Plain-language guide
Point cloud to BIM, explained
A point cloud is the raw output of a 3D laser scan: millions of measured points. Point cloud to BIM is the modelling step that turns those points into a Revit model with real walls, floors and services your team can design in.
Last updated 18 September 2026
From points to model, in four steps
1. Scan. The building is captured with a survey-grade laser scanner (we use the Trimble X9): millions of measured points per position, ±2 mm.
2. Register. The individual scan positions are aligned into one consistent point cloud and cleaned of noise: people, reflections, equipment. This is point cloud processing, and its quality decides everything downstream.
3. Model. The point cloud is linked into Revit and the modeller rebuilds the building against it (walls, floors, structure, MEP) as intelligent BIM objects. This is the step where LOD is decided (see below).
4. Verify. The finished model is checked back against the point cloud, so “as modelled” provably matches “as scanned”.
LOD in plain words
LOD (Level of Development) is how much detail and reliability you’re buying. LOD 200: approximate geometry, early design. LOD 300: accurate geometry, the standard for design development and spatial coordination. LOD 350: adds the interfaces between disciplines, the coordination workhorse. LOD 400: fabrication-level intent. LOD 500: verified as-built record, the handover/FM standard. The right answer is the lowest LOD your decisions need; a good provider talks you down, not up.
What does point cloud to BIM cost?
Three things drive it: the size and complexity of the building, the disciplines you need modelled (architectural only, or structural and MEP as well), and the LOD. The honest lever is LOD: agree the lowest LOD your decisions need and the cost follows. Send your building details to the Scan to BIM team and you get a fixed quote with the right LOD recommended for your use case.
What to ask any Scan-to-BIM provider
Who captures the scan: you or a subcontractor? (The hand-off is where accuracy dies.) What LOD, agreed where in writing? Is the model checked back against the cloud? What’s native: Revit or an export? At Dervoss the answers are: we scan and model in-house, LOD in the quote, verified against the cloud, native .RVT.
Related questions
What's the difference between Scan to BIM and CAD to BIM?
Scan to BIM models from measured reality (the point cloud); CAD to BIM redraws existing 2D drawings into a model, inheriting every error and omission those drawings contain. If the building exists and accuracy matters, scan.
Is BIM better than CAD?
Different jobs. CAD draws geometry; BIM models the building as intelligent objects with data attached: better for coordination, quantities and facility management. For a simple 2D deliverable, CAD is fine; for multi-discipline work on a real building, BIM earns its keep.
Can you do Scan to BIM in Revit?
Yes: Revit is the native output of our Scan to BIM service. The point cloud is linked into Revit and the model is built directly against it, at the agreed LOD, so every wall and duct traces back to measured points.
What are the 4 pillars of BIM?
The term usually refers to the four dimensions BIM adds beyond 3D geometry: information (data attached to every element), collaboration (one shared model across disciplines), lifecycle (design through operation) and standards (consistent naming, LOD and exchange formats). Different sources list them differently; what matters in practice is that a BIM model is structured data about a building, not just a 3D picture.
Why does in-house modelling beat offshore hand-offs?
Because the modeller can ask the scanner what they saw. The wedge is explained on the Scan to BIM page.
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