As-Built Documentation & Digital Twins for Commercial Real Estate
Fast, standardized as-built documentation for property managers, REITs and commercial developers. Verified floor plans, BOMA-compliant area calculations, and capital planning data.
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Send us the building location, approximate square footage and required deliverables. We'll review the scope and get back to you. Send us the building location, approximate square footage and required deliverables. We'll review the scope and get back to you.
Commercial real estate runs on square footage, and square footage is only worth what you can defend. A rent roll built on a decade-old tape measurement, an architect's original design set, or a broker's rough estimate is a liability the moment a tenant, lender or appraiser asks for backup. DCMS replaces that guesswork with a millimetre-accurate point cloud and drawings that a BOMA-certified measurer, an OIQ engineer or a leasing team can all stand behind.
We work with property managers, REITs, asset managers and commercial developers across office towers, retail podiums, mixed-use complexes and industrial-flex assets. The common thread across every engagement is the same: owners need current, dimensionally correct floor plans, and they need them delivered without shutting down a leased building to get them.
This page covers what a CRE as-built and digital twin engagement actually includes, how BOMA and IPMS re-certification works from a point cloud, what it costs, and how we schedule work around live tenants.
Why CRE owners are moving off tape-and-paper measurements
Traditional BOMA measurements, done with a laser distometer and a clipboard, routinely miss 2 to 4 percent of rentable area on assets built or renovated before digital design tools were standard. On a mid-size office tower that gap is real money, either underbilled to tenants or overstated and exposed to a dispute.
A point cloud does not forget a column offset or a jog in a corridor. Every dimension used in a BOMA or IPMS area statement traces back to a captured, timestamped measurement, which matters when a tenant's broker challenges the number or a lender's due diligence team asks for source data.
- BOMA 2017 and IPMS 1/2/3 area calculations derived from verified point-cloud geometry
- Rentable, usable and common-area load factor reconciliation across a full floor stack
- Tenant fit-out as-builts that match the base building model, not a redrawn approximation
- Portfolio-wide digital twins so re-measurement or renovation planning does not require a fresh mobilization
Working in occupied buildings without disrupting tenants
Every CRE asset we scan has the same non-negotiable: no visible disruption during business hours. Our default schedule for occupied office towers is Friday evening through Monday morning, moving through freight elevators with building security escort. Retail podiums and ground-floor units are scanned before opening or after close, coordinated with the property manager and tenant coordinator.
For portfolio clients running multiple assets, we build a rolling mobilization calendar so a 20-building portfolio does not need 20 separate negotiations with building operations teams.
Tenant fit-out and lease-turnover surveys
Lease turnover is the moment most CRE as-built problems surface. A departing tenant's improvements rarely match the drawings on file, and the next tenant's designer needs accurate existing conditions before layout work can start.
We scan the vacated space, produce AutoCAD floor plans within days, and flag any discrepancy against the base building model so leasing and construction teams are working from the same numbers.
Digital twins for capital planning
A digital twin only earns its cost if it gets used past the initial handoff. For CRE clients that usually means a cloud-hosted point cloud and Revit model tied to a capital planning cycle: mechanical replacement, envelope repair, or repositioning a dated retail podium.
We version each twin so facilities and asset management teams can see what changed between mechanical retrofits, and re-scan on a schedule that matches the asset's capital plan rather than a fixed annual cadence.
Typical scope & deliverables
What a standard engagement in this industry usually includes.
| Deliverable | Typical use | Format |
|---|---|---|
| BOMA/IPMS area statement | Lease audits, rent roll defense | PDF + calculation backup |
| AutoCAD floor plans | Leasing packages, tenant coordination | DWG |
| LOD 300 Revit base building model | Capital planning, renovation design | RVT / IFC |
| Registered point cloud | Source of truth, future re-measurement | E57 / RCP |
| Tenant fit-out as-built | Lease turnover, design handoff | DWG / PDF |
| Portfolio digital twin | Multi-asset facilities management | Cloud-hosted viewer |
What goes wrong without accurate as-builts
Most CRE owners discover their drawings are wrong at the worst possible moment: mid-negotiation with a major tenant, mid-due-diligence on a sale, or mid-construction on a renovation that just hit an unmarked structural column.
The cost of bad as-builts rarely shows up as a single line item. It shows up as change orders, disputed rent, and design fees spent redoing work that should have started from correct existing conditions.
- ▸Rentable area disputes with tenants when a BOMA number cannot be traced to a defensible measurement
- ▸Renovation change orders when design proceeds from drawings that no longer match the building
- ▸Due diligence delays on acquisitions or refinancing when buyers or lenders ask for verified area data
- ▸Clash surprises during tenant build-outs when MEP routing was never accurately documented
- ▸Lost negotiating leverage when a broker's competing measurement contradicts the landlord's own numbers
- ▸Occupied vs. vacant space (occupied buildings require after-hours mobilization, which adds crew time)
- ▸Number of floors and repetition of floor plate layout across a tower
- ▸Whether BOMA/IPMS certification and stamped sign-off is required, or drawings alone are sufficient
- ▸MEP density, since mechanical rooms and ceiling plenums add significant modelling time
- ▸Portfolio scale: multi-asset programs typically see per-square-foot pricing drop with volume
- ▸Level of Development required for the Revit model (LOD 200 vs. LOD 300)
Reference ranges: scan-to-DWG $0.35–$0.85/sq ft, LOD 300 Revit $0.90–$1.80/sq ft, digital twin build $1.50–$4.00/sq ft. Final pricing depends on the drivers above.
- 01Discovery call to confirm which decisions the survey needs to support (leasing, capital planning, sale, dispute)
- 02Site coordination with building operations for access windows and security protocols
- 03LiDAR capture, typically nights or weekends for occupied assets
- 04Registration and quality control against a control network
- 05Drafting or Revit modelling, with BOMA/IPMS calculations where required
- 06Client review and markup round
- 07Delivery of drawings, point cloud and, if applicable, certified area statement
Related services and service areas
These pages cover the delivery details and Montréal-area logistics behind this industry work.
Frequently asked questions
Can you scan a leased office tower without disrupting tenants?+
Yes. Our standard approach for occupied towers is Friday evening through Monday morning, moving through freight elevators with building security. Tenants do not see equipment during business hours.
How does BOMA re-certification work from a point cloud?+
We capture the full floor stack, calculate rentable, usable and common area from the verified geometry, and hand the numbers to a BOMA-certified professional for final sign-off. This closes the 2-4 percent measurement gap common in older assets.
What does a typical CRE as-built cost?+
Scan-to-DWG work runs $0.35 to $0.85 per square foot; a full LOD 300 Revit model runs $0.90 to $1.80 per square foot. Portfolio programs typically see rates drop with volume.
Do you handle multi-building portfolios?+
Yes. We build a rolling mobilization calendar for portfolio clients so building operations approvals, security protocols and scheduling are handled once per portfolio rather than once per asset.
Can you scan a tenant space during lease turnover?+
Yes, this is one of our most common CRE scopes. We scan the vacated unit, produce drawings within days, and reconcile against the base building model for the next tenant's design team.
How current does a digital twin stay after delivery?+
A twin is only as current as its last scan. We recommend re-scanning after major capital work or on a cycle matched to your capital plan, and we version each update so nothing gets overwritten.
Get a Quote for Your Project
Send us the building location, approximate square footage and required deliverables. We'll review the scope and get back to you. Send us the building location, approximate square footage and required deliverables. We'll review the scope and get back to you.