COBie explained: handing over building data for operations
COBie often appears in BIM briefs as a handover requirement, sometimes without much explanation. This page sums up what it is, where it comes from and what it contains, based on public sources.
By Julian Bringold ·
Quick answer
COBie (Construction Operations Building information exchange) is a data format and process standard for handing over the information needed to operate and maintain a building: spaces, equipment, product types, systems and documents. It can be delivered as a spreadsheet, as an IFC file or in a database, and aims to let operations start sooner after handover.
The main COBie worksheets
| Group | Worksheets | What they cover |
|---|---|---|
| Design | Facility, Floor, Space, Zone, Type, Component, System | The building, its floors and spaces, product types, installed components and the systems they belong to |
| Build | Job, Resource, Spare | Maintenance jobs, the resources they need and spare parts |
| Common | Contact, Document, Attribute | People and companies, related documents and additional properties |
What COBie is
The US National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) describes COBie as both a data format and a process standard. Its purpose is to capture and deliver the data on equipment that will need maintenance, so that the people who run the building can start sooner after handover instead of collecting that data themselves.
COBie is part of the US National BIM Standard: version 4 of NBIMS-US includes a COBie Version 3 module. The exchange rests on IFC (ISO 16739), the open format for BIM data.
Where COBie comes from
COBie was developed by William East while he worked at the US Army Corps of Engineers, around 2007, according to Catenda's glossary. It has since been used well beyond the United States, in particular in the UK.
In the UK, BS 1192-4:2014 was a code of practice for fulfilling an employer's information exchange requirements using COBie. BSI lists it as published on 30 September 2014 and withdrawn on 16 September 2022.
Spreadsheet, IFC file or database
COBie is best known as a spreadsheet, with one worksheet per kind of information. The same data can also be exchanged as an IFC file or held in a database. Catenda describes COBie as an IFC model view definition (MVD): a defined subset of IFC for one exchange.
The table above lists the main worksheets as Catenda groups them. The full specification published by NIBS remains the reference for the exact list and the rules for each field.
COBie and ISO 19650
Clients who use ISO 19650 terms may ask for COBie as part of their asset information requirements. Our ISO 19650 overview explains that vocabulary, from organisational requirements down to exchange requirements.
Getting the data right before handover
Most of what COBie asks for already lives in the models: spaces, types, components, classifications and properties. If a property is missing from the model, it will be missing from the COBie file too. Checking the models during delivery is therefore the most direct way to get a usable handover.
IDS files are designed for that check: they state which properties must be present on which objects, and software can test every IFC model against them. Our page on BIM requirements and IDS explains how, and the guide on checking BIM requirements with IDS shows the steps in SeveUp App.
SeveUp App does not produce a COBie spreadsheet. It can export the objects, properties, quantities and classifications of your models as CSV or JSON tables, which you can map into your own handover template: see downloading your model data.
Frequently asked questions
What does COBie stand for?
Is COBie just a spreadsheet?
Who created COBie?
Is BS 1192-4 still current?
Can SeveUp App generate a COBie file?
Sources
Sources checked on October 21, 2026.
- NBIMS-US V3, COBie 1-1, National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS), undated, checked on 21 October 2026.
- National BIM Standard - United States, Version 4, introduction, National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS), undated, checked on 21 October 2026.
- Construction Operations Building information exchange (COBie), glossary, Catenda, undated, checked on 21 October 2026.
- BS 1192-4:2014, fulfilling employer's information exchange requirements using COBie, code of practice, BSI Knowledge, published 30 September 2014, withdrawn 16 September 2022.
Check your models before handover
Check every IFC model against IDS requirements so the data your client needs for operations is there when you hand over.