Subhead: What a BEP actually defines, how it gets built under current US and international standards, and why it’s still the step most BIM-enabled projects skip.
For US owners, general contractors, BIM/VDC managers, and project executives planning or evaluating a BIM Execution Plan.
Key Takeaway: Most projects that use BIM still don’t have a formal BIM Execution Plan behind it, which is why so many BIM-enabled projects still end up with the same coordination failures BIM was supposed to prevent. A BIM Execution Plan defines who produces what information, in what format, at what level of detail, and by when, turning BIM from a modeling tool into an enforceable process everyone on the project actually follows.
Most construction projects that use BIM still don’t have a formal BIM Execution Plan behind them, according to construction technology platform Procore’s own review of current industry practice, even though the plan is what turns BIM from a modeling exercise into an enforceable process everyone actually follows. Without one, projects tend to reproduce the same problems BIM was supposed to solve: inconsistent file naming, unclear model ownership, and disputes over what “complete” actually means at each phase.
A BIM Execution Plan (BEP) is the document that closes that gap. It establishes the BIM implementation and adoption strategy for a project or an organization: the goals, the workflow, how information moves between stakeholders, the scope, and the roles and responsibilities behind all of it.
That structure is what helps a project navigate BIM adoption without losing time to information gaps, coordination breakdowns, or the confusion that remote and hybrid teams add on top of an already complex process. The larger the project and the more stakeholders involved, the more a well-built BEP actually earns its keep.
What a BIM Execution Plan Actually Is
A BEP is prepared as a structured response to the Employer’s Information Requirements (EIR): the owner states what they need from BIM on the project, and the delivery team’s BEP explains exactly how that need will be met. Under ISO 19650-2, the international standard most US firms now benchmark against, an owner (the “Appointing Party”) defines its BIM requirements and standards before soliciting delivery team members, and each responding organization answers with a BEP specific to its own scope of work.
That structure exists for a practical reason: without it, “using BIM” on a project can mean five different things to five different stakeholders. A BEP is what makes the term mean something specific and shared, from day one.
Why So Many BIM Projects Still Don’t Have One
BEP usage still isn’t standard practice on every project that uses BIM, according to Procore, even on projects where the value of doing it right is obvious in hindsight. That is starting to shift, but slowly: because BIM usage on a project is neither standardized nor enforceable without a BEP, many teams only adopt the discipline of writing one after a project without one goes badly.
Some jurisdictions have moved past leaving that choice to chance. The United Kingdom enforces ISO 19650, which specifies BEP requirements outright. In the US, ISO 19650 isn’t law, but it has become the reference point most major owners and public agencies now expect delivery teams to align with, alongside the National BIM Standard-United States (NBIMS-US), the consensus national standard maintained by the National Institute of Building Sciences for defining BIM requirements and planning adoption on US projects.
Get a BEP built for a specific project, not a generic template. A short review of current project requirements can show what a properly scoped BEP would actually need to cover.
Talk to Excelize About Your BIM Execution Plan→How a BIM Execution Plan Gets Built
The process starts with the owner, not the delivery team. NBIMS-US v4 defines a three-stage development process that maps directly to ISO 19650-2:
- RFP BEP, from the owner. The owner compiles initial requirements and goals, communicated to prospective teams through an initial BEP. It isn’t complete, but it gives proposal organizations enough to work from.
- Proposal BEP, from each prospective team. Each party responding to the RFP completes a proposal-stage BEP specific to its scope, addressing the RFP BEP’s requirements and flagging any exceptions or exclusions.
- Project BEP, from the selected team. Once team members are selected, they collaborate with the owner and each other to develop a full project BEP, which continues to mature as the project proceeds and as new team members join.
A BEP is a living document, not a one-time deliverable. It gets revisited and updated throughout the project lifecycle, and it does not replace or supersede other contractual requirements unless specifically stated. In current US practice, individual delivery team members often maintain their own appointment BEP as part of a combined project BEP, extending the ISO 19650-2 process to fit how US project teams are typically structured.
What Goes Into a Strong BEP
Once the goals, processes, and tools are agreed on, the specifics get sketched out in detail. A thorough BEP typically covers:
- BIM implementation goals for the specific project or organization
- A detailed process map for each BIM use, 3D modeling, clash detection, 2D extraction, 4D linking and simulation, and where each falls in the project timeline
- Information exchange protocols between project members, including file formats and naming conventions
- Roles and responsibilities for every project member, including who owns which part of the model
- Technology and Level of Development (LOD) requirements for the information model
- Delivery strategy, since a design-build project and a design-bid-build project need different BEP structures to match how the work is actually contracted
- Compliance measures, specifying what happens if a stakeholder deviates from the model or the BEP’s requirements
Design Coordination vs. Construction Coordination BEPs
Not every BEP is doing the same job. Procore frames the split by use case rather than by contract timing, which is a more useful distinction than the older “pre-contract vs. post-contract” language, since a plan can be post-contract for the general contractor and pre-contract for the trades on the very same project.
