Coordination
Coordination services that keep every discipline on one set of drawings.
Architectural, structural, MEP, and consultant drawings rarely start in agreement. CADTRI reviews every discipline against the others, resolves conflicts directly with the responsible engineer, and delivers one coordinated package instead of a stack of documents that disagree.
What Coordination Services Cover
One coordinated set, not a stack of separate drawings.
Most permit-ready projects involve more than one design discipline: an architect, a structural engineer, and often an MEP consultant. Coordination is the work of checking those drawings against each other, starting with the architectural drafting services that establish the base set, resolving what does not agree, and producing a single package that reads as one document instead of several that were never compared.
Disciplines Coordinated
Architectural, Structural, MEP
Consultant Communication
Direct, Every Project
BIM Model Formats
Revit / IFC Available
How It Works
Multi-discipline coordination, step by step.
Whether the coordination is a two-sheet structural check or a federated BIM model with multiple trades, the underlying process follows the same five stages.
Collecting Every Discipline's Drawings
Coordination starts with the current architectural, structural, MEP, and any additional consultant drawings or models for the project. We confirm which files are the approved-for-coordination version before anything is compared.
Cross-Discipline Conflict Review
Each discipline is checked against the others for dimensional conflicts, reference inconsistencies, and spatial clashes: structural framing against architectural sections, MEP routing against ceiling heights and structural members, and site work against civil drawings.
Direct Engineer and Consultant Communication
Identified conflicts are logged and routed directly to the responsible engineer or consultant. Every open item is tracked to a confirmed resolution rather than left for the plan checker or the field to discover.
Assembling One Coordinated Set
Once conflicts are resolved, the architectural sheets are updated to reflect the confirmed structural and MEP references, producing a single package that reads as one coordinated document rather than a stack of independently produced drawings.
Carrying Coordination Into the Field
Coordination does not end at permit issuance. RFIs, field conditions, and consultant revisions during construction are tracked and resolved the same way, so the as-built condition matches what was coordinated on paper.
Methods Compared
Three coordination methods, one goal.
Not every project needs a federated BIM model, and every project needs coordination to continue once construction starts. Here's what each method actually catches.
Coordination Methods
| Method | What It Catches | Typical Project Size | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2D Discipline Cross-Check | Dimensional and reference conflicts between architectural, structural, and MEP sheets. | Most residential and small commercial projects | Annotated conflict log and updated coordinated sheets |
| Federated BIM Clash Detection | Automated 3D spatial clashes across every trade modeled in the project. | Multi-family, institutional, and complex commercial | Clash detection report and a resolved federated model |
| Construction-Phase RFI Coordination | Field conditions and consultant revisions discovered after permit issuance. | Any project once construction begins | RFI log tracked to resolution and as-built alignment |
Most residential and small commercial projects only need a 2D cross-check. Read more on CAD versus BIM coordination and when 3D modeling is worth the added cost.
Coordination Services We Provide
A coordination point for every discipline.
From a single structural check to full BIM clash detection across trades, these are the coordination-specific services CADTRI delivers most often.
Common Pitfalls
Where coordination breaks down.
Most conflicts discovered at plan check or in the field trace back to one of these recurring gaps. Catching them during coordination is far cheaper than catching them after construction starts.
Late Engineer Engagement
Structural or MEP consultants brought in after the architectural drawings are substantially complete, forcing conflicts to surface as late corrections instead of early coordination.
No Single Coordination Point
Each consultant reviewing only their own discipline, with no one responsible for checking how the drawings align against each other.
Drawing Version Mismatches
Coordination performed against an outdated architectural or structural file, producing a combined package that does not reflect the actual current design.
Missed Ceiling and Structural Clearances
MEP routing that was never checked against structural members and finished ceiling heights, a frequent source of field conflicts on tenant improvement and multi-family projects.
Unresolved RFIs During Construction
Field questions that sit open because no one is tracking them to a documented resolution, leaving the contractor to guess or wait.
Siloed Consultant Communication
Comments passed indirectly between disciplines through the owner or contractor instead of direct, documented coordination between the design team.
Missing Clash Detection Before Permit
Multi-trade projects submitted for permit without running clash detection between architectural, structural, and MEP models, deferring conflicts to the field where they cost the most.
No Coordination Record
Conflicts identified and resolved verbally, with no log documenting what was found, who owned it, and how it was closed.
