BIM Return on Investment: A Case Study

The evolution of building information modeling (BIM) and virtual design and construction (VDC) are fundamentally changing the process by which buildings are designed and constructed. The perceived high initial cost of BIM has, however, deterred many industry professionals from implementing it. In some cases, an owner’s willingness to pay for the BIM is crucial in the contractor’s decision to use BIM. This study presents data gathered from three case studies on three sets of two similar projects: one a recently constructed BIM-assisted project and the other an earlier project without BIM to show the return on investment (ROI). The potential savings to an owner choosing to invest in BIM as an additional service were estimated based on the measurable cost benefits associated with reduced schedule overruns and reduced change order costs.