Exterior elevations are the drawings that capture how a building presents to the street — its facade, proportions and materials, drawn straight on and to scale.
What Are Exterior Elevations?
Exterior elevations are 2D drawings of a building’s outside faces, typically labelled by orientation (north, south, east, west) or by street. Each one shows the facade straight on: window and door openings, rooflines, cladding, trim and the materials that define the building’s appearance. They are a standard part of any elevation drawing set.
Where Exterior Elevations Are Used
- Design & permitting — showing proposed and existing facades to authorities.
- Facade restoration — documenting masonry, fenestration and ornament before repair.
- Renovation & additions — matching new work to existing proportions.
Capturing Exterior Elevations with Reality Capture
Tall or ornate facades are difficult and unsafe to measure by hand. A 3D laser scan (sometimes combined with drone capture) records the entire elevation accurately from the ground, and technicians draft the elevation over that point cloud as part of the as-built drawings.
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simpleSCAN 3D delivers accurate 3D laser scanning, point clouds, as-built drawings and BIM models with fast lead times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an exterior elevation?
A straight-on 2D drawing of one outside face of a building, showing the facade, openings, rooflines and materials to scale.
How many exterior elevations does a building have?
Usually one per side — commonly four (north, south, east, west) — though complex buildings may need more.
How are exterior elevations measured accurately?
3D laser scanning, sometimes with drone capture, records the whole facade as a point cloud, avoiding unsafe manual measurement at height.
