This is what a FDV documentation should contain, and this is how it should be done!
📌 Updated January 2026: The article has been updated with new and relevant information about FDV and documentation.
Management, operation and maintenance (O&M) in the construction industry
What exactly is FDV documentation? Find out below!
Jump to: What is FDV | FDV legal requirements | Content of FDV | FDV in practice | Common mistakes | FDV for contractors and executors | FDV for owners and property managers | FDV systems
Briefly explained: What is FDV – and why is it important?
FDV (Management, Operation and Maintenance) is documentation and information that ensures that buildings can be operated, maintained and managed safely and effectively throughout their entire lifespan. Good FDV is not built at handover – it is created throughout the project, from tender and execution to operation and history. When FDV is structured correctly, it provides better control, lower costs and higher value over time.
What is FDV?
Management, Operation and Maintenance (MOM) represents a fundamental concept within the construction industry. It encompasses a holistic approach to how a building is managed, operated and maintained throughout its entire lifespan – from new construction and handover to daily use, changes and eventual decommissioning.
FDV is not just about technical installations, but about ensuring that the building's functionality, safety and value are maintained over time. For some, FDV is the building's "instructions". For others, it is a management tool and a basis for decision-making. Both are correct.
Why is FDV important?
FDV is important because it enables the building to be used, maintained and further developed in a controlled and cost-effective manner. When FDV is handled correctly, it becomes easier to plan maintenance, follow up on responsibilities, document measures and make the right decisions over time.
A good FDV setup provides an overview of the building's technical and structural installations, reduces risk in the event of changes and ensures that critical information is not lost in the event of a change of personnel, change of ownership or audit. In practice, FDV is a prerequisite for good operation.
Is FDV a legal requirement?
Yes. According to the Planning and Building Act, there is a requirement that sufficient documentation must be available for the construction project. This means that the FDV documentation must provide the necessary insight into construction products, solutions and properties that are relevant for safe use, operation and maintenance.
The FDV documentation thus forms the basis for management, operation and maintenance throughout the building's entire lifespan - not just upon handover.
FDV documentation – explained simply
FDV documentation is the comprehensive documentation that describes how a building is designed, built, and how it will be operated and maintained. The documentation is used by owners, managers, and operations personnel to ensure proper use of the building and to plan maintenance and development.
FDV documentation includes, among other things:
drawings and technical descriptions
product and system information
operating and maintenance instructions
guarantees and declarations of conformity
In short: FDV is the basis for safe operation, efficient maintenance and long-term value preservation of buildings.
What kind of FDV documentation is required for a building?
The FDV documentation must contain a comprehensive and structured overview of information that is necessary for various stakeholders throughout the building's life cycle. It is about understanding both how the building is constructed and how it will be used, maintained and modified.
Typically this includes:
floor plan and facade drawings
situation map
guarantees and declarations of conformity
instruction manuals and technical descriptions
The documentation must be accessible, updated and structured in a way that makes it easy to use – both in daily operations and in the event of later changes, revisions or changes of ownership.
What should the FDV documentation contain?
FDV documentation, also known as the FDV binder, constitutes the building's manual or instruction manual. It contains a comprehensive collection of information that is essential for the proper operation and maintenance of the building. This includes documents such as floor and facade drawings, site maps, warranty statements, instruction books and key plans. Below we explain what is really important to include in the documentation.
Very important to include:
Plan and facade drawings: These drawings provide a comprehensive visual overview of the building's structure and design, and are essential for understanding the building's layout and components.
Location map: Provides information about the location of the building in its surroundings and can be important when extensions or changes are needed.
Documentation of calculations and solutions: This includes technical calculations, design solutions and other engineering aspects that form the basis for the structural integrity and functionality of the building.
Instruction manuals: Provides detailed instructions on how various technical systems work and should be maintained.
Warranty and conformity declarations: Documents that ensure that construction products and installations comply with applicable standards and that there is sufficient guarantee of quality and functionality.
A little important to include:
1. Color codes: While these can be useful for identifying certain areas or materials, they are not critical to the function of the building.
2. Maintenance plans: While these can be useful, they can change over time and can therefore be considered less critical to the FDV documentation.
3. Sectional and detail drawings: These provide detailed visual representations of specific parts of the building, but their inclusion can be considered less conclusive.
4. List of suppliers and products: While this can be useful information, it can change over time and may therefore be considered less critical to include in the FDV documentation.
Not so important to include:
1. Product declarations: These details about the products are subject to change and may be less relevant to day-to-day operation and maintenance.
2. Drawings in different scales: Unless there are specific needs for these, they may be considered less important to include.
3. Information about planned solutions that were not realized: As these do not have a practical application or impact on the current condition of the building, they may be considered less important to include in the O&M documentation.
FDV in practice: not just documentation, but a coherent process
FDV documentation is often referred to as a binder or a deliverable that is handed over upon completion of a building. In practice, this is a simplification. Good FDV documentation is the result of information that is collected, structured and further developed throughout the building's life cycle.
How FDV is used and experienced depends on the role and phase. Contractors, builders, owners and operating personnel have different needs – but they are based on the same documentation.
Common errors in FDV documentation (and why they occur)
Although the requirements for FDV are clear, many actors experience that FDV documentation is inadequate or difficult to use in practice. Often this is not due to a lack of will, but because FDV is handled too late – or without a clear structure.
