In 2026, a 3D survey with a BIM model (scan-to-BIM, LOD 300) costs between CHF 3 and 11 per m² in French-speaking Switzerland depending on floor area, with a minimum order of CHF 1’350. In practice: around CHF 2’250 for a 200 m² villa, around CHF 5’350 for an 850 m² apartment building, around CHF 11’550 for 2,500 m². A scan on its own (point cloud delivered without a model) is billed at a coefficient of × 0.45 on the per-m² part, with the same site fees: for example CHF 2’850 for those same 850 m².
These figures are not vague estimates. They are the prices from our own rate card, the one that runs inside our quote configurator. The rest of this article explains what moves the price, gives ranges by building type, and answers the question you may already be asking: why does nobody else publish their prices?
What sets the price, and what does not
A 3D survey quote is calculated on four variables: the floor area, the product ordered, the modelling scope and the building configuration (number of storeys). That is all.
1. Floor area: a sliding scale per m²
The cost per m² falls as the area grows, because the fixed costs of a site visit (travel, scanner set-up, cloud registration, setting up the model template) are spread over more square metres. Our rate card works in marginal bands, like a tax scale:
| Floor area band | Rate for the band |
|---|---|
| 1–99 m² | CHF 9/m² |
| 100–499 m² | CHF 6/m² |
| 500–2,499 m² | CHF 3.75/m² |
| 2,500–9,999 m² | CHF 2.25/m² |
| 10,000 m² and above | CHF 1.50/m² |
Each band applies only to the square metres it covers. For 850 m², the calculation is: 99 × 9 + 400 × 6 + 351 × 3.75 = CHF 4’607 base. That amount is then multiplied by the product and scope factors, rounded to the nearest hundred (CHF 4’600), then increased by the fixed site fees: CHF 5’350 in total for scan + BIM.
2. The product: scan, model, or both
Three services, three coefficients:
| Product | What you receive | Coefficient |
|---|---|---|
| Scan + BIM | We scan, we deliver the model (Revit or Archicad) + the E57 point cloud + the IFC | × 1.00 |
| Modelling only | You already have a point cloud, we deliver the model | × 0.55 |
| Scan / survey only | We scan, we deliver the E57 point cloud (no model) | × 0.45 |
On top of this come fixed site fees: CHF 750 whenever there is an on-site scan, CHF 225 for modelling from your own point cloud. These fees explain why the price per m² of a small villa is higher than that of an apartment building: the scanner, the team and the quality control travel in both cases.
3. Level of detail: LOD 300, at no extra charge
Our models are delivered at LOD 300, the standard level of detail for a conversion project, a building permit application or a sales file: exact geometry, identified building elements, usable directly in Revit or Archicad. We do not charge an LOD surcharge: LOD 300 is the standard, not an option. A specific need (LOD 200 for a simple massing, LOD 350–400 for construction) is discussed at the quote stage.
If you are unsure which level of detail your project really needs, we have covered the question in LOD 100–400: which level of detail for your model?.
4. Scope: what the model has to contain
Architecture (walls, slabs, roof, openings, stairs, façades included) is always part of the model. The price rises when the model has to contain more:
| Scope extension | Surcharge |
|---|---|
| Furniture / fit-out | + 25 % |
| MEP (heating, ventilation, plumbing, electrical) | + 35 % |
| Complex MEP (dense plant rooms, industrial) | + 50 % (replaces MEP) |
| SIA 416 areas and volumes extraction | + 10 % |
MEP is the real price lever on the market: modelling ducts, pipework and electrical boards takes far more modelling time than a wall. That is why an “all-inclusive” quote with no defined scope means nothing, and why the first question to ask any provider is: “what exactly is modelled?”
On the SIA 416 extraction (standardised areas and volumes, much requested by property management firms), see SIA 416 areas: what your model needs to be able to calculate.
5. Storeys, and what does not change the price
Three storeys are included (basement and attic count); beyond that, each storey adds CHF 110 in set-up and registration costs.
Just as important, what does not change the price with us:
- The building type. A villa, an office or a shop with the same floor area and the same scope pay the same price. Technical density is handled through the MEP scope, not through an unverifiable “complexity” coefficient.
- An occupied building, an evening or weekend scan. That is logistics; we plan it with you and it is not billed as an extra.
- Revit or Archicad. Same price, same lead time. In French-speaking Switzerland a large share of practices work in Archicad; we deliver natively in both.
2026 price ranges by building type
The tables below apply the rate card above to typical cases: these are the exact amounts from the configurator (service part rounded to the nearest hundred), lead times in working days.