Where It Matters Most
Project types that need coordination first.
Every multi-discipline project benefits from coordination, but these project types carry the highest risk of conflict if it is skipped.
Ground-Up and Structural Renovation
Any project involving a licensed structural engineer needs the architectural and structural sets to function as one coordinated document before submission.
Structural CoordinationCommercial TI, Restaurants, and Hospitality
Complex kitchen exhaust, plumbing, and electrical requirements demand tight coordination between MEP and architectural drawings before permit submission.
MEP CoordinationMulti-Family, Institutional, and Complex Commercial
Projects with multiple overlapping trades benefit from a federated BIM model and clash detection before the first conduit is installed.
BIM CoordinationHistoric Rehabilitation
Preservation board review adds a coordination layer beyond standard building code, tying existing conditions documentation to the proposed scope.
Historic District SubmissionsGlossary
Coordination terms, defined.
The vocabulary consultants and BIM managers use without explaining it. Six terms worth knowing before your first coordination meeting.
- Clash Detection
- The automated process of checking a federated 3D model for physical conflicts between disciplines before construction begins. Read More
- Federated Model
- A combined 3D model built by merging each discipline's individual model into one shared reference used for coordination review.
- RFI (Request for Information)
- A formal question submitted during construction when the drawings don't fully answer a field condition, tracked to a documented resolution.
- Coordination Set
- The combined package of architectural, structural, and MEP sheets, updated to reflect confirmed cross-discipline references.
- Discipline
- An individual area of design responsibility, architectural, structural, MEP, or civil, that must be checked against every other discipline on a project.
- Sheet Reference
- A callout on one discipline's drawing pointing to a detail, section, or note on another discipline's sheet, a common failure point when versions fall out of sync.
Frequently Asked
Coordination services, explained.
- What is coordination in architectural drafting?
- Coordination is the process of checking architectural, structural, MEP, and other consultant drawings against each other to confirm they agree on dimensions, references, and assemblies before a package reaches plan check or the job site.
- Why does drawing coordination matter for permit approval?
- Uncoordinated drawings are one of the most common causes of plan check corrections. When sheets from different disciplines disagree, the plan checker cannot verify the project is code compliant, and the application gets returned.
- What is the difference between coordination and BIM coordination?
- General coordination reviews 2D drawings from each discipline for conflicts. BIM coordination integrates 3D models from each discipline into a single federated model and runs automated clash detection, typically used on more complex, multi-trade commercial and institutional projects.
- Do you coordinate directly with our structural engineer or MEP consultant?
- Yes. Coordination is only effective when conflicts are resolved directly with the responsible engineer or consultant rather than passed along secondhand. We communicate directly with your project's consultants to close out open items.
- Does coordination continue after the permit is issued?
- Yes, through construction administration support. Field conditions, RFIs, and consultant revisions during construction are coordinated the same way drawings are coordinated before submission.
- What if we already have separate architectural and structural or MEP sets?
- We review both sets side by side, identify conflicts, and produce a combined, coordinated package. Existing drawings do not need to be redrawn from scratch to bring them into coordination.
- What's the actual difference between CAD coordination and BIM coordination?
- CAD coordination compares 2D drawings from each discipline sheet by sheet. BIM coordination merges each discipline's 3D model into one federated model and runs automated clash detection across every trade at once, catching spatial conflicts a 2D review can miss.
- Do you use 3D laser scanning to coordinate renovation and addition projects?
- For projects with uncertain or undocumented existing conditions, scan-to-BIM captures the as-built structure accurately before new work is coordinated against it, reducing the risk of designing an addition against dimensions that turn out to be wrong.
- How is a clash detection report delivered?
- As an itemized list of identified conflicts, each tagged to the disciplines involved and its location in the model, alongside the resolved federated model once every item has been closed out with the responsible consultant.
From the Blog
Go deeper on coordination.
CAD vs BIM: What's the Difference?
The honest comparison of what each does, and when a project actually needs BIM coordination.
Read ArticleWhat Is Scan-to-BIM?
How 3D laser scanning creates accurate models for coordinating additions and renovations.
Read Article2D Drafting vs 3D Modeling
When 2D coordination is enough, and when a project is worth modeling in 3D.
Read ArticleCommercial vs. Residential Drawings
Why commercial projects carry a heavier coordination load than residential ones.
Read Article