LOD 200 vs LOD 300: Which Do You Actually Need for Your Revit Model?
Level of Development (LOD) is the framework that describes how much geometric and attribute information a BIM element carries at a given project stage. The LOD specification is maintained by BIMForum and is the reference most UK scan-to-BIM briefs use when they specify a Revit model deliverable.
The two levels you will see most often in a scan-to-BIM brief are LOD 200 and LOD 300. They look similar in a Revit view, but the difference in modelling effort, cost, and downstream usability is substantial. This guide explains what each level includes, when to specify it, and how to decide for your project.
What LOD actually means
LOD is not the same as Level of Detail (also abbreviated LoD). Level of Development is a specification of the minimum content an element must carry to be reliable for a given purpose — not a maximum. The BIMForum LOD Specification defines six levels (100, 200, 300, 350, 400, 500) and the expected information content at each.
In a UK BIM project, the LOD you receive is governed by the project's Information Requirement (EIR, AIR, PIR under ISO 19650). The scan-to-BIM brief should state the LOD explicitly so the surveyor's quotation and the architect's downstream use are aligned.
LOD 200 — schematic design and concept massing
LOD 200 is a generic, approximate model. Elements are modelled with approximate quantities, size, shape, location, and orientation, but the geometry is not precise. Typical use cases:
- Concept and planning applications where the design intent matters but the building fabric has not been finalised.
- Feasibility studies and option appraisals.
- Coordination with planning authorities where the model is supporting a Design and Access statement.
- Early-stage cost plans where approximate quantities are sufficient.
A LOD 200 model from a 3D laser scan will typically take the scan point cloud as the underlying reference and model the major building elements (walls, floors, roofs, primary structure) to within ±100–200 mm. Fittings, fixings, services, and secondary structure are usually omitted or shown schematically.
LOD 300 — design development and construction documentation
LOD 300 is a specific, accurate model. Elements are modelled with specific quantities, size, shape, location, and orientation. Typical use cases:
- Design development and planning applications that need accurate existing-conditions drawings.
- Construction documentation where the model is the basis for the architect's drawings.
- Coordination with structural and MEP design where the scan model interfaces with the new design.
- Landlord / tenant fit-out where the existing fabric drives the new design.
A LOD 300 model from a 3D laser scan will typically deliver geometry to within ±10–50 mm for general building fabric and ±5–10 mm for critical interfaces. Doors, windows, columns, beams, and major services are modelled as specific elements with type, size, and material attributes.
LOD 350 — the middle ground
LOD 350 is a less-common intermediate level that adds interface details — how building elements connect to other building elements or to other systems. It is useful where the scan model interfaces with a complex new design (e.g. a new MEP riser passing through an existing structure), but most UK scan-to-BIM briefs go straight from 200 to 300.
How to decide
The right LOD depends on the downstream use:
- Planning only → LOD 200 is usually sufficient.
- Design development → LOD 300 is the standard.
- Construction documentation → LOD 300 minimum, with LOD 350 for complex interfaces.
- Fabrication → LOD 400 (out of scope for most scan-to-BIM briefs).
- As-built / FM → LOD 500 (delivered at project handover, not at scan stage).
The cost difference is material: a LOD 300 Revit model from a scan typically costs 1.5×–2.5× a LOD 200 model for the same building, because the modelling time per element is much higher.
ISO 19650 context in the UK
In the UK, BIM projects follow BS EN ISO 19650-2:2018, which replaced PAS 1192-2. The standard requires the LOD to be specified in the project's Information Requirement and delivered against the Asset Information Model (AIM) or Project Information Model (PIM). A scan-to-BIM brief that does not reference ISO 19650 is increasingly the exception, particularly on publicly-funded projects.
icelabz scan-to-BIM deliverables are produced to BIMForum LOD Specification and are issued with a signed accuracy statement that ties the model to the original scan point cloud and to the RICS Measured Surveys of Land, Buildings and Utilities, 3rd edition standard.