When we take on a project-based BIM scope, our main focus is taking the heavy lifting of 3D detailing entirely off your plate. Instead of bringing on temporary drafters to fill seat gaps, we take full ownership of the modeling package from start to finish. We build out the 3D trade models, run weekly clash coordination with the general contractor, and hand over field-ready shop drawings so your team can stay focused on installation.
Contractors use project-based BIM outsourcing to turn out job drawings without hiring permanent office staff. The process starts with setting exact scope limits, choosing required level of detail (LOD) outputs, and setting milestone dates.
Once contract terms are set, the outside firm owns daily modeling, trade clash meetings, and file exports while your office team retains high-level project decisions and field oversight.
Responsibility Area | What the External BIM Partner Handles | What the Contractor Provides |
Model Production | Builds 3D geometry for feeders, gear, and branch circuits | Contract drawings, design revisions, and spec sheets |
Project Standards | Applies Revit templates, naming rules, and title blocks | Company CAD/BIM standards and title block graphics |
Trade Coordination | Runs clash tests and attends weekly trade meetings | Decisions on rerouting preferences and clearance priorities |
RFIs & Questions | Identifies design gaps and drafts technical questions | Submits RFIs to design engineers and provides answers |
Vendor Information | Models specific equipment dimensions from cut sheets | Equipment submittals, vendor cut sheets, and panel layouts |
Field Conditions | Adjusts models based on laser scans or field notes | Site measurements, slab redlines, and layout verifications |
Shop Drawings | Exports floor plans, room details, and spool sheets | Final review and sign-off before field release |
Prefab Input | Creates assembly sheets and conduit conduit bending lists | Prefab shop capabilities, bending radiuses, and rack sizes |
End-to-End BIM Outsourcing Workflow:
Project Award → Scope Review → Kickoff → Model Setup → BIM Production Support → Coordination → Shop Drawings / Prefab → Construction Revisions → QA/QC → Final Deliverables
How to Define Your Scope Before Outsourcing BIM
Outsourcing 3D work is not something you can order off a menu. You cannot simply hand over a set of contract plans and tell an outside drafting shop to handle the modeling. If you do not spell out the job details on paper first, you will end up with missing drawings and missed deadlines.
- Before signing a contract for project-based dedicated BIM resource, you need to set firm boundaries around what the outside team will actually draw:
- Decide how far down the electrical systems need to be modeled. Do you need main power feeders and switchgear drawn, or do you also need branch conduits down to 3/4-inch, light fixtures, and low-voltage cable trays?
- Pick the right detail level for the job. Basic spatial layouts usually need LOD 300 models, while prefabrication and field installation require fully detailed LOD 350 or 400 models.
- Establish who sits in the weekly trade meetings. You need to clarify if the external team leads clash discussions with the general contractor or just updates model files in the background.
- List every sheet your field electricians will need. Spell out whether the scope covers basic floor plans, room elevations, deck sleeve layouts, or prefabrication cut sheets.
- Confirm the software year upfront. Make sure the outside firm works in the exact Revit or AutoCAD version required by the general contractor so files transfer without errors.
What Deliverables Should Contractors Expect?
A complete outsourced BIM staff augmentation team turns out specific digital files and paper sets throughout the project lifecycle.
Depending on what we agree on during project setup, we deliver a complete package of working files and installation drawings:
- Coordinated 3D models: Native Revit files covering switchgear, conduit runs, and cable trays, fully checked against the mechanical, plumbing, and structural models.
- Trade clash reports: Clear summaries of spatial conflicts showing where electrical runs hit ductwork, steel, or piping before installation starts.
- Electrical Shop Drawings: Dimensioned 2D field plans for floor layouts, wall box elevations, and lighting controls.
- Prefabrication spool sheets: Assembly drawings, bracket measurements, and conduit bending lists created through our BIM Prefabrication Services for off-site shop builds.
- Sleeve and penetration plans: Deck sleeve and wall penetration layouts provided before concrete pours to keep your crew from core drilling later.
