Current Possibilities of Using BIM Models for Compiling Cost Estimates in the Design Phase of Residential Buildings

This article focuses primarily on the current possibilities of using data and information from BIM models to estimate costs using identified methods and pricing systems for apartment buildings with different construction technologies. The authors analyse buildings with a built-up space of 3600–5300 m3, representing hundreds of projects currently available on the market. The applied methods include Pricing of Buildings Using a Spreadsheet Program, IFC-Supported Pricing Software, Pricing of Buildings in Design Software, and Pricing of Buildings Using a Design/Construction Library to compile cost estimates in the Czech URS, German Baupreislexikon, and British Spon’s Architects’ and Builders’ Price Book pricing systems. The usability of the BIM model with respect to the selected pricing system, construction technology, and methods ranges from 50% to 85%, with labour intensity ranging from 64 to 159 h. The key aspects for a wider application of BIM models include the completion of standardization at the level of graphic and non-graphic requirements related to the intended use of the data and information. The average cost per cubic metre of built-up space is EUR 469 in the Czech Republic, EUR 617 in Germany, and EUR 671 in Great Britain. This study brings new and distinctive insights compared to previous research by providing specific values for labour intensity and extractability, defining the limits of BIM use for cost estimation, and proposing recommendations to increase the applicability of the obtained data in practice.