For most scan to BIM projects, LOD 300 is the right level: elements are modelled with accurate, measured dimensions and specific types at their true as-built position, which is what reliable design and coordination need. LOD 200 suits early-stage space planning where generic geometry is enough, and LOD 350 adds the connection and clearance detail required for full clash detection between systems. The best specification is usually a mix, set per element rather than applied to the whole model.
LOD, level of development, is simply a measure of how much you can rely on a modelled element, both its geometry and the information attached to it. Getting it right is the single biggest driver of both the cost and the usefulness of a scan to BIM deliverable, and misaligned LOD expectations are the most common cause of disputes. It is worth understanding before you write the brief.
What LOD actually means
LOD describes how developed a building element is in the model, not how accurately it was scanned. A wall at a low LOD and the same wall at a high LOD may both come from the same millimetre-accurate point cloud; the difference is how much geometric detail and reliable information the modelled element carries.
Two points are worth fixing early:
- LOD is specified per element, not per model. A single deliverable can carry structure at one level and services at another. That is standard practice and usually the most cost-effective approach.
- Higher is not automatically better. More development means more modelling effort and cost. The aim is to match the level to how the model will actually be used, not to model everything to the maximum.
The levels you will usually meet
Three levels cover the large majority of scan to BIM work.
| LOD | What the element carries | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| LOD 200 | Generic geometry: correct location, approximate size and generic type | Space planning, feasibility, early design |
| LOD 300 | Specific geometry: accurate measured dimensions and defined types at the precise as-built position | Design development and reliable coordination |
| LOD 350 | LOD 300 plus connections, supports, clearances and interfaces | Clash detection between systems |
LOD 200 gives you elements that are in the right place at roughly the right size, enough to plan spaces and test early design ideas, but not something to take dimensions from for construction.
LOD 300 is the workhorse. Elements are measured, dimensioned and correctly typed at their real position, so the model can be relied on for detailed design and coordination. This is the level most projects should assume unless they have a reason to go lower or higher.
LOD 350 adds the detail that matters when systems have to physically fit together: how a duct connects, where a support sits, what clearance a run needs. It is the level for genuine clash detection, typically applied to services and structure where interfaces are tight.
How to choose the right LOD
Work backwards from what the model is for.
- If you are testing feasibility or planning space, LOD 200 is usually enough, and paying for more is wasted effort.
- If you are developing a design and coordinating disciplines, LOD 300 gives you the measured, reliable base you need.
- If you are running clash detection on tightly packed MEP or structure, LOD 350 on those systems is what makes the exercise meaningful.
The most cost-effective specifications almost always mix levels. A common pattern is structure and architecture at LOD 300, with services taken to LOD 350 where coordination is critical, and secondary elements left at LOD 200. Modelling everything to LOD 350 rarely represents good value, because you pay for detail on elements no one needs it on.
Get the specification right up front
Because LOD drives cost and expectation, the specification has to be agreed before any modelling begins: the target LOD per discipline, the elements in and out of scope, and the Revit template and standards to be used. Fixing this at the start is what prevents the classic dispute, where a model is delivered to LOD 200 but the design team assumed LOD 300 and finds it cannot dimension from the result.
It also helps when the people scanning the building are the people modelling it. Where capture and modelling sit with one team, the density and coverage of the scan can be planned for the target LOD, and questions about what was on site get answered by someone who was actually there. Our scan to BIM service is delivered that way, with no offshore handoff.
Common questions
What LOD do I need for scan to BIM?
It depends on how the model will be used. LOD 200 suits space planning and feasibility, LOD 300 is the usual choice for design development and reliable coordination, and LOD 350 adds the connection and clearance detail needed for clash detection. Many projects mix levels by discipline, and the most cost-effective specification matches the level to the intended use rather than modelling everything to the maximum.
What is the difference between LOD 200 and LOD 300?
At LOD 200, elements are generic: they are in the correct location with approximate size and a generic type. At LOD 300, elements carry accurate, measured dimensions and specific types at their precise as-built position, so the model can be relied on for detailed design and coordination. LOD 300 takes more modelling effort, which is why matching the level to your actual need matters.
Is LOD 400 or 500 used in scan to BIM?
Rarely. LOD 400 concerns fabrication detail and LOD 500 concerns verified, field-confirmed information, and both sit outside what a typical scan to BIM deliverable provides. Most existing-building modelling is specified between LOD 200 and LOD 350, which covers space planning through to coordination and clash detection.
Can different parts of the model be at different LODs?
Yes, and they usually should be. LOD is specified per element, not per model, so a single deliverable can carry, for example, structure at LOD 300 and services at LOD 350 where coordination is tight, with secondary elements at LOD 200. This mixed approach is standard and typically the most cost-effective.
Why does LOD matter so much for cost?
Because more development means more modelling work. Each step up requires more measured detail and more information per element, which takes time. Specifying a higher LOD than you need inflates cost without adding value, while specifying too low can leave a model you cannot rely on, so matching LOD to intended use is what keeps a project both usable and economical.
Choosing the right LOD is really about being honest about how the model will be used, then specifying to that and no further. Our scan to BIM service models to LOD 200, 300 or 350 in Revit, mixed by element where it suits the project, and it helps to understand the point cloud the model is built from before you write the brief.