Free template
BIM execution plan template, section by section
A BIM execution plan (BEP) sets how every firm on a project will create, share and check the models. This template follows the structure of Penn State's BIM Project Execution Planning Guide, with guidance to fill each section. Read it all here, or download the editable Word file.
By Nicolás PlateroCCO
What a BIM execution plan is, and when you need one
A BEP is the rulebook the project team writes for its models: why BIM is being used, which tasks the models serve, who authors each one, how and when they are exchanged, how detailed each element has to be at each milestone, and how the combined model is checked. Penn State's guide describes it as a plan the team develops to define how BIM is implemented across the project lifecycle.
You need one whenever more than one firm authors or uses the models, and whenever the owner or the contract asks for it. Write it at the start of design, before the first model is shared. The guide recommends that the planning team include a member of every organization with a significant role.
The five steps of the Penn State procedure
Step 1
Set the goals
Why the team is using BIM on this project, ranked by priority.
Step 2
Pick the model uses
The tasks the model will serve in planning, design, construction and operations.
Step 3
Design the process
Process maps that show who does what, in what order, for each use.
Step 4
Define the information deliverables
What each exchange must contain, who sends it and who receives it.
Step 5
Build the infrastructure
Contracts, communication, technology and quality control that make the plan work.
The template, section by section
16 sections, each with what to write and the tables to fill. Text in [brackets] is a placeholder. Delete what does not apply to your project and add what your owner requires.
1. Plan overview
How to fill it: Say why the team is writing this plan, who maintains it and when it gets reviewed. One short paragraph is enough.
This BIM execution plan sets how [Firm names] will create, share and check the building information models for [Project name]. [BIM manager name, firm] maintains the plan and the team reviews it at [each phase milestone].
- Required by
- [Contract, exhibit or owner standard that calls for this plan]
- Plan owner
- [Name, firm, email]
- Next review
- [Date or milestone]
2. Project information
How to fill it: The basics a new team member needs to understand the project: owner, location, delivery method, numbers and the milestone schedule.
- Project name
- [Project name]
- Owner
- [Owner name]
- Address
- [Street address, City, State ZIP]
- Delivery method
- [Design bid build, CM at risk, design build or IPD]
- Description
- [Building type, gross area, number of buildings and levels]
- Project numbers
- [Owner number] [Contract number] [Firm number]
Project information Phase or milestone Start Finish Parties involved Schematic design [MM/DD/YYYY] [MM/DD/YYYY] [Firms] Design development [MM/DD/YYYY] [MM/DD/YYYY] [Firms] Construction documents [MM/DD/YYYY] [MM/DD/YYYY] [Firms] Procurement [MM/DD/YYYY] [MM/DD/YYYY] [Firms] Construction [MM/DD/YYYY] [MM/DD/YYYY] [Firms] Closeout and record model [MM/DD/YYYY] [MM/DD/YYYY] [Firms] 3. Key project contacts
How to fill it: At least one person per organization: owner, designers, consultants, contractor and major trades. List the BIM lead of each firm, not only the project manager.
Key project contacts Role Organization Name Email Phone Owner representative [Organization] [Name] [Email] [Phone] Project manager [Organization] [Name] [Email] [Phone] BIM manager [Organization] [Name] [Email] [Phone] Discipline lead, architecture [Organization] [Name] [Email] [Phone] Discipline lead, structural [Organization] [Name] [Email] [Phone] Discipline lead, MEP [Organization] [Name] [Email] [Phone] Contractor BIM or VDC lead [Organization] [Name] [Email] [Phone] 4. BIM goals
How to fill it: Why the team is using BIM on this project. Goals should be specific and measurable, such as shortening the schedule, cutting change orders or handing the owner usable operations data. Rank each one.
BIM goals Priority Goal Model uses that support it [High] [Find MEP conflicts in the model before fabrication] [3D coordination] [Medium] [Produce construction documents from the model] [Design authoring] [Low] [Deliver asset data the owner can load into maintenance software] [Record modeling] 5. Model uses
How to fill it: The tasks the team will perform with the model, by phase, and who performs each one. Start from what the owner needs at handover and work back toward design. Delete the uses you will not perform.
Model uses Model use Phase Responsible party In scope Existing conditions modeling [Plan] [Firm] [Yes or No] Design authoring [Design] [Firm] [Yes or No] Design reviews [Design] [Firm] [Yes or No] Energy analysis [Design] [Firm] [Yes or No] Structural analysis [Design] [Firm] [Yes or No] 3D coordination [Design and construct] [Firm] [Yes or No] Cost estimation [All phases] [Firm] [Yes or No] Phase planning (4D modeling) [Construct] [Firm] [Yes or No] Digital fabrication [Construct] [Firm] [Yes or No] Record modeling [Construct and operate] [Firm] [Yes or No] 6. Roles and responsibilities
How to fill it: Who does what, and how much effort each model use takes. Name the person responsible for model quality in every firm.
