How to turn an old paper drawing into a digital floor plan – a step-by-step guide
- Remy Mägi
- Jul 7
- 4 min read
From paper to image, to AutoCAD: Ruut24 accurately digitizes floor plans and delivers DWG, PDF files in 3 - 5 business days, depending on the volume of work. Following post is example how How to turn an old paper drawing into a digital floor plan with the help of Ruut24.
Table of contents
Introduction
Why is a digital floor plan important?
How to prepare a paper drawing for digitization
Ruut24 workflow in AutoCAD
Timeline and key KPIs
Summary and next steps
Frequently asked questions
Introduction
Do you look at a yellowed paper drawing lying in a drawer and wonder how to quickly turn it into a clear and usable technical plan? We recently solved this challenge for a Swedish client: he took a photo of a 1978 floor plan with his phone and sent it to us. Ruut24 turned this image into an accurate digital floor plan in a few days, which can be relied on during the design, renovation or sales process. Below, we share the entire journey – from photo preparation to the final checked files – and explain why this investment quickly pays for itself.
Why is a digital floor plan important?
Centimeter precision in renovation. The scale of a paper drawing can "float" over the years, a digital file locks all measurements.
Faster collaboration. A DWG file moves instantly between architects, engineers, and construction teams.
Greater marketing value. A correct plan speeds up the sale of a residential property by nearly 12%.
These points are not just “nice to know” recommendations – they directly impact the construction schedule and budget. When measurements are in place and all parties see the same accurate file, “surprises on the construction site” disappear and material waste is reduced.
How to prepare a paper drawing for digitization to turn an old paper drawing into a digital floor plan
Use even lighting. Daylight or diffused LED lighting will reduce shadows.
Keep the camera parallel. Avoid perspective distortion – support the phone on a tripod or a stack of books.
Take a high-resolution photo. 12 MP is the minimum, 48 MP will give an even clearer image.
Scan as well if possible. A 300 dpi TIFF scan is a good backup if the photo fails. Scanning is often a much more accurate and better option than taking a picture with a camera.
Every well-done digitization project starts with a high-quality source file. Poor lighting or a skewed photo won't make the job impossible, but it will force the draftsman to make additional measurements and corrections, which can add to the cost. If you send us both the photo and the scan at the same time, we can compare them and avoid errors before modeling.
Ruut24 workflow in AutoCAD (turn an old paper drawing into a digital floor plan)
Set the scale. We import the image into AutoCAD, align it using the scale reference, and scale it.
Clear layers. We divide walls, opening fillings and sanitary equipment into separate layers, the line thickness corresponds to the ISO 128 standard.
Restore details. Arc, Polyline, and Dynamic Block tools provide fast, yet precise drawing.
Quality control. Two-person “blue pen” review + change log.
Final delivery. DWG, PDF – ready to share.
The process may seem long, but with an experienced team and a clear division of labor, we can typically complete an average residential project in less than three days. Our “4 eyes” internal control rule means that each file undergoes at least two independent checks – this reduces rework and gives the client the confidence that the delivery is ready for immediate use.
Timeline and key KPIs
Typical workflow
Request confirmation and quote – 1 day
Drawing in AutoCAD – 1 – 3 days
Internal and customer review + corrections – 0.5 days
File transfer (DWG, PDF) – same day
30-day aftercare and free repairs until the customer is 100% satisfied with the result
Success metrics
Reduction in the number of errors on the construction site
Lower revision rate in design
Faster number of approvals per cycle
Delivery reliability (% of files completed on time)
Improved customer satisfaction (CSAT)
Project profit margin growth
Summary and next steps
One accurate digital floor plan can save days of discussions and hundreds of euros in additional costs. If your plans are outdated or the paper is simply worn out, it is worth investing in digitization before you start an expensive renovation or sales campaign. Often, a digital floor plan is needed to make changes and additions to it.
Ready to get started?
📧 info@ruut24.com – send us your plan or photo
☎️ +372 5614 7334 – call and we'll talk right away
🌐 www.ruut24.com – see examples of completed projects
We usually respond within 24 hours and provide a realistic timeline for your project.
Frequently asked questions
How long does digitization take? For a 300m² residential building, it usually takes 2-3 working days after sending the source file and confirming the order.
Does the price include changes? Yes, revisions and additions are included in the price until the client is 100% satisfied with the result.
What file formats do I receive? The standard package includes DWG, PDF files; a JPEG image file is also available upon request.
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