Mandatory BIM in construction: what building businesses need to know

The Atameken national chamber of entrepreneurs published guidance for the construction business on the transition to mandatory BIM design. The essence: the building information model — a single digital base holding architecture, structures, utilities and cost estimates — is turning from a voluntary tool into a requirement for operating in the market.

For the industry it is a real watershed. Companies that master BIM in earnest get fewer clashes on site, transparent estimates and change control; those who treat it formally will buy licenses and draw models "for submission" without any effect. International experience shows the main cost of the transition is not software but rewiring the habits of designers, site managers and procurement staff.

Construction companies in Kazakhstan should start with an inventory: which projects already require BIM, who on the team can work with it, and where to source people. Training takes months, so postponing until the first mandatory tender means missing it. Digitized projects also pay forward: on a structured model, AI tools — from estimate checks to schedule control — work an order of magnitude better than on a folder of drawings.