- BIM manager ([Firm]): [maintains this plan, runs coordination meetings, approves model exchanges]
- Discipline modelers ([Firms]): [author and update their discipline models to the agreed LOD]
- Coordination lead ([Firm]): [builds the federated model, runs clash detection, tracks issues to closure]
Roles and responsibilities Model use Organization Staff Estimated hours Lead contact [3D coordination] [Firm] [#] [#] [Name] [Design authoring] [Firm] [#] [#] [Name] 7. BIM process
How to fill it: Map the sequence of model uses across the project, then map each use in detail: who does what, in what order, and what information goes in and comes out. Attach the maps.
- Overview process map
- [Attachment reference]
- Detailed maps, one per model use
- [Attachment references]
8. Information exchanges
How to fill it: Every time a model or data set passes from one party to another: who sends it, who receives it, how often, and in which format. This is where most misunderstandings start, so be explicit.
Information exchanges Exchange Sender Receiver Frequency Native format Exchange format [Architectural model for coordination] [Architect] [Coordination lead] [Weekly] [RVT] [RVT or IFC] [Structural model for coordination] [Structural engineer] [Coordination lead] [Weekly] [RVT] [RVT or IFC] [MEP models for coordination] [MEP engineer] [Coordination lead] [Weekly] [RVT] [RVT or IFC] [Record model] [Contractor] [Owner] [Once, at closeout] [RVT] [IFC and COBie] 9. Level of development by phase
How to fill it: The level of development (LOD) each group of elements must reach at each milestone. Set it per element group, not per model: a CD model can carry structure at a higher LOD than furniture. The BIMForum LOD Specification defines the levels; it does not assign them to phases, so the team does.
Level of development by phase Element group (UniFormat) Schematic design Design development Construction documents Construction Record A Substructure [LOD] [LOD] [LOD] [LOD] [LOD] B Shell [LOD] [LOD] [LOD] [LOD] [LOD] C Interiors [LOD] [LOD] [LOD] [LOD] [LOD] D Services (MEP, fire protection) [LOD] [LOD] [LOD] [LOD] [LOD] E Equipment and furnishings [LOD] [LOD] [LOD] [LOD] [LOD] F Special construction and demolition [LOD] [LOD] [LOD] [LOD] [LOD] G Sitework [LOD] [LOD] [LOD] [LOD] [LOD] - LOD reference
- [BIMForum LOD Specification, edition year]
- Elements tracked separately
- [Elements that need a different LOD than their group]
10. Collaboration and meetings
How to fill it: How the team shares files and meets. Name the platform, the folder structure, who can edit what, and the meeting rhythm. Penn State's guide suggests the BIM managers of all firms meet at least monthly.
- Shared platform
- [Common data environment or file server]
- Folder structure
- [Root folder and subfolders]
- Access and permissions
- [Who can upload, edit and approve]
Collaboration and meetings Meeting Phase Frequency Participants BIM kickoff [Start of design] [Once] [All BIM leads] Execution plan review [Each phase] [Per milestone] [All BIM leads] Design coordination [Design] [Weekly] [Discipline leads] Clash review [Design and construct] [Weekly] [Coordination lead, trades] BIM managers meeting [All phases] [Monthly] [BIM manager of each firm] 11. Coordination, clash detection and quality control
How to fill it: How models are combined and checked before each exchange. Each firm checks its own model first; the coordination lead checks the combined model.
- Federated model built by
- [Firm]
- Clash detection software
- [Software and version]
- Clash tolerance
- [Tolerance, by system]
- Issue tracking
- [Tool or BCF workflow, and who closes issues]
Coordination, clash detection and quality control Check What it confirms Responsible Frequency Visual check No unintended elements; the design intent is followed [Each firm] [Before each exchange] Interference check Elements from different systems do not clash [Coordination lead] [Weekly] Standards check The model follows the agreed standards and naming [Each firm] [Before each exchange] Element validation No undefined, wrongly defined or duplicate elements [Each firm] [Per milestone] 12. Technology infrastructure
How to fill it: Software, versions and shared content. Agree on versions early and on how the team will upgrade, so no firm ends up unable to open another firm's model.
Technology infrastructure Model use Discipline Software Version [Design authoring] [Architecture] [Software] [Version] [Design authoring] [Structure] [Software] [Version] [3D coordination] [All] [Software] [Version] - Upgrade rule
- [No version change without agreement of all BIM leads]
- Shared content
- [Families, templates and libraries every firm uses]
13. Model structure and naming conventions
How to fill it: How the models are split, named and located in space. Using the same discipline letters as your sheet numbers keeps files and sheets easy to match.
- File name format
- [Discipline]-[Project number]-[Building or zone].[ext]
- Example
- [A-24017-BLDG1.rvt]
- Model split
- [By building, level, zone and discipline]
- Units
- [Imperial or metric]
- Coordinates and shared origin
- [Survey point, project base point, geolocation]
- Standards
- [National CAD Standard version, firm standards, IFC version]
14. Deliverables
How to fill it: What the team hands over, when, and in which format, including any BIM or facility data the owner requires.