- As-built models: Updated 3D files containing final jobsite redlines for building turnover and closeout.
What the Contractor Still Owns
Passing off a modeling package does not mean your company steps away entirely. An outside team needs constant input and quick decisions from your project managers to keep drawing production moving.
Your office team remains responsible for supplying accurate design drawings, vendor equipment submittals, and prompt answers to project questions. When trade clashes happen in hallway ceilings, your field leads must decide whether to drop a feeder rack or step around a main water line.
Outside detailers build models based on project inputs, but your team holds final approval on all shop drawings before they go to the field.
RESPONSIBILITY MAP:
Contractor: Project Approvals ──> Equipment Submittals ──> Field Reroute Decisions ──> Final Sign-off
BIM Partner: 3D Model Creation ──> Trade Clash Resolution ──> Drawing Generation ──>
Real-World Scenario: Outsourcing a Data Center Electrical Scope
Consider an electrical BIM services contractor winning a large data center package that includes main power feeds, heavy transformer rooms, overhead cable tray networks, and dense branch conduit runs. The job requires weekly clash meetings, fast submittals, and prefabrication spool sheets for 400 conduit racks.
Your in-house drafting crew is already full on two active hospital builds. Hiring four new modelers for one job takes too long and adds heavy overhead once construction wraps up.
By setting up a project-based contract, the contractor passes the full data center modeling package to an outside partner using MEP BIM Services:
- Kickoff and File Setup: The contractor shares job specs, title blocks, and equipment cut sheets. The BIM coordination service partner builds master Revit files following the job’s BIM Execution Plan.
- Modeling and Coordination: The BIM partner builds the 3D electrical systems and uses Clash Detection Services to resolve spatial conflicts with HVAC and plumbing runs.
- Weekly Trade Meetings: The BIM partner’s coordinator attends general contractor clash sessions and updates model files after every meeting.
- Drawing Release: The BIM partner generates clean field installation sheets and spool drawings for the contractor’s prefab shop.
- Field Revisions and Closeout: The contractor shares field redlines as work finishes, allowing the BIM partner to update final as-built files.
This approach lets the contractor handle a huge contract on schedule without taking on long-term payroll costs.
Frequently Asked Questions About Project-Based BIM Outsourcing
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What is project-based BIM outsourcing?
Project-based BIM outsourcing is a contract setup where an electrical contractor hires an external firm to manage the 3D modeling, trade coordination, and drawing production for a single project scope.
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What is included in an outsourced BIM project?
It typically covers initial model creation, trade clash resolution, shop drawing generation, sleeve layouts, prefabrication spool sheets, and final as-built drawing sets.
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What BIM deliverables should contractors expect?
Contractors receive coordinated Revit files, Navisworks clash reports, 2D field installation drawings, equipment room layouts, prefabrication cut sheets, and closeout models.
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How long does a project-based BIM engagement last?
It lasts for the duration of the project's detailing phase, starting at pre-construction file setup and running through shop drawing approvals or final as-built submittals.
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What should contractors provide before BIM outsourcing begins?
Contractors must supply contract drawings, project specs, CAD/BIM standards, equipment submittals, target schedules, and a clear list of required drawing deliverables.
Checklist Before Outsourcing Your Next BIM Scope
Getting clean results from project-based BIM outsourcing depends on clear upfront preparation. Before signing a contract for your next build, make sure you have:
- Defined the exact trade scope and system boundaries.
- Selected required LOD targets for each system.
- Collected CAD standards, title blocks, and software version rules.
- Established meeting schedules and assigned an internal point of contact.
- Gathered vendor cut sheets for major electrical gear.
- Outlined required drawing sets, prefabrication needs, and closeout file formats.
Locking down these details early keeps your 3D modeling work on schedule and gives your field crews accurate shop drawings when installation starts. Contact Eracore today to set up project-based BIM support for your upcoming electrical builds.
