--- title: "BMS Pre-Design London: Points Schedules & Controls Narratives | BIAV Controls" description: "BMS pre-design for London projects: points schedules, controls narratives, I/O counts and specifications that hold up on site. 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Priced per project on application." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How long does a BMS pre-design take?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "A single-plantroom pre-design typically takes days to a couple of weeks; a full multi-building portfolio is a phased programme. We agree scope and timeline in writing." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do you work vendor-independently?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes. Our pre-designs specify open protocols (BACnet, Modbus, KNX, LON, M-Bus) and are not written to lock the client into any single manufacturer." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Can you audit an existing specification?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes, a common engagement. We review an existing consultant spec, flag gaps, and either patch it or issue a replacement narrative." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do you cover metering and M&T at pre-design?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes, sub-metering, meter selection, pulse vs Modbus, and M&T dashboard scope are defined at pre-design, not bolted on later." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Who owns the deliverables?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The client owns the pre-design document set, including all narratives, schedules and strategies, and can issue them to any installer for tender." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do you cover the graphics scope?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes, alarm classes, dashboard hierarchy and screen intent are set at pre-design so the graphics build isn't a debate at commissioning." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do you deliver directly to consultants and main contractors?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes, we work both direct to end clients and under formal contract to M&E contractors and consultants." } } ] } ] --- 52 Selah Drive, Swanley, BR8 7WD 24/7 phones answered · 2hr SLA response [accounts@biav-controls.co.uk](mailto:accounts@biav-controls.co.uk)[](https://www.instagram.com/biav_controls)[](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-thomas-62a0901b6/) [![BIAV Controls](/__l5e/assets-v1/aa32365b-edd5-4700-8950-51fcbb3a024c/biav-logo.webp)](/) Services Service Areas [About](/about) Our Work [Contact](/contact) [07782 247022](tel:+447782247022)[Request a Quote](/contact) ![BMS pre-design workspace with HVAC schematic drawings and a laptop showing a BMS points schedule](/assets/hero-pre-design-Ci2Cx837.jpg) BMS Pre-Design · London & the South East # BMS pre-design that stops London projects unravelling at commissioning. Points schedules, controls narratives, I/O counts and specification writing, authored in-house by controls engineers, not lifted from a template that doesn't match your plant. [Request a Quote](/contact) [Call 07782 247022](tel:+447782247022) 13+ years hands-on BMS experience 2-hour on-site SLA for contract clients 1-year workmanship warranty 1. [Home ](/) 2. [Services](/services) 3. BMS Pre-Design 13+ Years hands-on BMS experience 2 hr On-site SLA for contract clients 24/7 Phones answered, every day £20M Public liability insurance BS EN 61439 Panel build standard Service overview ## BMS Pre-Design, explainedwithout the marketing gloss. What it is BMS pre-design is the engineering document set that defines exactly how a Building Management System will control every piece of plant on a project: point counts, control sequences, setpoints, alarm strategy, interlocks, protocol strategy, graphics scope and commissioning checklist. Who it's for M&E consultants, main contractors, developers and end-clients who need a controls specification that stands up to tender scrutiny and doesn't collapse into RFIs the day site work starts. When you need it RIBA Stage 3–4 on new-builds; before tender on refurbishments; before a legacy BMS replacement is put to market; and whenever an existing specification is a copy-paste template unrelated to the actual plant on the drawings. Why professional matters Every energy figure, tender price, commissioning duration and future maintenance liability on a project is set by the quality of the controls narrative. A weak pre-design is billed back through variations, delays and years of avoidable service visits. The cost of ignoring it ## What happens whenthis gets left alone. Skipping a proper BMS pre-design is the single most expensive false economy on a controls project. Risks & cost escalation - Missing points