Here are some of the most common mistakes we see in projects and property management:
FDV only starts upon handover
When FDV is treated as a final assignment, documentation must be collected afterwards. This creates a high risk of deficiencies, incorrect versions and time-consuming follow-up work – for both the contractor and the client.
Documentation is stored scattered
FDV files are often located in emails, personal folders, file servers, or various cloud solutions. The result is that no one has a complete overview, and important information becomes difficult to find when needed.
Lack of structure per building and unit
Documentation is collected “in a folder”, without a clear link to property, building or technical unit. This makes FDV unsuitable for operation, maintenance and auditing over time.
History is lost when personnel change
When FDV is person-dependent, knowledge is lost when key people leave or change roles. Without systematic history, you lose track of previous measures, assessments and decisions.
Unclear responsibility for FDV in the project
If it is not clear who is responsible for collecting and quality-assuring FDV along the way, the documentation often becomes incomplete or inconsistent upon handover.
FDV becomes an archive – not a tool
When FDV consists only of static documents, it is rarely actively used in operations. The value of the documentation is significantly reduced when it is not searchable, updated or linked to actual measures.
What these errors have in common is that they are rarely caused by a single actor – but rather by a lack of coherence between project, documentation and operations. This is precisely why it is crucial to think of FDV as a process, not as a binder.
From offer to handover – FDV is built step by step
From offer to handover – FDV is built step by step
FDV should start early in the project, not at handover. When information is recorded once and used again, errors, duplication of work and risk are reduced.
Calculation and quotation – selection of solutions and products forms the initial basis for FDV
Establishment of project and document structure – HSE/KS, drawings and structure
Implementation and follow-up – pictures, checklists, deviations and changes
Handover and operation – FDV is already complete and structured
FDV seen from the executing party (contractor and supplier)
For implementing actors, FDV is primarily a delivery requirement. The documentation should show what has been delivered, how it has been implemented, and that the solution complies with applicable requirements. When FDV is built continuously throughout the project, documentation is avoided from becoming a time-consuming final task.
Read more: FDV for contractors and executors (mycalc + myproject)
FDV from the perspective of the owner, developer and operation
For owners and operating personnel, FDV is an active working tool. The documentation is used for maintenance, budgeting, auditing and long-term management. Here, history, traceability and structure per property, building and unit are crucial.
Read more: FDVU for owner and property manager (myproject + myfacility)
One documentation – different approaches (and why system support is important)
FDV documentation is basically the same throughout the building's life cycle. What varies is how the documentation is used, who uses it, and what requirements are set in different phases.
In many projects, FDV is still handled manually through:
folders on file server
email and attachments
spreadsheets and PDFs
person-dependent knowledge
This can work in simple projects, but quickly creates challenges when:
several actors are involved
projects last over time
properties to be managed for many years
documentation should be reused and continued
The result is often a lack of overview, loss of history and documentation that is difficult to use in practice. Here, system support becomes crucial , not to collect more files, but to ensure structure, traceability and coherence of the information.
FDV does not change content – but perspective:
The contractor uses the FDV as documentation of delivery and compliance.
Owner / developer uses FDV as a management and control basis
Operations and management use FDV as a history and daily work tool
When the same documentation must cover all of these needs, manual processes are rarely sufficient.
From manual processes to continuous system support throughout the entire lifecycle
FDV starts before the project – structure in calculation and offer
The FDV work begins long before handover – often already in the calculation and quotation. The choice of solutions, products and execution made in this phase sets the guidelines for both project implementation and later operation. When this information is lost, the FDV must in practice be reconstructed afterwards.
my calc is designed to collect calculation bases, descriptions, notes, images and documentation related to selected solutions – structured so that the information can be carried forward directly into the project phase. In this way, the FDV can be built gradually, based on real choices and assumptions, even before the project starts.
In a holistic FDV process, information should be recorded once and can be reused – without manual copying, moving or reconstruction. This results in better quality documentation and far greater value over time.
FDV is built on the go – project management and documentation in one structure
During the project and implementation phase, large parts of the FDV documentation are created in practice. Changes, deviations, images, checklists and completed documentation must be collected continuously to ensure quality, traceability and control.
my project functions as the project's common platform and project hotel for contractors, consultants and the client. Here, project data, documentation and communication are collected in a structured manner throughout the entire implementation. FDV is built in parallel with the project – not as a final assignment – and can be handed over complete and structured upon completion.
In this flow, myproject functions as the link between the early phase and operations.
When the project is completed and the building goes into operation, the FDV must continue as an active tool for management, maintenance and development. Here, my facility is developed to collect FDV and history structured per property, building and unit – ready for daily use, auditing and long-term management.
The common denominator is that the information is connected from start to finish. In this flow, myproject acts as the bridge between project and FDV, while myfacility takes care of FDV and FDVU over the life of the building.
FDV systems that support the entire building lifecycle
When FDV is handled in systems rather than manual processes, documentation becomes easier to find, easier to keep up to date and less dependent on people. At the same time, the value of history and traceability increases significantly.
my facility provides full control over the property portfolio by collecting documentation, history, tasks and measures structured per property, building and unit - ready for operation, audit and further development.
Book a free demo and check out the solution!
Do you need help with FDV documentation?
We offer a digital solution that gives you full overview and control over your FDV documentation. Simplify management, operation and maintenance – and ensure that everything is in place for handover and in operation. Book a free demo or get a no-obligation quote:
Read more about our FDV system here!