How do I check an IFC model before delivery?

The recommended workflow has four steps: (1) Export IFC from your authoring tool with consistent settings. (2) Run L1 schema validation to confirm the file is structurally valid. (3) Run L2 quality checking (44 rules) to get a Health Score — aim for 90+ for formal delivery. (4) Run L3 IDS validation if a project IDS file has been issued. Fix any failures, then re-run before uploading to the CDE or submitting to the client.

What Health Score should an IFC model have before delivery?

For formal delivery to a client or FM, aim for a Health Score of 90 or above. For internal coordination uploads to the CDE, 75 is a practical minimum. Models below 50 should be returned to the authoring team before any coordination use. These thresholds should be written into the project BEP so authors know them from day one.

What IFC export settings should I use for checking?

For Revit: use the NBS or Open BIM IFC exporter, not the built-in one. Set coordinate system to project coordinates. Enable all geometry types. Do not simplify or merge elements. Export property sets. For ArchiCAD: use the Coordination View or Design Transfer View profile. Always export with IFCGloballyUniqueId preservation enabled.

How long does IFC checking take?

Schema validation (L1) takes seconds. Quality rule checking (L2) for a typical architectural model (50–200 MB) takes 15–60 seconds in a browser-based tool. IDS validation (L3) adds a further 10–30 seconds depending on the number of IDS specifications and model size. The full three-level check should complete in under two minutes for most project models.

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Validation · 2026-06-30 · 18 min

How to Check an IFC Model Before Delivery (Step-by-Step)

A practical workflow for BIM coordinators: export, schema check, quality check, fix errors, IDS validation, archive the report. With checklists for each stage and ISO 19650 stage gate guidance.

How to Check an IFC Model Before Delivery (Step-by-Step) — IFC Viewer Online article cover

Why a Checking Workflow Matters

Most IFC quality problems are introduced at the authoring tool level and discovered at the coordination or handover stage — often too late to fix without rework. A systematic pre-delivery checking workflow catches these problems at the cheapest point in the project lifecycle: before the model enters the CDE.

The workflow described here takes less than five minutes for a typical model and produces a checking report that serves as a conformance record. It can be run by individual BIM authors before every CDE upload, and by BIM coordinators as a gate check on incoming models.

The Four-Step Checking Workflow

STEP 1: Export
Authoring tool → IFC export with correct settings
        │
        ▼
STEP 2: L1 Schema Check (< 5 seconds)
Is the file structurally valid IFC?
        │ fail → fix export settings or authoring tool issue
        │ pass
        ▼
STEP 3: L2 Quality Check (15–60 seconds)
44 rules: GUIDs, hierarchy, Psets, geometry, names
Health Score calculated (0–100)
        │ fail (score < 75) → return to author with error report
        │ pass
        ▼
STEP 4: L3 IDS Check (10–30 seconds, if IDS exists)
Validate against project IDS specification
        │ fail → return to author with IDS non-conformances
        │ pass
        ▼
Archive report → Upload to CDE

Step 1: Export with Correct Settings

Most IFC quality problems originate in the export, not the model. The authoring tool export settings determine whether the IFC file will contain correct GUIDs, complete property sets, and well-formed geometry.

Authoring tool	Recommended export approach	Key settings to check
Revit	Use NBS or Revit IFC exporter (not legacy built-in)	IFC version (IFC4 preferred), property sets, coordinate system, geometry types
ArchiCAD	Use Coordination View 2.0 or Design Transfer View	GUID stability enabled, Psets included, storey structure preserved
Tekla Structures	IFC4 Design Transfer View	Assembly/part handling, reinforcement export, naming conventions
Allplan	IFC4 export with project properties	Storey assignment, classification codes, Pset mapping
Vectorworks	IFC4 or IFC2x3 coordination view	Story levels mapped, Pset export enabled, classification assigned

Export guidance by authoring tool — verify with your project BEP.

Export checklist: IFC version matches project BEP (IFC4 or IFC2x3)
Export checklist: property sets enabled (not suppressed for file size)
Export checklist: coordinate system set to project coordinates (not world origin)
Export checklist: all geometry types included (not simplified or merged)
Export checklist: naming convention matches project convention document
Export checklist: classification codes mapped in export settings

Step 2: L1 Schema Validation

Open the IFC file in a checker. In IFC Viewer Online, L1 schema validation runs automatically when you open the file — it takes seconds. If L1 fails, the checker will report the specific entity or attribute that is invalid. L1 failures usually indicate:

Wrong IFC version for the export profile used
Authoring tool bug producing invalid entity references
File corruption during export or transfer
Incorrect file header (e.g., file created with IFC2x3 but labelled IFC4)

Fix L1 failures by correcting the export settings, updating the authoring tool exporter, or contacting the software vendor if the issue is a known bug.

