BIM Checklists · 8 pages
Pre-Construction BIM Coordination: The Contractor's Checklist
An eight-page field guide for setting model readiness, trade coordination, constructability, sequencing, procurement, and governance before work reaches site.
PRAVAXION.
B I M B U I LT A R O U N D C O N S T R U C T I O N , N O T J U S T D E S I G N
Free Contractor Guide
F R E E D O W N L O A D
Pre-Construction BIM
Coordination:
The Contractor's Checklist
What actually changes on site when coordination happens before mobilization — and
the checklist to run before you break ground.
98.4%
DESIGN-TO-SITE MATCH
ACCURACY
38%
AVERAGE REWORK
REDUCTION
23 days
AVG. SCHEDULE
RECOVERY pravaxion.com
B I M B U I LT A R O U N D C O N S T R U C T I O N , N O T J U S T D E S I G N
Free Contractor Guide
F R E E D O W N L O A D
Pre-Construction BIM
Coordination:
The Contractor's Checklist
What actually changes on site when coordination happens before mobilization — and
the checklist to run before you break ground.
98.4%
DESIGN-TO-SITE MATCH
ACCURACY
38%
AVERAGE REWORK
REDUCTION
23 days
AVG. SCHEDULE
RECOVERY pravaxion.com
W H Y C O O R D I N A T I O N C O M E S F I R S T
The clash you find on site was already in the model
Almost every coordination problem a contractor deals with mid-construction — a duct that won't fit
above a beam, a shop drawing that doesn't match the structural steel, a sequence that puts
finishes before rough-in — was detectable before the crews mobilized. The question isn't whether
the conflict exists. It's whether anyone looked for it before it became a change order.
For contractors, "coordination" often gets treated as a design-phase task that finishes when the architect and MEP consultant
sign off on a drawing set. In practice, the coordination that protects your schedule and margin happens after that: federating
every trade model, running it against actual means and methods, and resolving conflicts against the way the project will really be
built — not just how it was drawn.
Industry estimates place rework attributable to poor coordination and clashes at roughly 5–12% of contract
value on a typical commercial project — though this figure varies widely by project type and isn't
independently audited, so treat it as a planning signal rather than a hard number.
Note: the range above is drawn from third-party industry publications, not a controlled study. We flag it because we'd rather you see the caveat than take it
as gospel.
What is measurable, project to project, is the pattern: the earlier a clash is resolved, the cheaper and less disruptive it is to fix. A
conflict caught in a federated model review costs a coordinator an afternoon. The same conflict caught by a foreman on site costs
a delay, a re-order, and often a dispute over who pays for it.
PRAVAXION. Pre-Construction BIM Coordination Checklist 02
The clash you find on site was already in the model
Almost every coordination problem a contractor deals with mid-construction — a duct that won't fit
above a beam, a shop drawing that doesn't match the structural steel, a sequence that puts
finishes before rough-in — was detectable before the crews mobilized. The question isn't whether
the conflict exists. It's whether anyone looked for it before it became a change order.
For contractors, "coordination" often gets treated as a design-phase task that finishes when the architect and MEP consultant
sign off on a drawing set. In practice, the coordination that protects your schedule and margin happens after that: federating
every trade model, running it against actual means and methods, and resolving conflicts against the way the project will really be
built — not just how it was drawn.
Industry estimates place rework attributable to poor coordination and clashes at roughly 5–12% of contract
value on a typical commercial project — though this figure varies widely by project type and isn't
independently audited, so treat it as a planning signal rather than a hard number.
Note: the range above is drawn from third-party industry publications, not a controlled study. We flag it because we'd rather you see the caveat than take it
as gospel.
What is measurable, project to project, is the pattern: the earlier a clash is resolved, the cheaper and less disruptive it is to fix. A
conflict caught in a federated model review costs a coordinator an afternoon. The same conflict caught by a foreman on site costs
a delay, a re-order, and often a dispute over who pays for it.
