It's reasonable to push back on signing off on the coordination model if your BIM Execution Plan (BEP) clearly assigns that responsibility to the Trade Contractor. In a Design-Build setup, roles can blur, but the BEP should serve as your contractual and procedural guide. Signing off could imply acceptance of liability for coordination outcomes you didn't control, especially if the model has evolved beyond your scope.
One way to address this is to reaffirm your role as the model originator, not the coordinator. If your team has already issued the model with a release or disclaimer (as some replies suggest), you might reference that document and offer to confirm only that the model was shared in accordance with the BEP. This keeps the focus on process compliance rather than ownership of downstream coordination. If needed, you could propose a joint sign-off format that clearly distinguishes between design intent and construction coordination.
- Revisit the BIM Execution Plan and your original agreement for role clarity.
- Confirm whether a model release or disclaimer was issued and acknowledged
- Consider proposing a non-liability acknowledgment or joint sign-off format
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Thesla Collier Intl. Assoc. AIA
HNTB
Newhall CA
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Original Message:
Sent: 05-02-2025 06:32 PM
From: Janene K. Christopher AIA
Subject: BIM Coordination Model and Design-Build
Our Design-Build partner is asking us to sign-off on the coordination model. The BIM execution plan already indicates the model coordination is the Trade Contractor's responsibility & they need to sign off. Anyone have any experience w/ this request. Seems they are treating this as a "submittal" rather than a coordination tool.
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Janene Christopher AIA
Steinberg Hart
San Diego CA
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