Getting Started · 4 min read

Can I Use Phone Photos for Floor Plans in PlanSnapper?

Yes. PlanSnapper accepts any image file, including photos taken on your phone. You can photograph a paper sketch, a printed floor plan, a whiteboard drawing, or anything on paper that shows the layout of the home. Here is what to keep in mind to get accurate results.

What file formats are supported?

PlanSnapper accepts JPG, PNG, and HEIC (iPhone native format). You can upload photos directly from your camera roll without converting them. PDF files are also supported -- page 1 is automatically rendered for tracing.

What makes a good phone photo for measurement?

The most important factor is perspective. A photo taken at an angle introduces distortion that makes measurement unreliable. For best results:

• Shoot straight down if the floor plan is flat on a surface (table or floor). Position your phone directly above, parallel to the paper, with no tilt.
• Shoot straight on if the floor plan is on a wall or vertical surface. Stand back and center the camera to avoid keystoning.
• Fill the frame. Get close enough that the floor plan occupies most of the image. Avoid having large blank borders that waste resolution.
• Good lighting, no glare. Avoid shiny paper under direct light. Overcast daylight or indirect indoor light works well.
• High resolution. Modern phone cameras are more than sufficient. Make sure the image is sharp -- blurry photos make it hard to see corners accurately.

Do I still need a known measurement?

Yes. PlanSnapper determines square footage by tracing the perimeter of the floor plan and using a scale reference -- one known wall dimension that you enter manually. Without a scale reference, PlanSnapper cannot know how large the drawn space actually is.

For a phone photo of a paper sketch, you typically need at least one measurement you can verify on-site or from a known source. Good sources include:

• A wall dimension written directly on the sketch (common with architect drawings and survey plats)
• A measurement you took yourself with a tape or laser
• A scale bar printed on the floor plan (set the scale from a segment of the bar)
• A known structural dimension (like a standard 10-foot room that you measured)

If the sketch has no measurements and you have no field reference, you cannot get an accurate square footage reading from any tool -- the image has no inherent size information.

Phone photo vs PDF: which is better?

A PDF export from CubiCasa, Matterport, iGUIDE, or architectural software is generally more accurate than a phone photo because it is a vector document without perspective distortion. If you have the option to download a PDF, use it.

That said, phone photos work well in practice when shot correctly. Many appraisers use PlanSnapper with photos of hand sketches from the field and get results that match their tape-measure calculations within 1-2%.

What about photos of the actual room (not a floor plan)?

PlanSnapper is designed for floor plan images, not photographs of rooms. A photo of a living room or exterior of a home does not give you the top-down view needed to trace the perimeter. You need a floor plan -- either a digital export, a hand sketch, or a printed plan.

Tips for photographing a paper sketch in the field

• Put the sketch on the hood of your car or a flat surface -- easier than holding it
• Step back to keep the camera parallel (not at an angle) to the paper
• Use your phone's “scan document” feature if available (iOS Notes or Google PhotoScan) -- it auto-corrects perspective
• Write at least one wall dimension on the sketch before you leave the property so you have a scale reference
• Take two photos at different zoom levels as backup