What sketch software do appraisers use?

Appraisers commonly sketch in a program tied to their report software, such as a la mode's TOTAL Sketch, ACI Sketch, or ApexSketch v7, which ACI sells with integration into its software. For hybrid and desktop work, appraisers also use floor plans from phone and camera scanning services such as CubiCasa and iGUIDE. To measure a plan that already exists, such as a builder plan or listing floor plan, a measuring tool like FloorFigures is the fit.

Is there free appraisal sketch software?

Partly. a la mode's TOTAL Sketch Standard is free with its TOTAL appraisal software (the Pro version is $129 a year), and ACI includes ACI Sketch with ACI Report licenses, so in both cases the sketcher comes with the report software you pay for. FloorFigures is free with no limits, but it measures existing floor plans and doesn't integrate with report forms, so it isn't a replacement for a field sketcher.

Does appraisal sketch software have to follow ANSI Z765?

Its output does. Fannie Mae's Selling Guide says that when appraisers use sketching or 3D scanning software, the resulting output must conform to the ANSI standard. That means above-grade and below-grade area reported separately, garages and openings to below excluded, ceiling-height rules applied and totals rounded to the whole square foot. The appraiser is responsible for checking it.

Can I use a phone scan floor plan for a hybrid appraisal?

A hybrid appraisal needs a floor plan that conforms to ANSI Z765-2021, collected by a trained, vetted third party. Scanning services such as CubiCasa and iGUIDE say their area reports align with ANSI Z765. Whatever the source, check the area breakdown yourself: below-grade levels separate, the garage out of living area, two-story spaces counted once and low-ceiling areas flagged.

Can FloorFigures replace my appraisal sketch software?

No. FloorFigures is a free tool for measuring floor plans that already exist: builder plans, listing floor plans and third-party sketches or scans. It applies ANSI Z765-2021 rules and exports a PDF report, but it doesn't transfer data into TOTAL, ACI or any other report software, and it isn't built for drawing a house from scratch on site. It is meant to sit alongside a sketcher, not replace it.

Guide

Appraisal Sketch Software: Options and When to Use Each

Sketch software for appraisers compared by job: sketching in the field, scanning a home with a phone, and measuring an existing floor plan.

Updated October 12, 2026 · FloorFigures

Short answer

Pick by job. To sketch a house on site and send GLA into the report, use the sketcher tied to your report software (a la mode's TOTAL Sketch, ACI Sketch, or ApexSketch v7 through ACI). To get a floor plan without drawing it, use a phone or camera scanning service (CubiCasa, iGUIDE, magicplan). To measure a plan that already exists, such as a builder plan, a listing floor plan or someone else's scan, use a measuring tool like FloorFigures, which is free.

"Sketch software" covers three different jobs, and comparisons often blur them. Here they are separated, with each tool described from its own website (checked October 2026). Prices appear only where the vendor lists them. Whatever you use, Fannie Mae requires that sketch and 3D-scan output conform to ANSI Z765-2021.

Which kind of sketch software do you need?

Your job	Tool type	Examples
Measure and sketch on site, send GLA and room counts into the report	Field sketcher tied to report software	TOTAL Sketch, ACI Sketch, ApexSketch v7
Get a floor plan without drawing it, often by someone else	Phone or camera scanning service	CubiCasa, iGUIDE, magicplan
Measure an existing plan: builder plans, listing floor plans, third-party sketches	Plan measuring tool	FloorFigures
Check a third-party plan's GLA on a desktop or hybrid assignment	Plan measuring tool	FloorFigures

At a glance

Appraisal sketch and floor plan tools, checked October 2026
Tool	Type	Price on vendor's site	Works with report software
TOTAL Sketch (a la mode)	Field sketcher, desktop and mobile	Standard free with TOTAL; Pro $129/yr	TOTAL
ACI Sketch (ACI)	Field sketcher	Included with ACI Report licenses	ACI
ApexSketch v7	Field sketcher, desktop and mobile	Sold through ACI to members; single-license price not shown	ACI; TOTAL Sketch Pro integrates outside sketchers
RapidSketch	Field sketcher	Couldn't confirm	Couldn't confirm
CubiCasa	Phone scan, plan delivered by the vendor	Per plan; first 2D plan free	PDF to import into report software
iGUIDE	Camera scan, or hire an iGUIDE Pro	Per project, no subscription	Downloadable plans and files
magicplan	Mobile floor plan capture	Per project	Restoration focus; Xactimate export
FloorFigures	Measures existing plans	Free, no limits	None; PDF, CSV and other exports

Field sketchers for the appraisal report

These are what appraisers usually mean by sketch software: you draw the exterior from your measurements, label the areas, and the totals flow into the report so you never retype GLA.

TOTAL Sketch (a la mode)

a la mode describes TOTAL Sketch as "your floor plan sketching solution for desktop and mobile devices", built in-house, that transfers GLA, room count and more into its TOTAL appraisal software. The Standard version is free with TOTAL; TOTAL Sketch Pro ($129 a year) adds a trace mode for multi-level homes, drawing over plans or aerial images, and integration with outside sketchers such as Apex and RapidSketch. Checked October 2026.

ACI Sketch (ACI)

ACI, a First American company, includes ACI Sketch with licenses of its ACI Report appraisal software, and its membership plans list it alongside the forms software. Checked October 2026.

