Matterport is basically a laser scanner. We can use it for a whole house and rely on it through three stages of a project.
One way we use Matterport is to measure a home before design. We send out a subcontractor that uses Matterport and draws for us. They get a base drawing of the
entire house, room by room, then we send the base drawing to our design team for further plan development.
It’s extremely accurate. Someone sets up a tripod in the middle of the room and shoots a 3D image of everything. Once we have the output, I can use their in-software measuring tool to measure windows, ceiling heights, or the square feet of rooms. The design team uses it for space planning with confidence in accurate measurements. The CAD guys use it to build an accurate model of the project.
In the past, we typically sent two people out to measure a house for a whole day, but with Matterport, one person can go to a house, spend three to four hours tops, and end up with a more accurate output.
It saves on labor and improves accuracy. For us at MA Peterson Designbuild, we benefit most from the improved accuracy. Before, there were endless times we discovered rooms are six inches shorter than we thought or taller than we thought.
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Using Matterport Throughout the Project
We use Matterport in three stages: pre-construction, framing and mechanicals before framing inspection, and post-construction.
It can help in situations where the electrician is missing an outlet or a recessed can light. I can just open the Matterport file and tell them, “Here’s where you have a box, you have a coiled wire 12 feet out, six feet out.”
The same can be done for ductwork, plumbing—everything. We set up the imaging system and shoot the entire project right before insulation installation.
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Quick Tips: Double Checking and File Storage
There are technical pieces of it, like understanding the stitching of images when traveling from room to room. You can remedy this by measuring to double check, or else the stitching could provide off measurements.
For post-construction, our marketing person uses Matterport to feature beautiful walkthrough scans of the home on our website. We haven’t done this yet, but you could even do a before and after.
I’ve been personally using it for four or five years. It’s come a long way and the interface has improved.
Files are super data-intensive, up to a terabyte of storage sometimes, so most of the time, we store the files in the cloud.
We’re in the process of purchasing Matterport for in-house use. We have budgeted $30,000 for cameras, accessories, software, and user licenses, but we expect to see the return on that in a few years.