at tender become variations at installation, usually at three or four times the original per-point cost. - Controls narratives copied from a previous project don't match the plant on the drawings, forcing on-the-fly logic during commissioning. - Alarm strategies written after the fact become the operator's daily nuisance for the next decade. - No protocol strategy at pre-design means gateways, licences and integration costs land as surprises during commissioning. - A weak specification lets low-quality installers underbid: the client pays the difference back over ten years in service costs. Common mistakes we see - × Assuming the consultant's spec is a controls narrative: it usually isn't detailed enough to build from. - × Letting the installing contractor 'do the design as they go': the client never sees the logic and can't audit it later. - × Ignoring integration and metering scope until after tender. - × No graphics scope at pre-design: everyone assumes 'the graphics will be nice' and then argues about it at handover. Our process ## How we deliverbms pre-design. 1. Step 01 Design intake We review M&E drawings, schematics, plant schedules, energy strategy and any existing consultant specifications. 2. Step 02 Points & I/O schedule Every input and output on every panel counted, categorised (UI/AI/DI/DO/UO) and tied back to plant and protocol. 3. Step 03 Controls narrative Written sequence-of-operation for every subsystem: AHUs, FCUs, boilers, chillers, heat networks, DHW, lighting interfaces, metering, in plain English an installer can build from and an operator can read. 4. Step 04 Alarm & graphics strategy Alarm classes, priorities, escalation paths and dashboard hierarchy defined up front, not left to whichever engineer happens to build the graphic. 5. Step 05 Protocol & integration strategy BACnet, Modbus, KNX, LON, M-Bus and metering integration mapped, with licence and gateway requirements identified. 6. Step 06 Deliverables & tender pack Fully packaged pre-design document set, ready to issue for tender or to hand to your chosen installer. Outcomes you can measure ## What the right bms pre-designactually gives you. Tender clarity Every installer bids the same scope. Comparisons become like-for-like and variations shrink. Fewer RFIs A detailed narrative eliminates the vast majority of controls RFIs during construction. Commissioning discipline Every point on the schedule is a point to be proved: commissioning follows the document, not the mood of the day. Auditable design intent The client owns a written record of what the BMS was meant to do, invaluable for future service, refurb and audits. Better energy outcomes Setpoints, schedules and interlocks decided by an engineer at pre-design outperform anything decided under commissioning pressure. Vendor independence Protocols and gateways specified openly: no proprietary lock-in written into the tender. Scope & specifics ## Detail thatbuyers ask about. Pre-design scope flexes with project stage, procurement route and client sophistication: Materials, methods & standards All pre-design is authored in-house by controls engineers with 13+ years' hands-on delivery experience. Documents are protocol-agnostic and specify products from the Forest Rock supply chain where relevant (Tridium, Distech, ABB, Mitsubishi, Phoenix Contact, iSMA Controlli, Janitza, Circutor, Thermokon, Eastron, SkySpark). Our professional indemnity cover is £10M. Residential vs commercial Residential pre-design tends to focus on landlord-side plant, resident comfort feedback and heat-network billing integrity, while commercial and healthcare pre-design demands tighter alarm schemas, formal SLA readiness and multi-tenant metering separation. Full RIBA Stage 3–4 pre-design Comprehensive narrative, points schedule, alarm and graphics strategy, protocol strategy and commissioning brief for a full new-build project. Tender-support pre-design Focused pre-design used to strengthen an existing consultant spec ahead of tender: closes the gaps that would otherwise become variations. Retrofit / refurbishment pre-design Legacy BMS surveyed, existing panels and controllers audited, replacement scope written against real site conditions rather than assumptions. Metering & M&T strategy Sub-metering point counts, meter types (Circutor, Janitza, Eastron, Hobut), pulse vs Modbus TCP, and M&T dashboard scope defined at pre-design, not bolted on later. Healthcare & critical-environment pre-design Hospital, laboratory and data-centre pre-design accounting for interlocks, redundancy, alarm escalation and out-of-hours SLA implications. Energy & net-zero pre-design Controls strategy for heat networks, heat pumps, thermal stores, EV integration and demand-side response designed in from day one. Related services [BMS Installation](/services/bms-installation) [BMS Projects](/services/bms-projects) [BMS