3D LIDAR SCANNING

Before you can design something new, you need to know exactly what you've already got. That sounds simple enough, but you'd be surprised how many homes don't match the old plans - or don't have any plans at all. Houses settle, walls get moved, additions get built, and before long, nothing is quite where you think it is.

That's where 3D LiDAR scanning comes in.

Using state-of-the-art laser scanning equipment, we walk through your home and capture millions of measurements in just a short amount of time. Every wall, window, door, ceiling, floor, beam, and corner is recorded with incredible accuracy. The result is a life-like digital model of your home exactly as it sits today.

Instead of spending days chasing measurements with a tape measure and a notepad, we start with an accurate picture of the whole house. From that model, we can create precise floor plans, elevations, sections, and existing-condition drawings that become the foundation for your project.

When you're working with a historic home or building, there's only one chance to document it the way it has stood for generations. Once construction begins, things change. Old plaster comes off the walls, framing gets exposed, repairs get made, and pieces of the building's history can disappear forever. That's why taking the time to document everything beforehand is so important.

Most historic buildings have lived a long life. They've settled into the ground, leaned a little here and there, and been repaired, added onto, or remodeled by generations of owners. Floors may not be level anymore. Walls may not be perfectly straight. Handhewn beams might bow just enough to catch your eye, and an old stone foundation may tell a story all its own. Those aren't flaws to us—they're part of the building's character. They're the fingerprints left behind by the people who built it and cared for it over the years.

A 3D LiDAR scan captures all of those details exactly as they exist today. It records not only the size of a room, but the little things that make an old building unique - the slight sag in a roofline, the way an old staircase fits together, the shape of original timber framing, or the irregular stonework in a century-old foundation. Those details become a permanent digital record that can be studied long after construction has begun.

That information becomes invaluable during restoration. If a wall has to come apart, a beam needs to be repaired, or a historic feature must be removed temporarily, we have an accurate record showing exactly how it looked and where it belonged. If the building is ever damaged by fire, flood, or another disaster, that digital model can also become an important part of rebuilding what was lost. In many ways, it's like creating a time capsule of the building before anyone ever picks up a hammer.

For remodels and additions, that same level of accuracy makes a world of difference. It helps us design new spaces that fit the old ones the way they should instead of forcing them together. Contractors have better information to build from, there are fewer surprises once construction begins, and costly mistakes caused by guessing are greatly reduced.

We have always believed it's better to measure twice and cut once. 3D LiDAR scanning is simply the next step in that same way of thinking. It gives us the information we need to understand a home before we ever change it. Whether we're designing an addition, restoring a century-old cabin, or preserving a historic landmark, it all starts with knowing exactly what's there. When you start with good information, you make better decisions, and in the end, you build something that'll stand the test of time.