Step 3: L2 Quality Check and Health Score

The L2 quality check is the main checking step. Forty-four rules evaluate every element in the model across six categories. The result is a Health Score (0–100) and a prioritised list of issues by severity.

Issue severity	Definition	Recommended action
Error	Blocking quality problem — will cause failures in downstream tools	Must fix before CDE upload; blocks delivery
Warning	Quality problem that may cause issues in some downstream workflows	Should fix before formal delivery; acceptable for informal coordination
Info	Advisory — deviation from best practice with no immediate downstream impact	Fix at next model revision; does not block delivery

Issue severity levels and recommended BIM coordinator actions.

L2 checklist: Health Score ≥ 90 for formal delivery, ≥ 75 for coordination uploads
L2 checklist: zero duplicate GUIDs
L2 checklist: all building elements assigned to a storey
L2 checklist: all storeys assigned to a building, building assigned to a site
L2 checklist: no elements with empty or generic names (e.g., "Wall" or "Beam 1")
L2 checklist: standard Psets present and populated for all major element types
L2 checklist: no geometry with zero volume or broken Boolean operations

Step 4: L3 IDS Validation

If a project IDS file has been issued (as part of the EIR or separately), the L3 check validates whether the model contains the required data. An IDS specifies which element types must carry which properties, with which values or value ranges, and with which classification codes.

To run L3 validation in IFC Viewer Online: open the IDS panel, upload the project .ids file, and the checker evaluates every applicable element. Results are reported per specification: how many elements are required, how many pass, how many fail, and exactly which elements fail which requirement.

L3 checklist: all IDS specifications show 100% pass rate
L3 checklist: no elements show "not-applicable" when they should be in scope
L3 checklist: classification codes match the IDS-required classification system
L3 checklist: required material assignments are present
L3 checklist: required custom Psets and properties exist with correct values

Archiving the Checking Report

A checking report is only useful as a conformance record if it is archived alongside the model. Export the report as JSON (full machine-readable audit trail) or HTML (human-readable summary) and upload it to the CDE with the model. The report should include:

Date and time of check
Model file name and version
Tool name and version used for checking
Health Score at time of submission
Error and warning counts by category
IDS specification results if L3 was run

ISO 19650 Stage Gate Integration

ISO 19650-2 defines information delivery milestones at each project stage. The checking workflow maps directly onto these milestones:

Project stage	ISO 19650 milestone	Minimum check required	Health Score threshold
Concept / RIBA Stage 2	Concept information	L1 + L2 quality	≥ 60
Developed Design / RIBA Stage 3	Design intent	L1 + L2 + L3 (if IDS issued)	≥ 75
Technical Design / RIBA Stage 4	Technical design	L1 + L2 + L3	≥ 85
Construction / RIBA Stage 5	Construction information	L1 + L2 + L3	≥ 90
Handover / RIBA Stage 6	As-built / FM handover	L1 + L2 + L3 full LOI	≥ 90

ISO 19650 stage gates and recommended checking thresholds by RIBA stage.

Fixing Common Issues Before Re-Checking

For a detailed guide to the most common errors and how to fix them, see 10 common IFC model errors. The three most frequent L2 failures are:

Duplicate GUIDs

Caused by copy-paste of elements in Revit or ArchiCAD without GUID regeneration. Fix: use the authoring tool's GUID management tool, or export with a fresh GUID set. In IFC Viewer Online, the error report identifies each duplicate by element name and type.

Elements not assigned to storey

Caused by elements placed at levels that are not connected to the IFC spatial hierarchy. Fix: in Revit, check the element's "Level" parameter. In ArchiCAD, check the home storey assignment. Then re-export.

Missing property sets

Caused by Pset mapping not configured in the export settings, or elements of types that the exporter does not map by default. Fix: review the exporter Pset mapping table and add missing mappings. For custom Psets, use the IDS approach to define them formally.

A five-minute check before every CDE upload saves hours of rework downstream. Make it part of the export routine, not a last-minute quality audit.
BIM coordination best practice

See also: the full three-level validation framework in the IFC model checker complete guide. How checkers differ from viewers — IFC model checker vs IFC viewer. Which tool to choose — best IFC model checkers in 2026. The 10 most common IFC errors and how to detect each one — 10 common IFC model errors.

And once the check is routine, the next question is what to send with the file and on what grounds the receiver accepts it: what to hand over with an IFC model and IFC acceptance criteria.

How to Check an IFC Model Before Delivery (Step-by-Step)