For remodels, the best floor plan tool is the one that quickly turns existing conditions into a plan your client can easily understand. Polycam’s Space mode gets you a measured floor plan and a 3D model to share by link, all for $400 per user per year and no per-project fee. If you want estimating built in and prefer to pay per project, magicplan is a good choice. Twindo and CubiCasa are better for firms that want to send out scans and receive finished drawings. RoomSketcher and Floorplanner let you draw plans from scratch and are great for presentations, but you’ll need to measure the house yourself first.
This guide focuses on two things remodelers care about that most floor plan reviews miss: how much time you spend on site and what your client actually sees.
Key Takeaways
- Polycam, magicplan, Twindo, and CubiCasa let you capture the existing house using your phone. RoomSketcher and Floorplanner start with a blank canvas, so you’ll need to measure the house yourself or use an extra capture tool.
- Polycam is the only one of these six that gives you a 3D model, a measured plan, and a shareable link from a single scan, with no extra charge per project or per square foot.
- For small renovations, the lowest-cost options are Twindo’s 2D plan at $0.14 to $0.18 per square foot and RoomSketcher Pro at $12 a month. Each requires a different amount of your time.
How the Six Compare for Remodel Work
| Tool | How you get existing conditions | Time on site | What the client sees | Pricing model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polycam | Space mode scan on an iPhone or iPad. Plans are generated automatically | About 2 min per 100 sq ft | 3D model via link, measured 2D and 3D floor plan, annotated plan, Spatial Report | $400 per user per year (Business). Free plan scans but has no floor plans |
| magicplan | Room-by-room capture on a phone, LiDAR on iOS Pro devices | Per room, with manual confirmation of corners | 2D plan, PDF report, project link, estimate | Per project, 10-project monthly minimum, unlimited users. 2 free projects |
| Twindo (formerly Canvas) | Scan with the Twindo app, drafting done by Twindo | Scan time plus turnaround for drafted files | Drafted 2D plan or 3D CAD/BIM files | $0 or $29 a month plus $0.14 to $0.18 per sq ft for 2D |
| CubiCasa | Scan with the CubiCasa app, plan drawn by CubiCasa | Scan time plus 24-hour turnaround | 2D plan with dimensions, 3D plan on the top tier, CubiCasa Tour | Per scan, first 2D plan free |
| RoomSketcher | Draw it, or FloorCapture at $20 per floor on the Free plan | Tape measure time, then drawing | 2D and 3D plans, 3D photos, Live 3D walk-through | Free, Pro at $12 a month billed annually, Team at $35 |
| Floorplanner | Draw it | Tape measure time, then drawing | 2D and 3D renders, HD and 4K exports with credits | Free for casual use, credit packs from $8.15 |
Scan-to-Plan in the App: Polycam and magicplan
With these two apps, you have the plan on your phone before you leave the house. This can make a big difference on your first visit.
Polycam creates the floor plan directly from your scan. Walk through the rooms in Space mode, process the scan on your device, then use the Floor Plan Editor to adjust any walls or openings. The same scan gives you a 3D model, so your client gets a link they can view in their browser, and you get a Spatial Report with room areas for estimates. You can also add annotations to mark proposed changes before sending the plan. In our tests with a laser distometer, standard interior scans were accurate to about ½ inch.
4M Construction, a remodeler in Oregon, reports that estimate discrepancies fell 75 percent after moving to Polycam floor plans and measurement tools, and that homeowners are impressed by the scans the firm sends them.
magicplan builds the plan room by room as you scan, with LiDAR help on iOS Pro devices. Its main advantage for remodelers is what it includes: built-in estimating with automatic quantities from your sketch, unlimited photos and 360° images linked to the plan, and a PDF report. The catch is the pricing. You get 10 new projects a month, and extra projects cost $40 each. Every plan includes the same features and unlimited users. If your firm does about a dozen jobs a month, this works well. If you only do three, you’ll pay for projects you don’t use.
Scan and Send It Out: Twindo and CubiCasa
Both apps let you scan with your phone and get a finished plan back. This is a good fit for firms that want someone else to handle the drawings and don’t need the plan right away.
Twindo charges by the square foot plus a plan fee. A 2D floor plan costs $0.18 per square foot on the free Starter plan or $0.14 on the Essentials plan at $29 a month, with a 0.22 to $0.26 per square foot), which architects or designers can use directly. For a 1,500 sq ft house, a 2D plan costs $210 to $270, and 3D files cost $330 to $390.
CubiCasa charges per scan, and your first 2D plan is free. Standard tiers promise a 24-hour turnaround. You get a clean, styled 2D plan with room dimensions and total area, and higher tiers add a 3D plan and CAD files. The app was made for real estate listings, and you can tell by the style. For a remodel proposal, that works. But if you need to size a window opening or lay out cabinets, you should double-check the dimensions against the house.
Draw and Present: RoomSketcher and Floorplanner
These are mainly design tools. They don’t capture the house for you, so you’ll need to measure everything yourself. That adds to your time on site.
RoomSketcher offers the best client presentation of these six: 3D floor plans, 3D photos, 360 views, and a Live 3D walk-through, plus custom branding with the Pro plan. Pro costs $12 a month, billed annually. The Free plan includes FloorCapture at $20.
Floorplanner is free for casual use, and you can buy credit packs starting at $8.15 for HD exports and to remove watermarks. It’s the cheapest way to make 2D and 3D renderings of a proposed layout, but it offers the least help with getting your current layout into the app.
Which One for Your Remodel Work
- If you want the plan and model ready before you leave your first visit, choose Polycam.
- If you want estimating built into the app and you run 10 or more jobs a month, go with magicplan.
- Your designer needs CAD or BIM files, and you’d rather not draft: Twindo.
- If you need a styled 2D plan for a proposal and can wait a day, CubiCasa is a good option.
- If you already have measurements and want the best 3D presentation, choose RoomSketcher.
- You’re testing whether clients respond to a 3D view before spending anything: Floorplanner.
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FAQ
What is the best floor plan app for remodeling?
For remodelers, Polycam is the top choice. One Space mode produces a measured floor plan and a 3D model you can share via link, with annotations to mark proposed changes and no per-project fee. If you want built-in estimating and can meet the 10-project monthly minimum, magicplan is a good alternative.
What is the cheapest floor plan software for a small renovation?
Floorplanner is free for casual use, but exports have watermarks. RoomSketcher Pro costs $12/month, when billed annually. With both, you’ll need to measure the house yourself. If you want to capture the existing layout for you, Twindo’s 2D plan at $0.14 to $0.18 per square foot has the lowest per-job cost, and Polycam Business at $400 a year has no per-job cost.
Can a floor plan app capture existing conditions accurately?
Scan-based apps can capture existing conditions accurately. In Polycam’s tests against a laser distometer, standard interior scans were within about ½ inch, though larger spaces over 5,000 square feet showed more variation. Draw-based tools like RoomSketcher and Floorplanner rely on the measurements you enter.
Which floor plan creator gives clients a 3D view?
Polycam lets you share the actual 3D scan of the client’s house by link. RoomSketcher and Floorplanner create a 3D view of the drawn plan. CubiCasa’s top tier adds a furnished 3D plan. magicplan and Twindo focus on 2D plans and CAD files.
