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Creating a BIM Execution Plan (BEP): Template and Best Practices
Every successful BIM project begins with a single document that defines how the entire team will work together. If you are still building foundational knowledge, read What Is BIM? and BIM Levels Explained first — this guide assumes Level 2 BIM delivery context. Without it, even experienced BIM practitioners default to inconsistent practices — different naming conventions, incompatible software environments, undefined approval workflows. The result is coordination failure, data losses at handover, and a federated model that no one trusts.
That document is the BIM Execution Plan, or BEP.
This guide explains what a BIM Execution Plan is, what it must contain, and how to write one that actually governs project delivery rather than sitting in a folder untouched.
What Is a BIM Execution Plan?
A BIM Execution Plan is a project-specific document that defines how BIM will be implemented across a construction project. It is produced by the lead designer or principal contractor (sometimes with BIM consultancy support) and agreed by all parties before design work begins.
The BEP answers three fundamental questions:
- What information will be produced? (models, data, documents — to what level of detail?)
- Who will produce it? (roles, responsibilities, software environments)
- How and when will it be delivered? (process, workflow, delivery milestones)
Under ISO 19650 — the international standard governing information management in construction — the BEP is a mandatory deliverable. It responds directly to the Employer Information Requirements (EIR) set out by the client, and it commits the delivery team to a defined information management approach for the duration of the project.
The Two Versions of a BEP
Under ISO 19650 terminology, there are two versions of the BEP:
Pre-Contract BEP: Produced by bidders as part of their tender response. It demonstrates the team’s BIM capability and outlines how they intend to meet the EIR if appointed. The pre-contract BEP is a commitment of intent.
Post-Contract BEP: Produced after appointment, once the delivery team is confirmed. This is the live, governing document — detailed, agreed by all parties, and updated throughout delivery as circumstances require. This is the document that governs day-to-day BIM practice on the project.
What a BEP Must Contain
1. Project Information
The foundation of the document. This section records:
- Project name, reference number, and brief description
- Client organisation and key contacts
- Project programme (key milestones and delivery dates)
- The BIM standards and UK/international frameworks that apply (typically ISO 19650)
- The specific information standards the team will follow (naming conventions, classification systems such as Uniclass 2015, file formats)
This section should be concise. Its purpose is to establish the context within which everything else in the document operates.
2. BIM Goals and Uses
Not every project needs the same BIM outputs. A complex hospital refurbishment has very different information requirements from a straightforward commercial fit-out.
This section defines the specific BIM uses — the planned applications of BIM on this project — such as:
- Clash detection and design coordination
- 4D construction sequencing
- Quantity takeoff and cost management
- Handover asset data for facilities management
- Regulatory compliance documentation
Defining BIM uses up front prevents scope creep and ensures that the level of detail in the model is proportionate to what the client actually needs.
3. Roles and Responsibilities
BIM requires clearly defined roles. This section names:
- BIM Manager / Information Manager: Responsible for the overall BIM process, CDE, and standards compliance
- Task Information Delivery Leads (TIDLs): Each discipline appoints one — they are responsible for delivering their model in line with the BEP
- Discipline modellers: Produce the individual federated models
- Client BIM lead: The client’s point of contact for BIM-related decisions
This is not a general project organogram. It is BIM-specific — it names the people responsible for information management, not project management.
4. Information Delivery Plan
This is the schedule of BIM deliverables. It defines:
- What models and data sets will be produced
- Who is responsible for each
- The format in which they will be delivered (native file, IFC, COBie, PDF, etc.)
- The level of information need at each stage (what geometry and data is required, and when)
- The key delivery milestones tied to the project programme
The information delivery plan is what makes the BEP actionable. Without it, BIM commitments remain aspirational. With it, every party knows exactly what they must deliver and when.
5. Software and Technology Environment
BIM only works when everyone knows what tools are being used and how they interact. This section specifies:
- Authoring software by discipline (e.g. Revit for architecture and structure; Revit MEP or MagiCAD for mechanical and electrical)
- Coordination software (e.g. Autodesk Navisworks, Solibri)
- Common Data Environment (CDE) platform (e.g. Autodesk Construction Cloud, BIM 360, Asite, 4Projects)
- File formats for exchange (IFC versions, COBie, proprietary formats)
- Model federation process — how models are combined for coordination reviews
Specifying the software environment prevents the scenario where one discipline produces models in a format incompatible with the coordination tool — a common and costly failure point on projects where this is left to assumption.
6. Common Data Environment Protocol
The CDE is the shared digital workspace where all project information is stored, reviewed, approved, and distributed. The BEP must define:
- Which CDE platform will be used
- The folder and naming structure within it
- The revision states (typically: Work in Progress → Shared → Published → Archived)
- Who has authority to move information between states
- How information is issued to the client
Without a clear CDE protocol, teams revert to email-based file exchange — and the version control, audit trail, and approval workflow benefits of the CDE are lost entirely.
7. Quality Assurance and Model Health Checks
The BEP should define how models will be quality-checked before they are shared or submitted. This typically includes:
- Frequency of model health checks (usually weekly or fortnightly ahead of coordination meetings)
- Who is responsible for running checks
- The software used (e.g. Solibri for rule-based checking)
- What constitutes a passing model (tolerance levels, maximum clash counts, required data completeness)
QA discipline is what separates a federated model that teams trust from one that exists in name only.
Common BEP Mistakes to Avoid
Producing it after work has already started. The BEP is a pre-work document. If naming conventions, software choices, and CDE structure are not agreed before the first model is opened, misalignment is already embedded.
Making it too generic. A BEP copied from another project without adapting it to the current project’s specific requirements is not a BEP. It is a false comfort.
Never updating it. A BEP is a live document. When the project team changes, the programme shifts, or the scope evolves, the BEP should be updated accordingly.
Treating it as the client’s problem. The BEP is the delivery team’s document. It responds to the client’s EIR, but it is the team’s commitment. Ownership must sit with the Information Manager.
Starting Your BEP
If your organisation is new to producing BEPs, the practical starting point is the BIM Consultancy Services available through experienced BIM specialists. A good BIM consultant will not simply hand you a template — they will work through your project requirements, your team’s software environment, and your client’s EIR to produce a BEP that actually governs delivery.
At DTT Pro, BEP development is one of our core services. We have produced BEPs across complex, multi-discipline projects — from initial pre-contract responses through to fully detailed post-contract documents that are genuinely used, updated, and followed. Contact our team to discuss BEP support for your next project.
Further reading: UK BIM Framework: Guidance Part 1 — ISO 19650 guidance including BEP requirements. NBS: BIM Execution Plan Explained — practical industry reference for BEP development.
