It's verified, not more detailed
An LOD 500 door can be as simple as an LOD 300 one. What changes is that someone has checked it against the door that was fitted.
Level of development
LOD 500: what an as-built model means, and how to specify it
LOD 500 means the model has been checked against what was actually built: each element's size, shape, location, quantity and orientation are field verified. It isn't more detail than LOD 400. It's a promise that the model matches the building, which is what owners need to run it.
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What LOD 500 means
In the AIA's level of development definitions, an LOD 500 element is a field-verified representation: its size, shape, location, quantity and orientation have been checked against what was built. The BIMForum LOD Specification notes that LOD 500 is about field verification rather than a further step of development, so it doesn't illustrate it. In practice that means:
It's the building, not the design
It records what was built, changes on site included, so the model can be trusted after handover.
It's for whoever runs the asset
Owners and facility managers use it to find, maintain and replace things, so the information it carries matters as much as its shape.
LOD 400 or LOD 500?
The two are often confused, because both come late in the project:
| LOD 400 | LOD 500 | |
|---|---|---|
| What it shows | The element as it will be fabricated and installed | The element as it was actually built |
| Who usually produces it | The contractor or the specialist trade | The contractor, from site records and surveys |
| When | Before fabrication | At handover |
| What it's for | Making and fitting it | Operating and maintaining the building |
Every level, with pictures, in levels of development, LOD 100 to 500.
What to put in an LOD 500 requirement
"LOD 500 at handover" isn't enough on its own. Say:
- Which elements: the assets the owner will operate and maintain, not every stud and fixing.
- How they're verified: a site inspection, a measured survey or a laser scan.
- How accurate they must be: a level of accuracy (LOA), for how accurately things are measured and how accurately the model shows them. LOD, LOIN and LOA explained.
- What information they carry: what the owner needs, such as the manufacturer, model, serial number and warranty, often delivered as COBie.
- When it's due, and who checks it: the handover milestone, and who accepts the model before it's signed off.
Under ISO 19650 that information comes from the owner's asset information requirements (AIR).
In Plannerly
Ask for the as-built information, then check it arrived
Scope
Set the handover requirements, element by element
In Plannerly Scope, add the handover milestone and set, for each element, the level it must reach and the information it must carry: COBie-based requirements, the owner's own properties, or both. Each requirement is data, with its property set, rule, value and unit, not a line in a PDF.
- IFC and COBie-based information requirements
- The level and the data in the same cell
- COBie export on Pro
Verify
See what's missing before you accept it
Link the as-built model's elements to their tasks and Verify checks every required property, value and unit automatically. A dashboard counts each requirement as correct, incorrect or missing, so you know what to ask for before handover, not after.
See how Verify works
Look closer
Check the handover data, then hand it over
Free lessons
Learn to plan the handover, one short lesson at a time
Level 3 lesson - the owner's needs
AIR: asset information requirements
What the owner needs to run the asset, and how it becomes the information each element carries.
Level 2 lesson - verification
Part 5: Model Verification and Quality Assurance
Checking models before handover, so there are no surprises at the end.
Level 2 lesson - handover
Part 6: Exporting Reports and Managing the Final Handover
Reports, exports and the final handover, closing the loop properly.
Level 2 - free certificate
Advanced BIM Workflows
Requirements, tracking and model verification before handover, with a free certificate.
Free download
Plan the as-built from day one: a starter project and three free PDFs
Free download
Scope at Scale Survival Kit: a starter project and 3 PDFs
Everything to scope LOD and LOIN the way this page does: a starter scope with elements, milestones and requirements, and three free PDFs on combining LOD, LOIN and LOA, setting requirements and roles, and the detailed responsibility matrix.
- 1 starter project
- 3 PDFs
- Free
Scope starter project
A classified breakdown with milestones across the top, levels and requirements in the cells, ready for your own elements.
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Read more
LOD, accuracy and handover, explained
Levels of development, LOD 100 to 500
What each LOD means, and how to use them on a project.
GuideLOD, LOIN and LOA together
How detail, information and accuracy fit in one set of requirements.
GuideOIR, PIR and AIR templates
The organisational, project and asset information requirements, with the slides for each.
TemplateSet the information requirements
OIR, AIR and EIR your supply chain can check against, in one list.
Use caseLOD 600: what people mean by it
There's no official LOD 600. Here's what to ask for instead.
GuideLOD 300: what it means
The level most teams ask for at detailed design.
GuideFrom the blog
Every post about LOD 500
EnglishUnderstanding LOD Scales and ISO 19650 Plain Language in BIM
Explore the ongoing LOD debate in the BIM community, where LOD scales face off against Level of Information Need! Uncover how Plannerly software backs both methods for varied project demands.
EnglishLevels Of Development (LODs): Achieving BIM Success With LODs 🚀
Understanding LOD 100-500 can be a game changer! 🔥 I will show you how to use LODs effectively to avoid over and under modeling. Plus, I'll teach you how to create a customized LOD matrix - the cherry on top! 🍒
Questions
LOD 500 questions, answered
What is LOD 500 in BIM?
A field-verified model element: its size, shape, location, quantity and orientation have been checked against what was built. It's part of the AIA's level of development framework; the BIMForum LOD Specification notes that it's about verification rather than more development.
Is LOD 500 more detailed than LOD 400?
Not necessarily. LOD 400 is about fabrication and installation detail; LOD 500 is about whether the model matches the building. An LOD 500 element can be simpler than an LOD 400 one, as long as it's been verified.
Is an LOD 500 model the same as an as-built model?
It's an as-built model with a promise attached: that each element has been checked in the field. A model updated from the contractor's records is an as-built record, but without field verification it isn't LOD 500. Say which one you need in the requirements.
How accurate does an LOD 500 model have to be?
LOD doesn't say. Agree it separately as a level of accuracy (LOA), such as the US Institute of Building Documentation's LOA specification, for how accurately things are measured and how accurately they're shown in the model. LOD, LOIN and LOA explained.
What information should an LOD 500 model carry?
Whatever the owner needs to operate and maintain the building, set out in the asset information requirements (AIR): typically the manufacturer, model, serial number, warranty and maintenance information, often delivered as COBie. Create an AIR or start from the AIR template.
Can I check an as-built model in Plannerly?
Yes. Link the model's elements to their tasks and Verify checks every required property, value and unit automatically. You can write your requirements and explore Verify on the Free plan; checking your own models is part of Pro, and the 14-day Pro trial includes it, with no card. Start free.
Ask for the as-built model you'll actually use
Start free, add the handover milestone and set what every asset must carry, so the model you receive is one you can run the building with.
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