Deliverables Deliverable Phase Due Format [Design model] [Design development] [MM/DD/YYYY] [RVT and PDF] [Construction documents model and sheets] [Construction documents] [MM/DD/YYYY] [RVT and PDF] [Coordinated model] [Construction] [MM/DD/YYYY] [NWD or IFC] [Record model and asset data] [Closeout] [MM/DD/YYYY] [RVT, IFC, COBie] - Owner BIM requirements
- [Owner standard or attachment reference]
15. Delivery strategy and contract
How to fill it: How BIM responsibilities are written into the contracts, including those of consultants and trades that join later.
- Contract exhibit
- [BIM exhibit or clause that references this plan]
- Model ownership and use
- [Who owns the models and who may rely on them]
- Selecting future team members
- [BIM skills a consultant or trade must show]
16. Attachments
How to fill it: Worksheets and maps that back up the sections above.
- [BIM goals worksheet]
- [Model use analysis worksheet]
- [Overview and detailed process maps]
- [Information exchange worksheets]
- [Owner BIM requirements]
Level of development, in plain terms
LOD says how much the team can rely on an element, not how pretty it looks. These are the levels of the BIMForum LOD Specification, summarized in our words; the specification itself defines them element by element.
| Level | What you can rely on |
|---|---|
| LOD 100 | A symbol or placeholder shows the element exists. Size, shape and location are not defined, and anything derived from it is approximate. |
| LOD 200 | A generic element with approximate quantity, size, shape, location and orientation. Recognizable, still approximate. |
| LOD 300 | The element as designed: quantity, size, shape, location and orientation can be measured from the model. Enough to convey design intent. |
| LOD 350 | LOD 300 plus the interfaces with neighboring elements, detailed enough for construction coordination. It usually needs trade knowledge. |
| LOD 400 | Detail sufficient for fabrication, assembly and installation, roughly the level of a shop drawing. |
| LOD 500 | An existing or as built condition, verified in the field, with its accuracy stated. It is not a step above LOD 400. |
The specification does not say which level belongs to which phase: the team decides, and the table in section 9 of the template is where you write it down.
How to keep the plan useful after kickoff
Begin with the end in mind
Penn State's guide picks model uses backward: operations first, then construction, design and planning. Knowing what the owner needs at handover tells you which data the design models must carry from day one.
Plan before the first exchange
The guide is blunt about it: when planning happens late, the team spends extra time downstream resolving inconsistencies. Agree the naming, the coordinates and the exchange formats before any firm sends a model.
One accountable person per firm
Each firm names who checks its model before it goes out. The guide suggests the BIM managers of all firms meet at least monthly to review progress against the plan and deal with problems early.
Freeze versions, and agree how to upgrade
Write down the software and version for each use, and a rule for changing them. A firm that upgrades alone can leave everyone else unable to open its model.
Set LOD per element group
Structure may need to be at a higher level than furniture at the same milestone. The BIMForum specification defines each level element by element and leaves the schedule to the team.
Keep it alive
The guide calls the plan a living document. Update it when a consultant or trade joins, when the technology changes, and when the process you actually follow drifts from the one you wrote.
Need modelers who work to the plan?
WorldTeams builds remote BIM teams for US architecture and engineering firms: BIM modelers, coordinators and managers who work inside your execution plan, your standards and your software.
Questions, answered
What is a BIM execution plan (BEP)?
A BIM execution plan is the document in which the project team agrees how building information modeling will be used on a project: the goals, the model uses, who models what, how models are exchanged and checked, the level of development at each milestone, the software and the file naming. The BIM Project Execution Planning Guide from Penn State describes it as a plan the team develops for the whole project lifecycle.
What should a BIM execution plan include?
Penn State's guide lists the categories: plan overview, project information, key contacts, goals and model uses, roles and staffing, the BIM process, information exchanges, the owner's BIM and facility data requirements, collaboration procedures, quality control, technology infrastructure, model structure, deliverables and the delivery strategy or contract. This template follows that list and adds a table for the level of development of each element group by phase.
Who writes the BIM execution plan?
The team does, not one firm alone. Penn State's guide recommends that the planning team include members from every organization with a significant role in the project. One person still has to draft and maintain the document, often the BIM manager of the lead designer or the contractor's VDC lead, and the other firms review it before models start moving between them.
What LOD should a model reach in each design phase?
There is no universal answer, and the BIMForum LOD Specification deliberately does not assign levels to phases: each project team sets them. Set them per group of elements rather than per model, and keep in mind BIMForum's note that designers rarely model elements above LOD 300, and that LOD 350 usually needs the craft knowledge of the trades.
When should the BEP be written, and how often is it updated?
Write it at the start, before the first model is shared: Penn State's guide warns that planning late costs extra time to fix inconsistencies downstream. The guide also calls the plan a living document. Review it periodically, update it when new team members join, and have the BIM managers of all firms meet at least monthly to check progress against it.
Is this BIM execution plan template free to use?
Yes. The page and the Word file are free, and you can edit the template for any project. Its structure follows the BIM Project Execution Planning Guide by the Computer Integrated Construction Research Program at Penn State, which is published under a Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike license. The guidance text in this template is written by WorldTeams.