If you've looked into room scanning apps for contractors, you've probably run into the phrase "requires LiDAR." But what does that actually mean, and what happens if your phone doesn't have one? This post breaks it down — and explains how BuildSuiteScan works on both LiDAR and non-LiDAR devices.
What is a floor plan scanner app?
A floor plan scanner app turns a physical space into a digital floor plan — wall lengths, room area, door and window positions — without a tape measure. For contractors, this means you can walk a job site and have an accurate scope of work before you leave the building.
The best floor plan scanner apps go further than just dimensions. BuildSuiteScan generates a trade-by-trade scope of work from your scan data: painting, flooring, drywall, trim, plumbing, and more — all calculated from the actual room geometry.
LiDAR vs non-LiDAR: what's the difference?
LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) is a depth-sensing technology built into select iPhone and iPad Pro models. It fires invisible laser pulses at the room and measures how long they take to bounce back — building an accurate 3D model of the space in real time.
With LiDAR: you walk the room slowly and the app builds the floor plan automatically. Walls, doors, windows, and fixtures are detected and measured by the sensor. The whole process takes 1–3 minutes per room.
Without LiDAR: the app uses manual entry mode. You tap the corners of the room on a canvas, enter wall lengths from a tape measure or visual estimate, and place doors and windows by hand. It takes longer, but it still produces the same scope of work output — floor plans, area calculations, and a full SOW.
Supported devices — LiDAR scanning
The following devices support automatic LiDAR room scanning in BuildSuiteScan:
iPhone (LiDAR)
- iPhone 12 Pro
- iPhone 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 13 Pro
- iPhone 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 14 Pro
- iPhone 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 15 Pro
- iPhone 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 16 Pro
- iPhone 16 Pro Max
iPad Pro (LiDAR)
- iPad Pro 11-inch (2nd generation, 2020) and later
- iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation, 2020) and later
In short: any iPhone with "Pro" in the name from iPhone 12 onward, and any iPad Pro from 2020 onward.
Supported devices — manual entry mode
If your device does not have a LiDAR sensor, BuildSuiteScan's manual entry mode works on any iPhone or iPad running iOS 16 or later, including:
- iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Mini
- iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Mini
- iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus
- iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus
- iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus
- iPhone SE (2nd generation and later)
- iPhone 11 and earlier (iOS 16+ required)
- iPad Air (all generations)
- iPad Mini (all generations)
- iPad (standard, all generations)
Manual entry mode uses a polygon canvas: tap each corner of the room in order, enter wall lengths, then place doors and windows on the appropriate walls. You can add multiple rooms to build out a complete floor plan.
How accurate is LiDAR floor plan scanning?
Apple's RoomPlan API (which powers BuildSuiteScan's LiDAR mode) achieves room dimension accuracy within 1–2% under typical conditions — comparable to a laser distance meter. Wall lengths, door opening widths, window positions, and ceiling heights are all measured by the sensor, not estimated.
Manual entry mode is only as accurate as the measurements you enter. A tape measure gives you the same accuracy as LiDAR; a visual estimate will introduce more error. For rough estimates or initial walkthroughs, visual entry is usually close enough. For client proposals and bid requests, LiDAR or a tape measure is recommended.
What BuildSuiteScan produces from a scan
Whether you use LiDAR or manual entry, BuildSuiteScan generates the same outputs:
- Architectural floor plan — room layout with wall dimensions, door and window positions, and detected fixtures
- Area calculations — wall area (net of openings), floor area, and ceiling area per room
- Trade-by-trade scope of work — painting, flooring, drywall, trim, plumbing, electrical, and more, calculated from actual scan geometry
- PDF export — floor plan + SOW in a single PDF for client proposals
- DXF export — floor plan geometry for import into AutoCAD, Revit, or any CAD software
- Bid requests — send the scope of work to subcontractors in your BuildSuite network and collect bids per trade
Which mode is right for you?
If you have a LiDAR-capable iPhone Pro or iPad Pro, use LiDAR scanning every time — it's faster, more accurate, and requires no manual input. If you're on a standard iPhone or iPad, manual entry mode still gives you a full scope of work; it just requires a few minutes of data entry per room.
Either way, you walk away from the job site with a professional floor plan and a line-item estimate — no spreadsheet, no guesswork.
Start a free 14-day trial of BuildSuiteScan — no credit card required on sign-up.