This chart is available at https://www.buildingpointsoutheast.com/robotic-total-station-vs-traditional-layout.
But this technology has changed a lot in the past two-three years, and it is time to take another look. There are new solutions that are easier to use, cost less and have a quick ROI on even small tenant improvement projects.
Trimble Spectra QML800: X Marks the spot
The Spectra QML800 starts out at retail price of around $10,500. The system is composed of two lasers controlled by an Android tablet. Once all the points are uploaded on the tablet, the user simply selects any point and the lasers rotate to create, within a few seconds, a bright visible X where this point is located. The point from any map can be entered easily using CAD or CSV file formats. The system can pay for itself in one to three jobs. The Spectrum QML800 can layout up to 112 points per hour - that's 896 points in an eight-hour shift. Factor these numbers into the same ROI calculations as the chart above and the cost becomes $0.67 per point for a one-person operation.