As-built drawings at project handover: what owners ask for and how to prepare them

Short answer: at handover, most owners ask for as-built drawings that match what was built, and many also ask for an as-built BIM model (usually LOD 500) and asset data for the maintenance team. The package is approved faster when it is checked against the site, not only against the last approved shop drawings.

What owners usually ask for

The exact list is in the contract and the owner’s handover requirements, but most packages include:

• As-built drawings for every discipline: plans, sections, elevations and key details, signed off by the contractor.
• An as-built model, often at LOD 500, when the project has BIM requirements.
• Asset data for equipment such as chillers, pumps and panels, often as a COBie file or an asset register.
• Operation and maintenance manuals and warranties, linked to the equipment they cover.

If the contract only says “as-built drawings”, it is worth asking the owner early which format they want. A model costs more than drawings, and it is better to price it at the start than to argue about it at the end.

Why handover packages get stuck

The most common reasons:

1. The drawings show the design, not the site. Changes made on site were never added to the drawings.
2. Disciplines do not agree. The MEP drawings and the architectural drawings show different ceiling heights or shaft sizes.
3. No one owns the package. Each subcontractor sends their part in a different format, late.
4. The owner’s format is ignored. Title block, layers, naming and file types do not follow the handover requirements.

How to prepare an as-built package that is ready for approval

1. Start before the end. Collect site changes every month, not in the last week.
2. Check against the site. For existing or complex areas, a laser scan shows the real position of walls, slabs, ducts and pipes. The model is then built from the scan, not from memory.
3. Use one model for all disciplines. Drawings cut from one coordinated model agree with each other.
4. List your assumptions. Where something cannot be seen, such as services inside a closed ceiling, write it down. Owners accept a clear assumption more easily than a hidden one.
5. Follow the owner’s format from day one. Agree the title block, naming and file types before drawing starts.

For the owner

Most handover problems start in the contract, not at the end of the project. Four things help:

1. Write your handover requirements into the main contract: formats, LOD, asset data and the deadline.
2. Ask for a sample of the asset data early, for one floor or one plant room, and check it with your maintenance team.
3. Tell the contractor which software your maintenance team uses, so your team can open the files on day one.
4. Before final acceptance, check sample areas against the site, not only against the drawings.

When laser scanning makes sense

Scanning is worth it when the building is large, when many changes were made on site, or when no reliable drawings exist. It is also the usual choice for old buildings before a renovation. For a small fit-out with good site records, updating the drawings from the site team’s mark-ups may be enough.

OnePoint’s services in this area

You can send us your handover requirements and the records you have, such as drawings, site mark-ups and approved shop drawings. We study the documents, tell you whether a laser scan is needed and send a priced offer. If a scan is needed, we provide the laser scanning service from planning to the final model and drawings at LOD 500.