PRAVAXION. Pre-Construction BIM Coordination Checklist 02
T H E C O S T O F S K I P P I N G I T
What "no coordination" actually costs a project
These are the categories of cost that show up when coordination is treated as a formality rather
than a discipline. None of this is hypothetical — it's the standard list of line items that appear on a
project's change order log when trades hit conflicts in the field instead of in the model.
5–12%
of contract value reportedly lost to
rework from clashes and coordination
gaps (industry estimate, not
independently verified)
↑↑↑
Cost of fixing an error rises sharply at
each stage it survives — model review,
to shop drawing, to fabrication, to site
RFIs
Uncoordinated packages generate a
steady stream of field RFIs that stall
trades waiting on answers
Where the cost actually lands
Direct rework — demolition and rebuild of installed work that conflicts with another trade.
Schedule float burn — float consumed resolving clashes that should have been closed pre-mobilization, with knock-on delays
to trades queued behind the one that stalled.
Procurement waste — materials fabricated or ordered against an uncoordinated design, then scrapped or reworked.
Dispute exposure — unresolved responsibility for who designed, approved, or should have caught the clash.
Team trust — repeated field conflicts erode confidence in the design package among subcontractors, which shows up as more
RFIs and more conservative (costlier) bids on the next project.
PRAVAXION. Pre-Construction BIM Coordination Checklist 03
What "no coordination" actually costs a project
These are the categories of cost that show up when coordination is treated as a formality rather
than a discipline. None of this is hypothetical — it's the standard list of line items that appear on a
project's change order log when trades hit conflicts in the field instead of in the model.
5–12%
of contract value reportedly lost to
rework from clashes and coordination
gaps (industry estimate, not
independently verified)
↑↑↑
Cost of fixing an error rises sharply at
each stage it survives — model review,
to shop drawing, to fabrication, to site
RFIs
Uncoordinated packages generate a
steady stream of field RFIs that stall
trades waiting on answers
Where the cost actually lands
Direct rework — demolition and rebuild of installed work that conflicts with another trade.
Schedule float burn — float consumed resolving clashes that should have been closed pre-mobilization, with knock-on delays
to trades queued behind the one that stalled.
Procurement waste — materials fabricated or ordered against an uncoordinated design, then scrapped or reworked.
Dispute exposure — unresolved responsibility for who designed, approved, or should have caught the clash.
Team trust — repeated field conflicts erode confidence in the design package among subcontractors, which shows up as more
RFIs and more conservative (costlier) bids on the next project.
PRAVAXION. Pre-Construction BIM Coordination Checklist 03
T H E S H I F T
What changes before vs. after coordination
Coordination doesn't remove complexity from a project — every building still has hundreds of trade
interfaces. What it changes is where and when those interfaces get resolved: on a screen before
mobilization, or in the field once trades and money are already committed.
BEFORE COORDINATION
Trade models exist separately; clashes are found by
whichever crew hits them first
Shop drawings are produced in parallel to design, not
checked against a federated model
RFIs spike once trades mobilize, stalling downstream
crews
Sequencing is assumed from the schedule, not verified
against constructability
Procurement is decoupled from coordination — long-
lead items ordered against unresolved geometry
Responsibility for a clash is argued after the fact, usually
under time pressure
Cost and schedule risk sit with whoever discovers the
conflict on site
AFTER COORDINATION
All trade models are federated and clash-checked
before issue-for-construction
Shop drawings are validated against the coordinated
model before fabrication
RFIs during construction are limited to genuine field
conditions, not design gaps
Sequencing is tested in 4D against actual means,
methods, and site logistics
Procurement timelines are set against a model that
won't change under the order
Clash resolution and sign-off are documented before
mobilization
Risk is priced and managed pre-construction, not
absorbed mid-build
PRAVAXION. Pre-Construction BIM Coordination Checklist 04
What changes before vs. after coordination
Coordination doesn't remove complexity from a project — every building still has hundreds of trade
interfaces. What it changes is where and when those interfaces get resolved: on a screen before
mobilization, or in the field once trades and money are already committed.
