Building information modelling (BIM) standards set common rules for how digital information about buildings and infrastructure is organized, shared, and protected across the entire life cycle of an asset. They help teams work together more effectively, improve efficiency, and keep information consistent from early design and construction through operation and long-term use.

BIM standards primarily focus on information management, processes, and workflows rather than on specific software products. They explain how project data should be created, structured, shared, and maintained so that many parties can rely on the same digital information throughout a project. This supports collaboration between owners, designers, contractors, and operators, even when they use different tools or work in different countries. Because BIM covers many aspects of digital construction, its standards exist at different levels and serve different purposes.

International standards developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) form the backbone of today’s BIM standards landscape. Among them, several standards are particularly notable because of their broad use and central role in enabling consistent and interoperable BIM practices.

Notable BIM standards include:

• The ISO 19650 series, which provides the main international framework for managing information using BIM across the entire life cycle of buildings and infrastructure. The series includes requirements for shared principles and concepts (ISO 19650-1), information management during project delivery, including design and construction (ISO 19650-2), information management during the operational phase of assets (ISO 19650-3), structured information exchange (ISO 19650-4), security-minded information management (ISO 19650-5), ), and health and safety information management (ISO 19650-6). The series builds on earlier UK standards such as BS 1192 and the PAS 1192 series, which helped shape modern approaches to collaborative information management.

• ISO 16739, which defines Industry Foundation Classes (IFC), an open and neutral data model that allows BIM information to be exchanged between different software systems, supporting interoperability and long-term access to digital building data.

• The ISO 29481 series, which explains how information delivery manuals are used to define what information is needed, by whom, and at what stage of a project.

• Standards supporting classification systems, data dictionaries, and data templates help ensure that information keeps the same meaning and can be reliably reused when it is shared between systems and organizations.

Beyond these widely used standards, BIM is also supported by domain-agnostic data standards, national and regional implementations, more specialized or sector-specific BIM standards, and a range of guidance documents and handbooks that support practical application.

Taken together, BIM standards help the construction sector move away from isolated drawings and disconnected files toward shared, trustworthy digital information. By setting clear expectations for how information is created and exchanged, they reduce errors, support better decisions, and help projects meet modern demands for efficiency, safety, sustainability, and interoperability.

More information on BIM standards and their role in the built environment is available on the International Organization for Standardization’s BIM page