The most expensive BIM requirement is the one nobody uses.

Before adding another field, ask who needs it, what decision it supports and who pays to maintain it.

BIMTA editorial · Reviewed 20 October 2026 · Original commentary, not a completed research finding.

A requirement can look small on a spreadsheet and become a recurring obligation across thousands of objects. The important question is not how many fields we can populate. It is what each field allows somebody to do.

Before agreeing a deliverable, identify its user, purpose, required timing and acceptance check. Separate the information needed for coordination from fabrication and operational handover. The same model does not automatically serve every purpose.

For a trade contractor, this is a scope conversation. Who produces the information? Who validates it? Who maintains it after a change? Where is that effort included?

BIMTA’s proposed research will examine these questions with participating trades. This article is an editorial position, not a report of completed research.

Ask for the purpose, owner and acceptance check before pricing the requirement.

Have a different experience? Bring a general example to the forum.

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