BEFORE COORDINATION
Trade models exist separately; clashes are found by
whichever crew hits them first
Shop drawings are produced in parallel to design, not
checked against a federated model
RFIs spike once trades mobilize, stalling downstream
crews
Sequencing is assumed from the schedule, not verified
against constructability
Procurement is decoupled from coordination — long-
lead items ordered against unresolved geometry
Responsibility for a clash is argued after the fact, usually
under time pressure
Cost and schedule risk sit with whoever discovers the
conflict on site
AFTER COORDINATION
All trade models are federated and clash-checked
before issue-for-construction
Shop drawings are validated against the coordinated
model before fabrication
RFIs during construction are limited to genuine field
conditions, not design gaps
Sequencing is tested in 4D against actual means,
methods, and site logistics
Procurement timelines are set against a model that
won't change under the order
Clash resolution and sign-off are documented before
mobilization
Risk is priced and managed pre-construction, not
absorbed mid-build
PRAVAXION. Pre-Construction BIM Coordination Checklist 04
T H E C H E C K L I S T
What to check before mobilization
1 Model & Data Readiness
2 Trade & Clash Coordination
Federation, not just aggregation. All trade models (architectural, structural, MEP, facade) are combined into one navigable
federated model — not just viewed side by side.
LOD confirmed per element, per phase. Know which elements are modeled at LOD 300 vs. 400 before relying on them for
fabrication decisions.
Model ownership and update cadence agreed. Everyone knows who updates which model, how often, and how changes are
communicated to the coordination team.
Survey/as-built data reconciled. Point cloud or laser-scan data of existing conditions is tied into the model where the project
touches an existing structure.
Full clash matrix run, not spot checks. Every trade pair is checked (MEP-structural, MEP-MEP, architectural-structural), not
just the obvious ones.
Hard, soft, and workflow clashes distinguished. Clearance and access-for-maintenance conflicts are caught, not just literal
geometric overlaps.
Clash resolution logged and signed off. Each clash has an owner, a resolution, and a sign-off date — not just a "closed"
status with no audit trail.
Shop drawings checked against the coordinated model before release to fabrication, not issued in parallel to it.
PRAVAXION. Pre-Construction BIM Coordination Checklist 05
What to check before mobilization
1 Model & Data Readiness
2 Trade & Clash Coordination
Federation, not just aggregation. All trade models (architectural, structural, MEP, facade) are combined into one navigable
federated model — not just viewed side by side.
LOD confirmed per element, per phase. Know which elements are modeled at LOD 300 vs. 400 before relying on them for
fabrication decisions.
Model ownership and update cadence agreed. Everyone knows who updates which model, how often, and how changes are
communicated to the coordination team.
Survey/as-built data reconciled. Point cloud or laser-scan data of existing conditions is tied into the model where the project
touches an existing structure.
Full clash matrix run, not spot checks. Every trade pair is checked (MEP-structural, MEP-MEP, architectural-structural), not
just the obvious ones.
Hard, soft, and workflow clashes distinguished. Clearance and access-for-maintenance conflicts are caught, not just literal
geometric overlaps.
Clash resolution logged and signed off. Each clash has an owner, a resolution, and a sign-off date — not just a "closed"
status with no audit trail.
Shop drawings checked against the coordinated model before release to fabrication, not issued in parallel to it.
PRAVAXION. Pre-Construction BIM Coordination Checklist 05
T H E C H E C K L I S T ( C O N T I N U E D )
What to check before mobilization
3 Constructability & Sequencing
4 Procurement & Site Readiness
5 Governance & Sign-off
Constructability reviewed against real means and methods — crane reach, access routes, temporary works — not just
design intent.
4D sequencing tested against the coordinated model. The construction sequence is simulated and checked for logic gaps
before it's locked into the schedule.
Site logistics and laydown areas confirmed against the phased sequence, including subcontractor access windows.
Long-lead items sequenced against the 4D schedule so procurement decisions are based on coordinated, not provisional,
geometry.
Quantity take-offs generated from the coordinated model, not a separate estimate, so BOQ and site quantities stay aligned.
Subcontractor buy-in secured on the coordinated model before mobilization, including their own shop-drawing commitments.
