If you build or renovate to measure, you need dimensions that hold true on site. iMesure is first and foremost a drafting office for drafting on commission in AutoCAD. Without usable dimensions or plans, we start with on-site measuring: a measured survey by our experts. Our interior measuring service covers rooms, interiors, kitchens, stairs, facades and window openings, measured by laser and drawn up in AutoCAD. You receive DWG, DXF and PDF, so the drawing office, work preparation or architect can carry on straight away.
What is a laser survey with point-to-point measuring?
A laser survey is a digital on-site survey using a professional Leica laser measuring instrument on a tripod. From a single set-up, we aim the laser at the points that matter: corners, edges, heights and openings. The instrument calculates the distance between any two points, even if you cannot touch them. This is called point-to-point measuring.
With a tape measure, you measure from wall to wall. With point-to-point measuring, we record the position of each point in the room. Angles, diagonals, heights and openings then follow from the same set of points. The points go to the computer digitally as DXF, so nobody retypes dimensions from a sketch. In construction, this is also called a measured building survey.
What we measure
We measure what you need for design, production and installation, including:
- walls: lengths and the line of walls that are not straight
- angles and squareness, checked with diagonals, so an out-of-square corner shows up on the plan, not during installation
- angled walls and roof slopes
- heights: floor level, ceiling height, floor-to-floor height and parapet heights
- openings: windows, doors, passageways and reveals
- ceilings, beams and ridge heights
- points out of reach, such as a stairwell opening, a void, a high ceiling or a point on the facade
- obstacles that affect installation, such as columns, radiators and visible pipework
Every survey includes angle measurements. Even a small deviation from square determines how a cupboard, a worktop or a staircase fits. Knowing that deviation in advance avoids surprises during installation. Photos record the conditions on site for the survey report.
What you receive
After the survey, we draw everything up in AutoCAD, to scale and dimensioned in millimetres. You receive:
- a floor plan, for example at a scale of 1:50 or 1:100
- wall elevations or facade elevations, if the job calls for them
- DWG, AutoCAD’s editable format, with a clear layer structure
- DXF, the exchange format for other CAD programs and for CAM/CNC and nesting software
- PDF, for reading, sharing and printing
- a survey report with photos
No AutoCAD? View DWG files free of charge with DWG TrueView or Autodesk Viewer. AutoCAD LT users can simply open and edit the 2D plans. On request, we also supply a 3D model in SketchUp or as a 3D DWG, or draw to your own layers and templates.
From site survey to drafting on commission
A survey is rarely the end goal. The dimensions are the basis for further drafting, and drafting is our core activity. Because we measure and draw ourselves, we measure exactly what the plan needs. Based on the survey, our drawings include:
- as-built drawings: drafting for construction, with floor plans, elevations and sections of the existing conditions for a renovation, regularisation or permit application
- shop drawings for interiors and bespoke furniture, with dimensions, materials lists and DXF for CAM/CNC
- plan digitising: redrawing paper or PDF plans as DWG, checked against a survey
- preliminary designs, detail drawings and plans for a permit application, to the architect’s requirements
- 2D and 3D presentations
Already have usable dimensions, a sketch or existing plans? Then a survey is not always needed. You can outsource your drafting without us coming on site. That works from anywhere, because everything is sent and delivered digitally. How we work explains how a survey or drafting job runs.
How do you prepare for the survey?
Make sure all rooms are accessible and the walls are clear where possible. That keeps the survey running smoothly. It helps if:
- the attic, cellar or plant room is accessible too, if included
- corners are not hidden behind boxes or loose furniture
- you send existing plans, photos or a sketch in advance
- you tell us what the dimensions are for: a kitchen, a staircase, fitted cupboards or a renovation
The purpose determines the level of detail. A kitchen maker needs the floor level and visible connection points, a staircase maker the floor-to-floor height and the stairwell opening, an architect the full existing conditions. Existing plans help, but do not rely on them blindly: old plans often differ from reality.
Measuring by application
- Kitchen measuring: walls, diagonals, levels and connection points, for kitchen makers and homeowners
- Staircase measuring: floor-to-floor height, stairwell opening and angled walls, for staircase makers and joiners
- Facade measuring: heights, openings and reveals, including points you cannot touch
On-site measuring in West Flanders and the border region
We set out from Lauwe (Menen), near Kortrijk and the French border. We measure in West and East Flanders, in Hainaut around Mouscron and Tournai, and in northern France around Lille, Roubaix, Tourcoing and Halluin. Further afield on request: see our service area. We work in Dutch, French and English.
Want a room measured or your drafting outsourced? Request a quotation or email info@imesure.com. Include the address, a short description and any photos or plans.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between point measurement and a 3D laser scan?
The difference lies in what is recorded. A 3D laser scanner captures a dense point cloud of the entire space. Point measurement with a laser measuring instrument on a tripod targets only the points the plan needs. iMesure works with point measurements, which is usually enough for interior, kitchen, staircase and facade work. For a complete 3D model of a complex building, a scanning firm is a better fit.
Can iMesure also do the drafting after the survey?
Yes. Drafting on commission is our core activity. Based on the survey, we draw up as-built drawings, shop drawings for interiors and bespoke furniture, detail drawings or plans for a permit application in AutoCAD, to the architect's requirements. On request, we also create 3D presentations in SketchUp. So the dimensions do not need to go to another office. You receive everything in DWG, DXF and PDF.
Do I need AutoCAD to open the plans?
No. You can open the PDF in any PDF reader and view DWG files free of charge with DWG TrueView or Autodesk Viewer. If you use AutoCAD LT, you can open and edit the 2D plans. Other CAD programs and CAM/CNC or nesting software can read the DXF file, for example for the work preparation of bespoke work.
Is iMesure a land surveyor?
No. Licensed land surveyor (landmeter-expert) is a protected title. iMesure is a drafting office and measuring firm. For plans attached to a deed, boundary marking or a land subdivision, you need a licensed land surveyor. We measure and draw for design, production, installation and renovation: floor plans, elevations, as-built drawings and shop drawings. We do not determine plot boundaries.
Can I use an existing plan instead of a survey?
Sometimes, but check it first. Old plans often differ from reality: walls are in different places, corners are not square, and dimensions shift after a renovation or new finishes. For bespoke work, we recommend an on-site survey. If you still want a paper or PDF plan converted to DWG, we can do that, ideally checked against a survey.
Where does iMesure carry out surveys?
We set out from Lauwe (Menen), close to Kortrijk and the French border. We carry out surveys in West Flanders, East Flanders, Hainaut (Mouscron, Tournai) and northern France (Lille, Roubaix, Tourcoing, Halluin). We look at locations further afield on request. Drafting on commission without a survey works anywhere, because it is all handled digitally. We work in Dutch, French and English.