Measuring & Field Work
Scanning rooms with LiDAR
LiDAR scanning needs an iPhone 12 Pro or later (Pro models) or an iPad Pro from 2020 or later. On other phones, use Quick Area, a laser, or type measurements.
Scan a walkthrough
- Open the customer → Scan Rooms (LiDAR).
- Scan the first room. The outline builds as you go.
- When the floor outline closes, tap Done with Room, name the room, and tap Save & Scan Next Room.
- Walk to the next room with the camera pointed ahead — don't pocket the phone. Rooms scanned in one walkthrough line up on one floor plan.
- After the last room, tap Save & Finish.
Tips that make a big difference
- Lights on, doors and blinds open. Tie back plastic sheeting — the scanner reads it as a wall.
- Start at the entry and work outward, in the order you'd walk the building.
- Stand in the middle and turn slowly. LiDAR reaches about 15 ft. Small rooms work from the doorway.
- One space per room. Split big open areas into separate rooms. Different surfaces in one room are marked later, not by splitting the scan.
- Scan big hallways and lobbies as their own rooms even if they aren't billed — they tie the plan together.
- Stairs: don't watch the screen while climbing. Finish the room, walk the stairs, start the next room. Add stairs by step count on the estimate.
- Spot-check one wall with a tape. Within about 2% is a good scan.
- Scan in small segments. Short scans come out cleaner than one long one: finish a room (or one part of a big open area), save it, then start the next. If a scan starts drifting, finish it and start a new segment rather than pushing on.
Battery
LiDAR scanning uses a lot of battery and makes the phone warm.
- Start with a full charge on scanning days, and carry a power bank or charge in the van between buildings.
- Close other apps and turn the screen brightness down a little.
- If the phone gets hot or drops into Low Power Mode, finish the room you're on, save it, and let it cool or charge before the next segment. Saved rooms are kept.
More in Measuring & Field Work
Start here: field workQuick Area, lasers and typed measurementsFloor surfaces: lines, areas and blanksRoom photos and notesRepeated rooms: hotels, apartments, classroomsArranging rooms on the floor planMeasuring stairsCounting chairs and theater seatsThe crew job sheetCrew marks — hose routes, entrances, cones, signs and hazardsTime on the job — Start and FinishExtra job while you're thereTech scoreboard and My NumbersPre-inspection formPlan B and reservices