5D BIM or model-based estimating starts with a robust construction-caliber quantity takeoff. With these construction quantities, you can drive a precise estimate and schedule. And with the easy visualization of the model, you can quickly see which elements have been costed already, and which elements still need attention. And it also allows Owners to see which/how areas of the building are contributing to the total cost of the building.
The estimate lives and breathes throughout the project as the design moves through iterations. As the level of detail increases in the model, the estimate hones in on the final number.
A BIM model that contains the 3D geometry, the 4D schedule, and the 5D costing information looks exactly like a 3D model. It just so happens that if you click on any element within the building, you see its costing data, the quantities, the specifications, etc. With this depth of information, you can ask the model: how would the cost and schedule change if we substituted glass block for walls, or upgraded the lobby tile floor, or alter the pitch of the roof?
Ultimately, it is the BIM's job to facilitate the collaboration between the Owner, the Architect, the General Construction, and the Subcontractors. By providing a data-rich highly-visual picture of the project, all the stakeholders can work together towards the common goal: a project delivered on-time, on-budget, and with high quality.
By using quantities extracted from the Virtual Construction model highly accurate estimates can be created in less time. This “what you see is what you estimate” approach reduces inaccuracies and risks and helps you identify and communicate the relations between quantities, costs, and locations.
This Vico Service helps your team extend the information in the BIM to estimating. Now the 3D model geometry and quantities serves as the springboard for more robust and iterative cost planning.
For more information on model-based estimating and 5D BIM, please review the following resources:
BIM 501: Model-Based Estimating
Cost Planning Strategies in a Hard Bid
The Flying Dutchman Blog
To learn more about the software that powers this Service Offering, please review Vico Office Cost Planner. Learn more about what is included in the 5D BIM Service Offering by clicking through the panes below.