
Self-levelling laser scanner
What a 3D laser scan is used for
Measured surveys & CAD
Accurate as-built data for measured building surveys, floor plans, elevations and sections.
BIM & 3D modelling
Scan-to-BIM and 3D models for design, coordination and facilities management.
Heritage & restoration
A permanent digital record of listed and historic buildings to inform repair and conservation.
Rights of light & daylight
Precise massing for right to light and daylight & sunlight assessments.
Height & topography
Feeds building height assessments and topographical surveys of a site.
Area & drone capture
Combines with IPMS area assessments and drone surveys for hard-to-reach elevations.
How the process works
Scanning involves taking a series of static 360° scans — ‘stations’ — and stitching them together accurately. Buildings make this easier, as their geometric lines give clear reference points to register stations against.
• Lead-in: typically one week for inspections
• On site: we ask for access to all areas so nothing is missed; multi-day jobs may attract a small discount
• Processing: raw stations are registered (stitched) into one clean point cloud
• Delivery: point cloud usually issued within 24 hours of inspection; CAD drawings take longer
Point cloud file formats we supply: .tdx, .tzf, .e57, .ptx, .las, .pod and .rcp — ready to drop into the major CAD, BIM and point cloud packages.
Scan-to-BIM & modelling
Our chartered surveyors translate complex scan data into precise 2D CAD drawings and 3D BIM models, so your project planning, heritage conservation or structural modifications are grounded in exceptionally reliable measurements.
From a single point cloud we can produce as-built plans, sections and elevations, a coordinated BIM model, or a detailed 3D model — and because the same team captured the data, the output is fully consistent.
Why Blackacre
RICS-regulated
An independent, RICS-regulated practice — scans and drawings prepared to a professional standard you can build on.
Everything in-house
Capture, registration and modelling under one roof, so data stays consistent and turnaround stays quick.
Fast turnaround
Point cloud typically within 24 hours of the site visit, with CAD and BIM to follow.
3D laser scanning: your questions answered
3D laser scanning is a surveying method that uses a laser scanner to capture millions of precise measurements of a building or site, producing a ‘point cloud’ — a dense 3D record of every visible surface. It creates an exact digital twin that can be measured, modelled and reused long after the survey.
A 3D laser scanning survey is the on-site process of setting up the scanner at multiple positions to capture a complete point cloud of a property, then registering and processing that data into deliverables such as CAD drawings, BIM models or a measured building survey.
The scanner takes a series of static 360° scans (stations) from different positions. Each station records millions of points; these are then ‘registered’ — stitched together using common reference geometry — into a single, accurate point cloud that can be viewed and measured in specialist software.
Our scanning reaches accuracies of 1–3 mm, captured at up to 500,000 points per second using a Trimble X7. That is well within the tolerance needed for architectural design, heritage recording, BIM and dimensional analysis.
A scan is worth it whenever you need reliable as-built information: refurbishment and extension design, heritage and restoration recording, BIM coordination, clash detection, area and height verification, or feeding rights of light and daylight analysis. It is faster and far more complete than measuring by hand.
We can supply the raw point cloud (.tdx, .tzf, .e57, .ptx, .las, .pod, .rcp), 2D CAD drawings (plans, sections, elevations), and 3D BIM models — whatever your project needs.
Key contact
Ben Salvage MRICS C.Build E MCABE
Director | Chartered Building Surveyor
Ben leads Blackacre’s measurement and scanning work. Get in touch to discuss a 3D laser scanning survey across London, Surrey and Sussex.
Ready to scan your building?
Tell us the building and what you need the data for — a point cloud, CAD drawings or a BIM model — and we’ll get a scan booked in.