I use a hybrid of measure with a laser distancer and steel tape and draw from the measurements, plus photography and Match Photo. Match Photo is not particularly accurate, so measure and draw what truly needs to be accurate, and use Match Photo to pick up some difficult details and add context. Here’s an addition to an existing house with textures on and off to see how much is just photo textures. The over all box is measured accurately, but the existing windows, siding, trim and all don’t have to be measured unless there’s something critical about them.
One possible tip using a laser by yourself: For exterior corners, bring a piece of white foamcore and some duck tape to tape it to a corner hanging out to give you a target to hit from the other end.
Probably more interesting than useful: There was a presentation at 3D Basecamp 2018 in Palm Desert on high end laser scanners, point clouds, and modeling with them in SketchUp (pictures here). The presentation was by Stangl Associates from Amherst, MA. Probably a good resource for commercial work, but over the top for single family residential.