A named coordination lead owns the federated model and the clash log through mobilization, not just through design freeze.
Formal coordination sign-off exists as a project milestone, with defined criteria, before issue-for-construction.
A change-control process is agreed for what happens when site conditions force a deviation from the coordinated model.
PRAVAXION. Pre-Construction BIM Coordination Checklist 06
What to check before mobilization
3 Constructability & Sequencing
4 Procurement & Site Readiness
5 Governance & Sign-off
Constructability reviewed against real means and methods — crane reach, access routes, temporary works — not just
design intent.
4D sequencing tested against the coordinated model. The construction sequence is simulated and checked for logic gaps
before it's locked into the schedule.
Site logistics and laydown areas confirmed against the phased sequence, including subcontractor access windows.
Long-lead items sequenced against the 4D schedule so procurement decisions are based on coordinated, not provisional,
geometry.
Quantity take-offs generated from the coordinated model, not a separate estimate, so BOQ and site quantities stay aligned.
Subcontractor buy-in secured on the coordinated model before mobilization, including their own shop-drawing commitments.
A named coordination lead owns the federated model and the clash log through mobilization, not just through design freeze.
Formal coordination sign-off exists as a project milestone, with defined criteria, before issue-for-construction.
A change-control process is agreed for what happens when site conditions force a deviation from the coordinated model.
PRAVAXION. Pre-Construction BIM Coordination Checklist 06
R E A L O U T C O M E S
What contractor-first coordination has delivered
These are results Pravaxion has reported from its own contractor-led BIM coordination and
construction-monitoring engagements — not third-party or industry-wide figures. We're including
our source (pravaxion.com) so you can weigh them as our own track record, not a general claim
about the industry.
98.4%
DESIGN-TO-SITE MATCH ACCURACY
12,483
CLASHES RESOLVED
23 days
AVG. SCHEDULE RECOVERY
38%
AVERAGE REWORK REDUCTION
99.1%
BOQ ACCURACY
7
CORE COORDINATION SERVICE LINES
Pravaxion works contractor-side rather than as a design consultant — the coordination, constructability review, and 4D
sequencing are built around how contractors actually run a project, including procurement timelines and subcontractor
coordination, not just how the design was drawn.
PRAVAXION. Pre-Construction BIM Coordination Checklist 07
What contractor-first coordination has delivered
These are results Pravaxion has reported from its own contractor-led BIM coordination and
construction-monitoring engagements — not third-party or industry-wide figures. We're including
our source (pravaxion.com) so you can weigh them as our own track record, not a general claim
about the industry.
98.4%
DESIGN-TO-SITE MATCH ACCURACY
12,483
CLASHES RESOLVED
23 days
AVG. SCHEDULE RECOVERY
38%
AVERAGE REWORK REDUCTION
99.1%
BOQ ACCURACY
7
CORE COORDINATION SERVICE LINES
Pravaxion works contractor-side rather than as a design consultant — the coordination, constructability review, and 4D
sequencing are built around how contractors actually run a project, including procurement timelines and subcontractor
coordination, not just how the design was drawn.
PRAVAXION. Pre-Construction BIM Coordination Checklist 07
N E X T S T E P
Run this checklist before your next mobilization
If you'd like a second set of eyes on your coordination package — a federated model
review, a clash audit, or a constructability check before you commit crews to site —
Pravaxion works directly with contractors, EPCs, and design-build teams to close these
gaps before they become change orders.
Website pravaxion.com
Email sales@pravaxion.com
Phone +971 54 169 0560
© Pravaxion. This guide is provided for general informational purposes for contractors
and project teams evaluating pre-construction coordination practices.
Run this checklist before your next mobilization
If you'd like a second set of eyes on your coordination package — a federated model
review, a clash audit, or a constructability check before you commit crews to site —
Pravaxion works directly with contractors, EPCs, and design-build teams to close these
gaps before they become change orders.
Website pravaxion.com
Email sales@pravaxion.com
Phone +971 54 169 0560
© Pravaxion. This guide is provided for general informational purposes for contractors
and project teams evaluating pre-construction coordination practices.