A design coordination BEP clarifies how the design team, architects, structural engineers, MEP consultants, uses the model during design, including naming conventions and file structures that keep collaboration from breaking down as more disciplines join.
A construction coordination BEP, often authored or adapted by the general contractor, needs to be enforceable rather than just descriptive: it gets included in the instructions to bidders, reviewed by trade partners before award, and signed off by each party so it becomes part of the contract documents rather than a reference document nobody is bound by. On some projects, particularly design-build, a single BEP flows through both phases instead of splitting into two documents.
Benefits of a BIM Execution Plan
Better communication from day one. A BEP gives every team member clarity on information flow from project inception through completion, instead of that clarity being reconstructed informally, project by project, by whoever happens to ask the right question.
Fewer organizational silos. When each member’s role is defined before work starts, conflicts over who owns what decrease, because there’s a document to point to instead of a debate to have.
Reduced errors and rework. By surfacing potential issues and role ambiguity early, a BEP catches problems while they’re still cheap to fix rather than after they’ve been built into the model, or the field.
Better preparedness for delays and exceptions. Because a BEP keeps information transparent at every phase, a team facing an unexpected delay or change is working from a shared, current picture instead of reconstructing context under pressure.
Smoother onboarding for late-joining participants. Anyone entering the project after the initial team is assembled benefits from the workflow the BEP already established, rather than having to learn the project’s unwritten rules from scratch.
See what a BEP would cover for an upcoming project. Reviewing an actual project scope against BEP requirements shows what’s genuinely needed, not a generic checklist.
Request a BEP Scoping Review→What Makes a BEP Actually Work
Writing a BEP and having it actually function are two different things. A BEP is more likely to hold up in practice when it is:
- Collaborative. Input from all stakeholders, especially trade partners on the construction side, before the plan is finalized reduces gaps and makes compliance easier because people had a seat at the table.
- Thorough. Gaps in a BEP are gaps in the project’s coordination discipline; a template can help ensure nothing important gets missed in the drafting.
- Enforceable. A BEP that isn’t part of the contract documents and signed by participating parties is a suggestion, not a plan. Liability for deviations needs to be spelled out, not implied.
- Continuously improved. Teams that revisit their BEP template after two or three projects, informed by what actually went wrong, end up with a document that reflects real lessons instead of a boilerplate everyone signs without reading.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a BIM Execution Plan?
A BIM Execution Plan (BEP) is a document that defines how BIM will be implemented, managed, and reviewed on a project, including goals, workflows, information exchange protocols, and roles and responsibilities for every stakeholder involved.
Is a BIM Execution Plan required by law in the US?
No. Unlike the United Kingdom, where ISO 19650 is enforced, the US treats ISO 19650 and NBIMS-US as industry reference standards rather than legal requirements. Major owners and public agencies increasingly expect alignment with them regardless.
What’s the difference between a pre-contract and post-contract BEP?
A pre-contract BEP responds to the Employer’s Information Requirements to show a prospective team’s proposed approach; a post-contract BEP, developed after award, sets out the agreed delivery targets, roles, and milestones the selected team is contractually bound to.
Who is responsible for writing the BIM Execution Plan?
Responsibility is shared and staged: the owner issues initial requirements, each prospective delivery team responds with its own proposal-stage BEP, and the selected team collaborates on a comprehensive project BEP that continues to evolve throughout delivery.
Does a small project need a full BIM Execution Plan?
The scale of the BEP should match the project, not follow a fixed template regardless of size. A BEP can be a short document for a small, single-discipline project and a much more detailed one for a large, multi-stakeholder project, but even a small project benefits from defining roles and information exchange in writing rather than leaving it informal.
How is a BIM Execution Plan different from a BIM Implementation Plan?
A BIM Implementation Plan typically addresses an organization’s broader, longer-term BIM adoption strategy across multiple projects, while a BIM Execution Plan is scoped to a specific project’s goals, deliverables, and stakeholders.
Build a BIM Execution Plan for an active or upcoming project. A direct conversation is the fastest way to see what a properly scoped BEP would cover for a specific team and delivery method.
Start a Conversation with Excelize→Excelize develops BIM Execution Plans aligned with ISO 19650 for US owners, contractors, and design teams, including EIR response, workflow definition, and role and responsibility mapping for projects of varying scale and complexity.