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MeasureFloorPlan vs Magicplan: Best for Appraiser GLA?
Magicplan and MeasureFloorPlan both help real estate appraisers get to an accurate GLA, but they approach it from opposite ends of the workflow. Magicplan starts in the field, capturing a floor plan from scratch. MeasureFloorPlan starts at your desk, measuring from a floor plan you already have.
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- Magicplan: Use it when you need to sketch a floor plan on-site. AR-assisted room-by-room drawing on your phone, with PDF export.
- MeasureFloorPlan: Use it when you have a floor plan and need to calculate or verify GLA quickly: without sketching software or per-scan fees.
MeasureFloorPlan vs Magicplan: at a glance
| MeasureFloorPlan | Magicplan | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary function | GLA calculation from existing floor plans | Field floor plan capture and sketching |
| On-site required | No | Yes |
| Device | Any browser (desktop or mobile) | iOS / Android smartphone |
| ANSI GLA | Built-in (trace above/below grade) | Available via export + manual calc |
| Turnaround | Real-time while tracing | Real-time sketch (AR-assisted) |
| Pricing | $9 one-time or $29/mo unlimited | $10–$25/month (team plans available) |
| Learning curve | Low: upload and trace | Moderate: room-by-room AR sketching |
How Magicplan works
Magicplan uses your smartphone's camera and AR to help you sketch a floor plan room by room. You point the camera at each corner and tap to place walls. The app assembles the rooms into a complete floor plan, which you can export as a PDF, JPG, or DXF.
For appraisers, Magicplan's main appeal is speed on-site. It is faster than drawing on paper and produces a clean digital plan you can annotate. However, calculating ANSI GLA still requires you to interpret the exported plan and apply ANSI rules manually (or use a separate tool).
How MeasureFloorPlan works
MeasureFloorPlan is a web-based GLA calculator. You upload a floor plan image or PDF: from any source. Set the scale using a known dimension on the plan, and trace the perimeter of each area. MeasureFloorPlan calculates total square footage in real time and lets you designate areas as above-grade or below-grade for ANSI-compliant GLA.
MeasureFloorPlan does not capture floor plans, but it works with plans from Magicplan, CubiCasa, iGUIDE, builder packages, county records, or photos of hand sketches. If a floor plan exists, MeasureFloorPlan can measure it.
The appraisal workflow gap Magicplan leaves
Magicplan gives you a floor plan. It does not automatically give you ANSI GLA. You still need to identify which areas qualify as above-grade living space under ANSI Z765, exclude garages, stairwells, and below-grade rooms, and sum the correct areas. For appraisers who do this in their head or with a calculator, that is error-prone and non-defensible.
MeasureFloorPlan closes this gap. After exporting your Magicplan floor plan, upload it to MeasureFloorPlan, trace each area, tag it, and let the tool calculate the ANSI-correct GLA. It turns the Magicplan sketch into a traceable, auditable square footage figure.
When you might use both
Magicplan for field capture, MeasureFloorPlan for GLA calculation. This is a common workflow for appraisers who want a fast on-site sketch but need a precise, documented GLA at the desk. The Magicplan PDF becomes the source of truth; MeasureFloorPlan becomes the measurement layer on top of it.
Already have a floor plan? Try MeasureFloorPlan
No sketching. No per-scan fees. Upload any floor plan and get GLA in minutes.
Measure Your Floor Plan in Minutes
Upload a plan, set the scale with one known wall, and measure anything: wall lengths, room areas, and total size. Your first measurement is free, no signup required.
Upload Floor Plan