How to Reduce Revit File Size

Large Revit files can slow everything down. Opening, saving, syncing, printing, and even moving between views can become noticeably slower as your project grows. Without active management, file sizes can increase rapidly, affecting performance, collaboration, and overall efficiency.

Keeping an eye on your Revit file size is about more than speed. It’s also about maintaining the health of your model. When a file becomes too large, it can cause instability, risk data corruption, and make coordination between team members or consultants unnecessarily difficult.

The good news is that you can prevent this. With a few simple habits and regular maintenance, you can keep your model running smoothly and avoid the frustration of oversized files.

Below are practical steps that every Revit user can take to reduce file size and improve overall model performance.

Here’s a BIM Standards Checklist to get you started:

1. Reduce Complex Geometry

Keep geometry as light as possible. Overly detailed families, imported objects, or unnecessarily high levels of detail can add thousands of kilobytes to your project, and most of the time, those details aren’t even visible in drawings.

Simplify family geometry (especially repeating elements like furniture, fixtures, or profiles).
Replace high-poly objects with lighter versions.
Remove unused family types and parameters before loading them into your project.
Avoid modelling small fillets, screws, or other details that don’t affect documentation.

PRO Tip: Families are often the main cause of large file sizes. Keep them under 1MB where possible.

2. Manage Views and Sheets

Every view and sheet adds to your file size. Large projects can accumulate hundreds of unused or temporary views that you no longer need.

Delete temporary or test views once they’ve served their purpose.
Remove unnecessary 3D and rendered views, as these can be especially heavy.
Export rendered images and save them externally instead of embedding them in the model.
Regularly review and delete unused sheets and their corresponding views.

PRO tip: Use View Templates to control graphics without duplicating views.

3. Link, Don’t Import (DWGs + Images)

Imported DWGs and image files can significantly bloat your Revit model. Always link rather than import, as this keeps file references external and reduces embedded data.

Delete any imported DWG files from both your model and families.
Link DWGs only when necessary, and unload them when not in use.
Link images instead of importing them directly into views.
Periodically check the Manage Links dialogue to remove any unused links.

PRO Tip: Save your DWG links in a clearly named “Links” folder within your project directory to make maintenance easier.

4. Purge Unused Elements

Revit projects can accumulate unused families, materials, and line styles over time, especially when templates evolve or team members load content for testing.

Use Purge Unused regularly to clean up the model.

Go to Manage → Purge Unused and review the list carefully before confirming.
You may need to run it multiple times to fully clear nested unused items.
Always save a copy of the file before purging to avoid losing important components.

PRO Tip: Purge selectively – don’t remove things you know you’ll need later.

5. Audit the Model

Auditing checks for errors or corrupt elements that may be bloating your model. It’s a good habit to audit every few weeks, especially for central models shared by multiple users.

When opening the model, tick the Audit box.
Revit will scan the file and repair or remove invalid data.
Follow up with a Compact Central Model save (see below) for best results.

Warning: Make sure no one else is working on the model while auditing a central file.

6. Compact the Model

Compacting rewrites the database of your Revit file, removing outdated data and optimising storage.

Before closing, tick Compact Central Model.
This process compresses the model and helps prevent file corruption.
Occasionally, save your model as a new file (Save As) to reset its file history.

Result: You’ll often see file sizes drop dramatically and performance improve immediately.

7. Monitor + Maintain

Reducing file size isn’t a one-time task. It’s an ongoing process.

Monitor file size growth weekly.
Audit and purge regularly.
Encourage your team to follow consistent model hygiene practices.
Create a “Model Maintenance” checklist as part of your office BIM Standards.

When managed proactively, Revit models stay lean, stable, and far more enjoyable to work with.

Bonus Tips

Use Worksets to manage visibility and limit what loads into memory.
Close hidden windows regularly to improve performance.
Detach and re-save large central models before major milestones.
Use Revit’s Warnings dialogue to identify elements that may be causing inefficiencies.

Useful Resources

For more useful Revit tips and tricks, see our blog posts below or follow us on social media: instagram and linkedin.

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