Software & Graphics](/services/bms-software-graphics) Coverage ### Delivered across London & the South East Based in Swanley on the London/Kent border. Engineers cover the City, the South East London boroughs, north-west Kent and beyond. [Swanley ](/service-areas/swanley)[Dartford ](/service-areas/dartford)[Sevenoaks ](/service-areas/sevenoaks)[Orpington ](/service-areas/orpington)[Sidcup ](/service-areas/sidcup)[Bexley ](/service-areas/bexley)[Bromley ](/service-areas/bromley)[Greenwich ](/service-areas/greenwich)[Croydon ](/service-areas/croydon)[Gravesend ](/service-areas/gravesend)[South East London ](/service-areas/south-east-london)[City of London ](/service-areas/city-of-london)[Canary Wharf ](/service-areas/canary-wharf) FAQs ## BMS Pre-Designquestions, answered. Anything not covered here? Call us on [07782 247022](tel:+447782247022). Pricing BMS work is bespoke and project-based; pricing is **quote on application**, issued in writing after a site or specification review. ### Do you charge for pre-design as a standalone service? + Yes, pre-design can be delivered standalone, ahead of tender, or as the front end of a full installation project. Priced per project on application. ### How long does a BMS pre-design take? + A single-plantroom pre-design typically takes days to a couple of weeks; a full multi-building portfolio is a phased programme. We agree scope and timeline in writing. ### Do you work vendor-independently? + Yes. Our pre-designs specify open protocols (BACnet, Modbus, KNX, LON, M-Bus) and are not written to lock the client into any single manufacturer. ### Can you audit an existing specification? + Yes, a common engagement. We review an existing consultant spec, flag gaps, and either patch it or issue a replacement narrative. ### Do you cover metering and M&T at pre-design? + Yes, sub-metering, meter selection, pulse vs Modbus, and M&T dashboard scope are defined at pre-design, not bolted on later. ### Who owns the deliverables? + The client owns the pre-design document set, including all narratives, schedules and strategies, and can issue them to any installer for tender. ### Do you cover the graphics scope? + Yes, alarm classes, dashboard hierarchy and screen intent are set at pre-design so the graphics build isn't a debate at commissioning. ### Do you deliver directly to consultants and main contractors? + Yes, we work both direct to end clients and under formal contract to M&E contractors and consultants. Request a quote ## Send us the spec.We'll come back with a fixed scope. Every bms pre-design enquiry is scoped and quoted in writing: no 'from' prices, no hidden variations, no proprietary lock-in. Response within one working day, sooner for anything urgent. [Call 07782 247022](tel:+447782247022)[Full contact details](/contact) 24/7 phones answered £20M PL / £10M PI cover 1-year workmanship warranty BMS Pre-Design enquiry Tell us about the site. ![BIAV Controls](/__l5e/assets-v1/aa32365b-edd5-4700-8950-51fcbb3a024c/biav-logo.webp) Family-run BMS specialist delivering smart, energy-efficient solutions to support net zero buildings across London and the South East. Bespoke design, BS EN 61439 panels, open-protocol systems. [07782 247022 ](tel:+447782247022)[accounts@biav-controls.co.uk](mailto:accounts@biav-controls.co.uk) 52 Selah Drive Swanley, Sevenoaks BR8 7WD [](https://www.instagram.com/biav_controls)[](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-thomas-62a0901b6/) Services - [BMS Service](/services/bms-service) - [BMS Installation](/services/bms-installation) - [BMS Call Out](/services/bms-call-out) - [BMS Pre-Design](/services/bms-pre-design) - [BMS Projects](/services/bms-projects) - [BMS Panel Manufacturing](/services/bms-panel-manufacturing) - [BMS Software & Graphics](/services/bms-software-graphics) - [BMS Electrical Installation](/services/bms-electrical-installation) - [BMS Maintenance](/services/bms-maintenance) - [BMS Energy Optimisation](/services/bms-energy-optimisation) Service Areas - [Swanley](/service-areas/swanley) - [Dartford](/service-areas/dartford) - [Sevenoaks](/service-areas/sevenoaks) - [Orpington](/service-areas/orpington) - [Sidcup](/service-areas/sidcup) - [Bexley](/service-areas/bexley) - [Bromley](/service-areas/bromley) - [Greenwich](/service-areas/greenwich) - [Croydon](/service-areas/croydon) - [Gravesend](/service-areas/gravesend) - [South East London](/service-areas/south-east-london) - [City of London](/service-areas/city-of-london) - [Canary Wharf](/service-areas/canary-wharf) Company - [About](/about) - [Our Work](/our-work) - [Case Studies](/case-studies) - [FAQs](/faq) - [Contact](/contact) - [Leave a review](https://search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=ChIJDUK3gbWt2EcRTEnbDZS2st8) Hours: 24/7 Company No. 16344714 © 2026 BIAV Controls Limited. 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