Building Information Modeling (BIM) is the most impactful technology contractors can be using to improve their project outcomes.
Construction is chaotic. There will be design issues, unforeseen site conditions, trades that need to work together, and deficiencies that eat into your profits.
Despite this, the project still needs to be delivered on time and budget while still managing to make a profit. That’s a stressful process – but it doesn’t have to be.
BIM is far more than just a 3D model – if executed properly. It’s a coordination tool, schedule optimizer, RFI reducer, and marketing weapon.
If you’re not using BIM yet, you’re leaving money on the table.
Here are 5 ways BIM is going to help you build smarter.
1. Fewer RFIs and Coordination Issues
RFIs (Requests for Information) are one of the biggest strains on a project. They slow progress down, increase administrative work, and indicate deeper coordination issues.
The more RFIs that can be sorted out in preconstruction – the better your project is going to go. By using BIM to coordinate drawings and identify issues, we are proactively addressing issues that would have otherwise come up after breaking ground.
During preconstruction, RFIs are relatively easy to address. Using BIM, a clear and actionable report of clashes and coordination issues is passed on to the consultants. These items are then addressed during the next drawing set update to be resolved.
Projects see 9.9 RFIs per $1 million in contract value. On a $50 million project you’re going to be sorting through nearly 500 RFIs! With RFIs costing $1,080 per RFI back in 2013, that’s a whopping $534,600 in RFI related administrative and review costs alone on our hypothetical $50 million project.
Using BIM coordination and clash detection, it is possible to reduce RFIs by up to 37% – as was done on the University of Colorado’s Denver Health Science’s Centre project. For projects of $50 million and up that’s a savings of at least $200,000 in RFI related administrative costs before we even get to all the other benefits BIM can bring your project.
So How Do We Make This Happen?
3D modeling is commonly mistaken as BIM but there is a good reason for it. BIM all starts with a 3D model.
The key though, is it’s not a poorly constructed 3D model. At Pixel BIM, we would either fix up the consultant models, or start from scratch with our own 3D models specifically modeled to be used throughout the project.
There are two main ways we find discrepancies and coordination issues at this point:
- Virtual coordination report – As we model, we find things that don’t make sense. It could be a floor drain that doesn’t connect to anything, a roof slope that doesn’t keep the edges of the roof within the parapet, or any number of other things. These are not ‘clashes’ because they aren’t clashing with any other items, but they will clearly need to be addressed by the consultants.
- Clash detection – Using software like Revizto, we identify elements that are running into something else. This could be steel beams going through each other, a mechanical duct through a shaft wall, or an AHU without the correct clearances. We then eliminate false flags so consultants aren’t overwhelmed with thousands of false clashes every time a plumbing pipe crosses a floor slab, and produce an actionable report for consultants to address the issues.
Lastly, we then conduct weekly coordination meetings with your consultants. Revizto is great for this because it allows us to collaboratively resolve clashes and see them in a 3D environment so all the consultants across disciplines can see the issue and resolve it quickly.
Instead of going back and forth with RFIs mid-project, you resolve most issues during coordination meetings, using clash detection tools and live model reviews.
Ultimately, BIM transforms coordination from reactive to proactive. You move from asking questions in the field to answering them in the office — before they ever become problems.
2. Improved Productivity
Time is one of a contractor’s most valuable resources — and BIM helps you get more of it.
One of the strongest advantages of Building Information Modeling is its ability to significantly boost productivity throughout a project’s lifecycle. From early planning to field execution, BIM minimizes wasted effort, reduces downtime, and allows teams to work faster and more effectively.
Here’s how:
Faster Decisions, Fewer Delays
BIM gives your team immediate access to a fully coordinated, 3D model. Instead of sorting through stacks of 2D drawings and waiting days for clarifications, contractors can visually walk through complex details in the model and make fast, confident decisions.
That clarity speeds up approvals, prevents bottlenecks, and keeps crews building instead of waiting.
Eliminate Rework Before It Happens
Rework is one of the most costly and time-consuming problems on a jobsite. With BIM’s clash detection tools, you can catch design conflicts — like ductwork running into structural steel, or sprinkler lines interfering with lighting fixtures — before materials are ordered or installed.
According to the SmartMarket Report, 70% of contractors using BIM reported fewer field coordination issues. That means fewer work stoppages, fewer change orders, and a lot more productive time on site.
Streamlined Communication and Field Coordination
When everyone is working from a shared model, communication improves dramatically. BIM eliminates version control issues and centralizes information so that the latest updates, quantities, and installation details are available in one place.
With a single source containing all the most up to date information for the project – which is often available digitally – all stakeholders have everything they need at their fingertips and on demand.
The result is fewer RFIs, fewer meetings, faster answers, and more time spent building instead of chasing down info.
Smarter Scheduling and Trade Sequencing
4D BIM is the added component of time to a 3D model. Using 4D scheduling, you can simulate the construction timeline and visualize how the project will unfold in real time. This allows you to plan more effectively, sequence trades without overlap, and avoid downtime between scopes of work.