ApexSketch v7

ACI's store describes Apex v7 as a way to "transform a rough field sketch or plan into a complete, professional-quality drawing", with desktop and mobile sketching in one program, pen and DISTO laser support and area detection; buying it through ACI requires an ACI or CRAL membership. Apex's own site, apexsketch.com, wasn't serving product pages when we checked in October 2026.

RapidSketch

RapidSketch is a sketcher that a la mode's TOTAL Sketch page still names as one of the outside sketchers it integrates with. When we checked in October 2026, rapidsketch.com showed a parked-domain page and a la mode's TOTAL Store no longer listed the product, so confirm it is still sold and supported before you buy.

Phone and camera scanning services

These produce a floor plan from a scan instead of a hand-drawn sketch. They are common on hybrid and desktop assignments, where a data collector or agent does the scanning and the appraiser receives the plan.

CubiCasa

CubiCasa is a phone app: you scan the property in about 5 to 10 minutes, upload it, and receive the floor plan within 6 to 24 hours. For appraisers it offers a GLA report it describes as aligned with the ANSI Z765 standard, delivered as a PDF of floor plans and area calculations to import into appraisal software; its site says the first 2D floor plan is free. Checked October 2026.

iGUIDE

iGUIDE captures floor plans and 3D tours with its PLANIX camera, or you hire an iGUIDE Pro to capture the property for you. It says its floor plans include area calculations that adhere to ANSI Z765-2021, and its pricing is per project with no subscription. Checked October 2026.

magicplan

magicplan is a mobile app for drawing floor plans on site, by hand, with a laser meter, or with LiDAR on iOS Pro devices. Its site now centers on restoration contractors (photo documentation, estimates and Xactimate export), priced per project. Checked October 2026.

Measuring an existing plan: FloorFigures

FloorFigures does the third job. It is a free, browser-based tool for measuring a floor plan that already exists: a builder's PDF, a listing floor plan, a photo of a printed plan, or a scan from one of the services above. On PDFs it sets the scale from the printed dimensions and snaps to the drawing's lines; it finds rooms and the building outline, and reports above-grade and below-grade finished area with ANSI Z765-2021 rules applied (garage and porches out, openings to below subtracted, ceiling-height rules, whole square feet). A Compare tab checks the result against a listed or county figure, and the PDF report documents the scale check and the math. Plans stay on your device.

To be clear about what it isn't: FloorFigures doesn't replace a field sketcher. It doesn't send data into TOTAL, ACI or any report form, doesn't produce UAD files, and isn't built for sketching a house from scratch during an inspection. Appraisers use it for desktop assignments, for checking a third-party plan's GLA before relying on it, and for working from builder plans on new construction. More on FloorFigures for appraisers.

What to check in any sketch tool

Check	Why it matters
Above-grade and below-grade area reported separately	ANSI doesn't allow one combined finished figure
Garage, porches and decks outside living area	Never finished area under ANSI
Openings to below subtracted on the upper level	Two-story spaces count once
Totals rounded to the whole square foot	ANSI's reporting precision
Six-field breakdown, nonstandard areas and ADUs	Required by UAD 3.6 for reports submitted from November 2, 2026
Transfers to your report software	Saves retyping, avoids mismatched figures

For the rules behind each check, see ANSI Z765 explained and UAD 3.6 and square footage.

Questions

What sketch software do appraisers use?: Appraisers commonly sketch in a program tied to their report software, such as a la mode's TOTAL Sketch, ACI Sketch, or ApexSketch v7, which ACI sells with integration into its software. For hybrid and desktop work, appraisers also use floor plans from phone and camera scanning services such as CubiCasa and iGUIDE. To measure a plan that already exists, such as a builder plan or listing floor plan, a measuring tool like FloorFigures is the fit.
Is there free appraisal sketch software?: Partly. a la mode's TOTAL Sketch Standard is free with its TOTAL appraisal software (the Pro version is $129 a year), and ACI includes ACI Sketch with ACI Report licenses, so in both cases the sketcher comes with the report software you pay for. FloorFigures is free with no limits, but it measures existing floor plans and doesn't integrate with report forms, so it isn't a replacement for a field sketcher.
Does appraisal sketch software have to follow ANSI Z765?: Its output does. Fannie Mae's Selling Guide says that when appraisers use sketching or 3D scanning software, the resulting output must conform to the ANSI standard. That means above-grade and below-grade area reported separately, garages and openings to below excluded, ceiling-height rules applied and totals rounded to the whole square foot. The appraiser is responsible for checking it.
Can I use a phone scan floor plan for a hybrid appraisal?: A hybrid appraisal needs a floor plan that conforms to ANSI Z765-2021, collected by a trained, vetted third party. Scanning services such as CubiCasa and iGUIDE say their area reports align with ANSI Z765. Whatever the source, check the area breakdown yourself: below-grade levels separate, the garage out of living area, two-story spaces counted once and low-ceiling areas flagged.
Can FloorFigures replace my appraisal sketch software?: No. FloorFigures is a free tool for measuring floor plans that already exist: builder plans, listing floor plans and third-party sketches or scans. It applies ANSI Z765-2021 rules and exports a PDF report, but it doesn't transfer data into TOTAL, ACI or any other report software, and it isn't built for drawing a house from scratch on site. It is meant to sit alongside a sketcher, not replace it.