LOD Explained: 100, 200, 300, 350, 400, 500

By the ScanningAndModeling team · Last updated July 19, 2026

LOD stands for Level of Development, and it is the single most important number in a scan-to-BIM contract, because it decides how much detail the model carries and therefore what it costs. The scale runs LOD 100, 200, 300, 350, 400, and 500. It is not a measure of graphics or file size. It is a measure of how reliable the information in each element is, from a rough placeholder you cannot measure to a field-verified as-built you can. This guide defines every level in plain English, using the BIMForum Level of Development Specification, and shows how the level you spec drives the price.

The definitions here follow the BIMForum LOD Specification, the industry reference for level of development in the United States. The LOD 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 definitions originate with the American Institute of Architects; LOD 350 was added by the BIMForum working group.

What LOD actually measures

LOD measures how much you can trust an element in the model. At a low LOD, an element tells you something exists but nothing you can measure against. At a high LOD, the element's size, shape, location, and orientation can be measured directly and relied on. The number is about information reliability, not appearance. Two models can look similar on screen and be worlds apart in LOD, because the difference is in whether the dimensions are real, coordinated, and verified, or just approximate. That is why a contract that names an LOD is enforceable and one that just says BIM model is not.

The six levels, in plain English

LOD 100: the placeholder

The element shows only that something exists. It appears as a symbol or a generic mass, and any size or quantity read from it is an estimate, not a measurement. Used for early concept and massing. You cannot build or coordinate from LOD 100.

LOD 200: the approximate

The element is a generic system or assembly with approximate size, shape, location, and orientation. Non-graphic information may be attached. It is close enough for design development and rough coordination, but the numbers are still approximate, so it is not the level you rely on for construction dimensions.

LOD 300: the accurate

The element is a specific system or assembly, accurate in quantity, size, shape, location, and orientation, and those dimensions can be measured directly from the model. This is the workhorse level for existing-conditions and design work: real geometry you can build design against. Most scan-to-BIM projects default here.

LOD 350: the coordinated

LOD 350 adds what LOD 300 leaves out: connections and interfaces between elements, so different trades can be coordinated and clashes detected and avoided. It is the level the BIMForum working group created specifically because coordination between disciplines needed a step above 300 and below fabrication. This is the level for MEP-dense buildings where duct, pipe, conduit, and structure have to be modeled tightly enough to catch conflicts before the field does.

LOD 400: the fabrication-ready

The element is modeled with enough detail and accuracy to fabricate the actual component. Size, shape, location, and orientation as designed can be measured directly from the model without notes or dimension call-outs. This is the shop-drawing level, used by fabricators and specialty trades.

LOD 500: the field-verified as-built

The element is a field-verified representation of size, shape, location, quantity, and orientation as it actually exists in the building. LOD 500 is the true as-built level, confirmed against the real conditions rather than the design intent. This is where a scan-verified existing-conditions model lives.

The same wall at each level

Picture one interior wall with a duct running above it, modeled at each level. The table reads the whole scale at a glance.

What each level looks like, element by element

LOD is not one setting for a whole building. It is chosen per element, and the difference between levels looks different on a wall than it does on a roof. These are our own models, the same element built at each level, so you can see what you are specifying before you pay for it.

Walls

Flat plane, then cut-outs and true geometry, then profiles, then materials.

Floors

Orthogonal plane, then major slope differences, then every angled part with drainage slopes.

Ceilings

Flat representation, then volumetry changes, then the floral and geometric detail, then materials.

Roof

The top closure, then cornice, gutters and chimney, then accurate slopes, vents and valleys, then tile detail.

Roof structure

Equidistant rafters, then the primary members, then every member with its real deformation, then end cuts and connections.

Concrete columns

The presence of a column, then its real volumetry, then base and cornice detail, then materials.

Steel columns

A volume, then the true sectional form, then structural details, then reality.

Beams

Biggest accurate dimension, then sectional accuracy, then custom families, then deformation and detail.

Stairs

Risers and dimension, then correct typology with railing, then finish layer, nosing and custom balusters, then everything.

Doors

The wall cut, then panels and form, then frame sections, trims and locks, then full material detail.

Windows

The wall cut, then panes and form, then frame sections and trims in real positions, then material detail.

Exterior

The building's general form, then all structural elements and openings, then mid-scale detail, then full scan-to-BIM.

What each level costs to model

LOD is the biggest lever on a scan-to-BIM modeling fee, because each step up roughly doubles the modeling effort. Industry reference rates run far higher, and vaguer, than ours: published 2026 ranges span $0.15 to well past $3.00 per square foot depending on LOD and MEP density. We publish ours instead.

$500 minimum on any modeling job. Scanning (capture) is priced separately from modeling. Full breakdown in scan-to-BIM cost per square foot and per LOD.

The practical takeaway: do not buy more LOD than your workflow uses. An owner who specs LOD 350 out of caution, when architectural LOD 300 would carry the design, pays for coordination detail that never gets used. And do not buy too little: accepting a cheap LOD 200 quote when you needed MEP detail is the most common way a scan-to-BIM project disappoints, because the missing detail was never in scope.

How to spec LOD in a contract

Name the LOD by element or trade, not the whole building. A real spec reads like architectural LOD 300, structural LOD 300, mechanical and plumbing LOD 350, because different systems need different reliability. Pair the LOD with the trades in scope and an accuracy standard, and the model becomes something both sides can check against. You already know what your downstream work needs; we carry the technical translation from that into a modeling scope and a number. If you are unsure which systems need which level, tell us how the model gets used and we spec it with you.

Questions buyers actually ask

What is the difference between LOD 300 and LOD 350?

LOD 300 gives you specific elements with accurate dimensions. LOD 350 adds the connections and interfaces between elements, so trades can be coordinated and clashes caught. LOD 350 is the coordination level; LOD 300 is the design-geometry level.

Is a higher LOD always better?

No. A higher LOD costs more and only pays off if your workflow uses the extra detail. Buy the LOD your downstream work needs, by trade, not the highest number available.

What LOD is an as-built model?

A true field-verified as-built is LOD 500, confirmed against real conditions. In practice many existing-conditions models are delivered at LOD 300 geometry, verified against the scan. What matters is that the spec names both the LOD and that it is scan-verified.

Who defined the LOD scale?

The LOD 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 definitions come from the American Institute of Architects. LOD 350 was added by the BIMForum working group. The BIMForum LOD Specification is the current U.S. reference.