Digital design is a complex and time–consuming process involving teams of specialists. At first glance, it may seem that a high degree of automation makes the complexity and cost of BIM design lower than that of CAD technology. In fact, the leading role in pricing is played not by automation, but by the broader possibilities of digital design.

Objective pricing factors

To realize the full potential of digital design, specially trained specialists, up-to-date software and extensive databases are involved in the work. Spending on software for only one employee of the company ranges from 20,000 to 16,000 USD annually. This software requires special conditions: equipment with high performance, a network with a wide data bandwidth. To maintain the proper level of professionalism, project participants must constantly improve their knowledge and skills. All this is indirectly embedded in the cost of the BIM model.

The deadlines for creating a project in BIM, depending on the complexity, increase by an average of 25-35%. Building information modeling technologies are used in completely different fields, which explains the price spread. In order to more accurately determine the final cost of BIM design, the customer needs to prepare an EIR (Employer's Information Requirements), which will specify the maximum possible number of requirements for the model and initial data.

The maximum load in the design falls on the team of specialists forming the digital model. It takes time to realize the potential of digital design. Labor and time costs for BIM projects are on average 20-30% higher than for 2D technology. Accordingly, the price of BIM design is higher. The resulting BIM model contains a huge amount of information with the ability to see the future object in visual, physical, temporal and financial terms.

The cost of the bim model is also influenced by the features of the projected object.

Image 1 – building information model,
developed by specialists of IM Consult

Subjective pricing factors

The complexity of the digital modeling process largely depends on the type and purpose of the capital construction object. It can be residential, non-residential, industrial, etc. Geographical conditions and landscape conditions play a role. In a word, each object is individual, even if it is created according to a standard project. The decrease or increase in the cost of team design will be affected by:

  • The level of elaboration of the terms of reference and EIR;
  • A set of requirements for the level of detail (LOD);
  • Creating an object from scratch;
  • Architectural and operational features;
  • The need to digitalize ready-made drawings with CAD and the use of laser scanning;
  • Other conditions.

Before starting to create a project, the contractor formulates the cost of the work. But this value does not always remain static and may change in the course of implementation up or down. Inaccuracies or insufficient level of elaboration of the terms of reference will certainly lead to an increase in the time to create a project and an increase in the price of bim design. In addition, already in the process of work, the customer sometimes makes operational adjustments that will require additional work by a team of specialists or, on the contrary, will lead to a reduction in the volume of their work.

Basic calculation methods

The cost of a digital project can be determined in several ways. At the very beginning of the journey, every customer wants to know at least an approximate budget. This is handled by the economic department of the project organization. A more accurate BIM design price is obtained using one of the following calculation methods:

  1. Calculation based on the area of the future construction object. This is a rough estimate of the cost. For a more accurate figure, LOD is taken into account.
  2. Calculation of labor costs in hours. The calculated result may differ from the time actually spent;
  3. The estimated and normative method of calculation. Reference books for design and survey work are used. This calculation method is not always correlated with the features of BIM design.

The cost of the TEAM model is affected by the stated deadlines for the work. You have to pay for urgency, because it is associated with the processing of a team of employees. The project organization will not push aside other projects that have already been taken into work if the customer is pressed for time. Intensive work and processing of employees in our company are paid in accordance with the labor legislation of the Russian Federation.