Villa (120–400 m²)
| Floor area | Scan + BIM model (LOD 300) | Scan only (E57 cloud) | Lead time scan + BIM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 150 m² | ≈ CHF 1’950 | ≈ CHF 1’250 | 7–9 days |
| 200 m² | ≈ CHF 2’250 | ≈ CHF 1’450 | 7–9 days |
| 300 m² | ≈ CHF 2’850 | ≈ CHF 1’650 | 7–10 days |
| 400 m² | ≈ CHF 3’450 | ≈ CHF 1’950 | 8–10 days |
Typical case: a 1960s villa to be converted, 3 storeys, architecture scope. Expect CHF 8.50 to 13 per m² for scan + BIM, the top end of the market range per m², because the site fees weigh heavily on a small floor area.
Apartment building (600–2,500 m²)
| Floor area (up to 3 storeys) | Architecture only | With SIA 416 report (+10 %) | Lead time scan + BIM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 600 m² | ≈ CHF 4’450 | ≈ CHF 4’750 | 9–12 days |
| 850 m² | ≈ CHF 5’350 | ≈ CHF 5’850 | 11–14 days |
| 1,500 m² | ≈ CHF 7’750 | ≈ CHF 8’450 | 16–20 days |
| 2,500 m² | ≈ CHF 11’550 | ≈ CHF 12’650 | 20–25 days |
Typical case: a rental building in Geneva or Lausanne, full survey for an energy retrofit or a sales file. That works out at CHF 4.60 to 7.40 per m², the zone where the sliding scale really starts to bite. Beyond three storeys, simply add CHF 110 per additional storey.
Commercial or office space (500–2,000 m²)
| Floor area | Architecture only | With MEP (+35 %) | With MEP + furniture (+60 %) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500 m² | ≈ CHF 4’050 | ≈ CHF 5’150 | ≈ CHF 6’050 |
| 1,000 m² | ≈ CHF 5’950 | ≈ CHF 7’750 | ≈ CHF 9’050 |
| 2,000 m² | ≈ CHF 9’650 | ≈ CHF 12’750 | ≈ CHF 15’050 |
Typical case: an open-plan office floor or a retail unit, single-storey or two storeys. Here the real variable is not the floor area: it is the scope. A technical floor with suspended ceilings packed with MEP can cost 60 % more than the same area in architecture only. Hence the importance of defining the scope before comparing offers.
For cases outside these tables (an industrial site, a heritage building, a portfolio of several buildings) the rate card applies in the same way, but the scope is discussed case by case. The configurator covers the vast majority of situations; for the rest, a phone call is enough.
Why market prices are opaque, and why ours are not
Search for “3D survey price” or “scan-to-BIM rates”: you will find pages explaining that “every project is unique” and that “a personalised quote is required”. Not a single figure.
This opacity has understandable reasons: providers want to adjust their price to the client’s perceived budget, keep room for negotiation, and avoid being undercut by competitors. The result on the client side is well known: impossible to budget a survey at the study stage, three quote requests needed to get an order of magnitude, and offers that vary by a factor of two, with no way of knowing whether the gap comes from the price or from the scope.
We make the opposite bet, for three reasons:
- Our price can be calculated. Floor area × product × scope + fixed fees. A formula that fits on one line does not need to be hidden.
- A client who knows the price before calling is a better client. They have budgeted, they know what they are ordering, and the conversation is about the project, not about the discount.
- Transparency forces quality. When the price is public, the only remaining differentiators are the deliverable and the lead time. That is ground that suits us.
This is also why our configurator shows the price and the lead time without any account creation: you configure, you see the amount, you decide. If you are preparing a formal tender, our guide Ordering a 3D survey: the standard specification lists the points a comparable quote has to spell out.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum order?
CHF 1’350 for a survey with a BIM model, CHF 740 for modelling only (point cloud supplied), CHF 610 for a scan only. Below these order values, the fixed costs (travel, scanner mobilisation, cloud processing, quality control) exceed the variable part. This is the typical case of a single flat or a very small floor area.
What is included in the price?
For a scan + BIM: the site visit, the E57 point cloud, the model in the chosen format (Revit .rvt or Archicad .pln), the IFC export and quality control by our architects. 2D DWG/PDF drawings, the virtual tour and the SIA 416 report are additional deliverables, selectable in the configurator.
Revit or Archicad: does the price change?
No. We model natively in both packages, at the same price and with the same lead times. If you have an office template to follow, we work inside it.
Do an occupied building or a weekend scan cost more?
No. Occupancy and working hours are planning matters, not billing matters. We collect them at the quote stage to organise the site visit, with no surcharge.
Get your exact price in 2 minutes
The ranges above place your project; the configurator prices it precisely: floor area, product, scope, number of storeys. The price and the lead time appear live, with no account creation.
Studio BIM carries out 3D surveys (laser scanning, photogrammetry) and produces Revit/Archicad BIM models in French-speaking Switzerland. See our services: Survey + Modelling, Modelling only, Scan only.