Even the best schedulers can use a hand optimizing their schedules. Especially on complex or phased projects – a 4D schedule helps to easily identify out of sequence work meaning you can streamline and fix scheduling issues before construction starts.
BIM helps contractors do more with less — less time, less waste, less rework — more output, efficiency, and profitability.
3. Save Time On Schedule
Time is money. Falling behind schedule often means cost overruns, unhappy clients, and squeezed margins. One of the biggest advantages of BIM is its ability to help contractors stay on schedule or even finish ahead of it.
With BIM, you can plan smarter, anticipate delays before they happen, and keep crews moving efficiently from day one.
4D BIM – A Schedule You Can See
As I’ve said BIM is so much more than just a 3D model. 4D Scheduling links your schedule to your model to simulate your project and see your schedule playing out before a shovel has hit the dirt. This lets you visualize how your project will be built over time, giving you a clear picture of sequencing, trade handoffs, and critical path tasks before you’re on site.
Instead of relying on spreadsheets or static Gantt charts, you can walk through the job in virtual space and make sure your schedule actually works in the real world.
Spot Conflicts Before They Cause Delays
By coordinating trades within the model and sequencing their work visually, BIM helps identify:
- Clashes between disciplines
- Scheduling bottlenecks
- Overlapping scopes of work
- Equipment and access conflicts (like scaffolding, cranes, or deliveries)
This allows you to proactively adjust your plan and drawing sets and avoid disruptions that typically surface in the field — keeping the schedule intact and trades moving smoothly.
Not only do these conflicts reduce RFIs – and administrative time – but also help to prevent rework having a massive impact on your schedule.
Enable Just-In-Time Deliveries and Prefab Installs
BIM makes it easier to plan logistics and deliveries based on the actual construction sequence. You can time material drops and prefab component installs with precision, reducing storage needs and clutter on site. This is especially valuable on tight urban projects or multi-phase builds.
Track Progress and Adjust in Real-Time
Modern BIM platforms like Buildots or Open Space also allow for ongoing schedule tracking, where progress in the field is compared against the model.
If something slips, you can see the downstream impact immediately and adjust the schedule proactively — rather than waiting until the delay becomes a crisis.
4. Better Marketing and RFPs
With lump sum hard closes becoming less and less common, winning work isn’t just about being the lowest bidder — it’s about showing owners you’re the most capable, reliable, and forward-thinking team for the job. BIM gives contractors a powerful advantage when it comes to marketing, proposals, and client presentations.
I’ve helped my previous companies win plenty of work with the help of BIM. Here are a few of the things I’ve done to help secure projects through RFPs using BIM:
- Crane swing analysis showing how we would get crane coverage for a sprawling community center complex
- Phased and colour coded renderings showing how we would approach building the multi-tower development and the timelines associated with each building
- A 4D schedule simulation showing how the project would be built making for a powerful presentation at the short listed meeting we attended
- Renderings of revenue generating space options including a bar, event space featuring a wedding setup, and commercial retail unit options
There are plenty of contractors who claim to have BIM capabilities but are not executing BIM properly. When done properly and those capabilities are demonstrated to new or potential clients – BIM can be a game changer in winning new work and building new relationships.
5. Reduced Rework
Rework is one of the most expensive and frustrating issues on any construction site. Whether it’s tearing out a wall to move a pipe or having to reroute ductwork because of a steel clash, every correction costs time, labor, materials — and profit.
BIM is one of the most effective tools available to dramatically reduce rework by helping contractors build it right the first time. In fact reducing rework was cited as one of the biggest benefits by surveyed BIM users.
Catch Conflicts Before They’re Built
The most common cause of rework is poor coordination — when systems are designed in silos and installed without considering how they’ll fit together on site. BIM solves this by integrating all disciplines into a single, coordinated model.
With BIM’s clash detection tools like Navisworks or Revizto, you can identify and resolve issues between trades long before construction begins:
- Mechanical systems colliding with beams
- Structural steel cutting through a shear wall
- Electrical conduit paths overlapping with fireproofing zones
These problems get solved in coordination meetings, not in the field, where the cost to fix them is exponentially higher.
Reduce Scope Gaps and Ambiguities
My husband was a glazing and cladding estimator for 4 years. As he has pointed out, when drawings are unclear – trades play it safe and will cover themselves with whatever will be the most expensive interpretation of the drawings.
These interpretations can lead to scope gaps and higher prices. BIM models reduce this ambiguity with clear, coordinated documentation and shared visibility across teams. As a result:
- Fewer RFIs asking for clarification
- More accurate estimates
- Better alignment between subcontractors
And that means less rework caused by scope gaps or miscommunication.
Build Smarter. Build With BIM.
Contractors today are being asked to do more with less — tighter budgets, faster timelines, and fewer mistakes.
BIM can help!
From reducing rework and coordination issues to improving productivity and shortening schedules, BIM empowers contractors to take control of their projects before the first crew hits the site. It’s not just a design tool — it’s a construction advantage.
Need help getting started with BIM on your projects?
Whether you’re looking for support on your next bid or want help building internal processes, we’re here to help.
Let’s build smarter — together. Contact us to get started today.