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Home / Knowledge / BIM Levels explained

BIM Levels explained

De nitions for levels of BIM maturity from Level 0, through Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 and beyond.

(/-/media/uk/new-images/by-section/knowledge/knowledge-articles-hero/hero_bim-levels-explained.jpg?
as=1&w=1920&hash=385F9B060EDD2BDB44228356A46CC9EECD25517D)
 BIM (Building Information Modelling)
01 November 2014
by Richard McPartland (/authors/richard-mcpartland)

The concept of ‘BIM Levels’ (and ‘BIM Level 2 compliance’) has become the ‘accepted’ de nition of what criteria
are required to be deemed BIM-compliant, by seeing the adoption process as the next steps in a journey that has
taken the industry from the drawing board to the computer and, ultimately, into the digital age.

The government has recognised that the process of moving the construction industry to ‘full’ collaborative
working will be progressive, with distinct and recognisable milestones being de ned within that process, in the
form of ‘levels’. These have been de ned within a range from 0 to 3, and, whilst there is some debate about the
exact meaning of each level, the broad concept is as follows:

Level 0 BIM

In its simplest form, level 0 effectively means no collaboration. 2D CAD drafting only is utilised, mainly for
Production Information (RIBA Plan of Work 2013 stage 4). Output and distribution is via paper or electronic prints,
or a mixture of both. The majority of the industry is already well ahead of this now (source: NBS National BIM
Report 2017 (/knowledge/nbs-national-bim-report-2017) ).

Level 1 BIM

This typically comprises a mixture of 3D CAD for concept work, and 2D for drafting of statutory approval
documentation and Production Information. CAD standards are managed to BS 1192:2007, and electronic sharing
of data is carried out from a common data environment (CDE), often managed by the contractor.

To achieve Level 1 BIM, the Scottish Futures Trust (https://bimportal.scottishfuturestrust.org.uk/page/standards-

level-1) states you should achieve the following:

Roles and responsibilities should be agreed upon 

Naming conventions should be adopted

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Arrangements should be put in place to create and maintain the project speci c codes and project spatial co-
ordination
A "Common Data Environment" (CDE) for example a project extranet or electronic document management system
(EDMS) should be adopted, to allow information to be shared between all members of the project team
A suitable information hierarchy should be agreed which supports the concepts of the CDE and the document
repository.

Level 2 BIM

Level 2 BIM is distinguished by collaborative working, and requires "an information exchange process which is
speci c to that project and coordinated between various systems and project participants" (Source: Scottish
Futures Trust (https://bimportal.scottishfuturestrust.org.uk/page/standards-level-2) ).

Any CAD software that each party uses must be capable of exporting to one of the common le formats such as
IFC (Industry Foundation Class) or COBie (Construction Operations Building Information Exchange). This is the
method of working that has been set as a minimum target by the UK government for all work on public-sector
work.

For more information on working to BIM Level 2, see the following guide developed by NBS and BSI: http://bim-
level2.org/en/about/ (http://bim-level2.org/en/about/)

Level 3 BIM

Level 3 has not yet been fully de ned, however the vision for this is outlined in the UK Government's Level 3
Strategic Plan.
(https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/ le/410096/bis-
15-155-digital-built-britain-level-3-strategy.pdf ) Within this plan, they set out the following 'key measures' to be
secured with further funding:

The creation of a set of new, international ‘Open Data’ standards which would pave the way for easy sharing of
data across the entire market
The establishment of a new contractual framework for projects which have been procured with BIM to ensure
consistency, avoid confusion and encourage, open, collaborative working.
The creation of a cultural environment which is co-operative, seeks to learn and share
Training the public sector client in the use of BIM techniques such as, data requirements, operational methods and
contractual processes
Driving domestic and international growth and jobs in technology and construction.

See also: Four things Mark Bew told us about the future of BIM and digital construction (/knowledge/four-things-
mark-bew-told-us-about-the-future-of-bim-and-digital-construction)

Looking further ahead, it is highly probable that collaborative working practices will ultimately lter
through to the private sector …

What this means in practice

The signi cance of these steps, in real terms, is that UK government has adopted this de nition in its Construction
Strategy (/knowledge/what-is-the-government-construction-strategy) , by requiring that all publicly-funded
construction work must be undertaken by using Building Information Modelling to Level 2, by 2016. This mandate
has been set as one measure to help in ful lling their target of reducing waste in construction by 20%. It is
considered that abortive work, discrepancies and mistakes, and inef ciencies in the information supply chain are
major contributors to this waste; and that collaborative working can assist in their reduction. Looking further

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ahead, it is highly probable that collaborative working practices will ultimately lter through to the private sector,
in much the same way that CAD took over from the drawing board during the 1990s.

What to read next...

NBS National BIM Report 2017 (/knowledge/nbs-national-bim-report-2017)

The annual NBS National BIM Report is now recognised as one of the industry’s most comprehensive reviews into
the use of BIM. Now in its seventh year, the latest report is packed with a range of insight and expertise, it gives a
snapshot of the changes the industry has been going through since the BIM mandate was implemented in April
2016.

What is the CIC BIM Protocol? (/knowledge/what-is-the-cic-bim-protocol)

Find out more about the CIC BIM Protocol - the supplementary legal agreement that can be incorporated into
contractual documentation establishing obligations, liabilities and limitations on the use of building information
models.

What is the Government Construction Strategy? (/knowledge/what-is-the-government-construction-strategy)

We explore the two most recent Government Construction Strategy documents (covering 2011-15 and 2016-20)
with a passing nod to a raft of reports that have sought to offer recommendations for an industry looking to
achieve productivity and cost savings to deliver better outcomes.

Richard McPartland (/authors/richard-mcpartland)

@richmcpartland (https://www.twitter.com/richmcpartland)
Richard McPartland, editor of theNBS.com 2015-2018.

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10 things we’ve learnt from the 2020 BIM Survey (/knowledge/10-things-weve-learnt-from-the-2020-bim-survey)

16 July 2020 | by David Bain (/authors/david-bain)
This year’s 2020 BIM survey marks the 10th year of asking the industry for their views about BIM. In this article,
we’ve picked out ten of the key things that we’ve learnt about the latest state of BIM from this year’s survey.
Pricing speci cations and drawings for small works (/knowledge/pricing-speci cations-and-drawings-for-small-
works)
14 July 2020 | by Roland Finch (/authors/roland- nch)
When working on basic construction projects, where the work is of a simple nature, then typically this work will be
undertaken using a ‘small works’ standard form construction contract. Generally speaking, contracts for small
works do not support the use of bills of quantities as pricing documents because the extra cost of preparation is
not usually justi ed when the level of detail is not required. 
NBS for small practices (/knowledge/nbs-for-small-practices)
14 July 2020 | by Dr Stephen Hamil (/authors/dr-stephen-hamil)
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Many smaller practices work on less complex construction projects. While there is no universal de nition of what a
‘small works’ project is, it is generally characterized by being simple, using straightforward methods, and it is
typically procured following a traditional methodology.
RIBA Plan of Work 2020 and speci cation (/knowledge/riba-plan-of-work-2020-and-speci cation)
17 June 2020 | by Dale Sinclair (/authors/dale-sinclair)
The speci cation is the backbone of any project. Products must be researched, selected and agreed with the
client, with nishes and facades requiring careful consideration and discussions with clients, planners and other
stakeholders.

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