For architects and design professionals
Architecture timestamping: a verifiable date for drawings, models and submissions
TimeBinder adds a layer of protection against AI and human fraud and disputes. It gives you a dated, checkable record that an exact drawing set, BIM export or design statement existed no later than a recorded time and still matches, if a client or contractor later disputes which version was issued.
The fingerprint is made in the browser, and the file stays on your device. Your first Pooled TimeBind is free; after that, TimeBinds start from US$5, and an ASAP TimeBind is US$15.
In the TimeBinder app, drag and drop your file. Your browser creates its digital fingerprint. Your file stays on your device—we never receive or see its contents.
Your files never leave your computer. With TimeBinder, each file is hashed locally on your own device. We never receive or see the original file contents.
Architecture timestamping: the short answer
An independent, verifiable timestamp shows that an exact file, such as a drawing set, an IFC export or a design statement, existed no later than a recorded time, and lets anyone check later that a file they are shown still matches its fingerprint. TimeBinder makes the fingerprint in your browser, so the file stays on your device. The time is anchored to a public record, the Bitcoin blockchain. An ASAP TimeBind can be checked there by a panel, client or lawyer without relying on TimeBinder; a Pooled TimeBind is checked through TimeBinder.
It does not show who designed the work, who owns it, or how a tender panel or court will treat it. That is general information, not legal advice. Your first Pooled TimeBind is free, with no credit card required; after that TimeBinds start from US$5, and an ASAP TimeBind is US$15.
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What to timestamp at each stage
Match the record to the stage gates a project already has. Timestamp what leaves the practice, not every working save.
Concept
Sketch sets, massing models, concept boards and the first design statement, before they go to a client, competition or collaborator.
Design development
Model exports, drawing sets and revision rounds as they are issued for comment, so each round has its own dated record.
Tender or submission
The final package exactly as lodged: drawings, specifications, design statement and any renders. Timestamp before you upload, then keep the portal receipt.
Construction issue
Issue-for-construction sets, addenda and as-built drawings, so you can show which version went out on which date.
How to timestamp a drawing set before a tender
- Freeze the issue set. Export the exact files you will issue or lodge, such as the PDF set, IFC or DWG, and the design statement. Do not edit them afterwards.
- Name the files for the stage. Use names that show the stage and revision, for example concept, design development, tender or construction issue, plus the revision letter.
- Create a TimeBind. Open the TimeBinder app and add up to 10 files. Your browser makes the fingerprints and the files stay on your device. Choose Pooled for earlier stages or ASAP when the date must be recorded straight away.
- Keep the certificate with the files. Save the Proof of Time Certificate with the exact files in the project archive, next to the portal receipt or transmittal.
- Check it when you need it. Later, fingerprint the stored file again and confirm it matches the certificate. Share the certificate and file with a panel, client or lawyer if they ask.
What a TimeBind shows, and what it does not
- It shows that this exact file existed no later than the recorded time, and that a copy shown later still matches its fingerprint.
- It does not show who designed the work, who owns the copyright, that the design is original, or that the contents are true.
- It does not replace the portal receipt, the contract, or advice from a lawyer about your own situation.
Architecture guides, comparisons and tools
Every guide, comparison and tool we have for architects and design professionals, grouped by what you are about to do. The page for designers and architects walks through the app step by step: timestamping for designers and architects.
- Competitions, tenders and submissions
- BIM, CAD and model files
- Client revisions, issue and payment
- Ownership and copyright questions
- Construction records and disputes
- Timestamp vs email, metadata and other methods
- Pages, tools and plans for design practices
- Newest tools, guides and answers
Competitions, tenders and submissions
- Tender portal receipt vs a timestampKeep both records
- Design competition entry: timestamp before you submitBoards, statements and models
- Planning or DA submission drawingsBefore you lodge
- Tender and bid timestampingShow what you submitted
- How to present a certificate to a panel or clientWhat to hand over and say
- Protect design concepts in tenders and competitionsBefore award: confidentiality, copyright basics, records
- Planning and building permit submission setsKeep a dated record of what you lodged and what was approved
BIM, CAD and model files
- Timestamp vs BIM/CDE version historyWhat each record shows
- Revit and BIM model versions before issueRVT, IFC and PDF sets
- AutoCAD DWG existed before a dateWhat to keep with a DWG
- CAD, BIM or Figma file existed before a date
- 3D model (STL or 3MF) existed before a date
- Floor plans before a new model launches
- IFC export snapshot for BIM version disputesFreeze the model file you issued
Client revisions, issue and payment
- Client revision rounds: what architects should timestampConcept to construction issue
- Protect your design before sending it to a clientA checklist
- Client used your design without paying?What to keep
- Record your background IP before a client contract
- Client approval of drawings: which revision was signed offSample wording and a routine for each stage
- Extra design revisions and fee disputesScope baseline, revision log and notice
Ownership and copyright questions
- Who owns architectural drawings: architect or client?
- Who owns the copyright in house plans in Australia?
- How to show a design or drawing existed firstDate the exact file before it leaves your hands
- Prove a design existed before a UK or EU filing
- Copyright registration vs a timestampWhat each one does
- Copyright in Australia
- Copyright in the UK
- Copyright in the USA
- Appointment terminated and the design reusedWhat to record when the appointment ends
Construction records and disputes
- Construction site photo logs and diary entries
- Contract version priority in a procurement disputeAn illustrative scenario
- Architectural design timestamping scenarioAn illustrative scenario
- Defusing a construction contract disputeAn illustrative scenario
- Resolving a construction disputeAn illustrative scenario
- Document inspection and plan review decisions
Timestamp vs email, metadata and other methods
- Timestamp vs email-to-self vs file metadataFor architects
- Registered post vs a timestamp for drawings
- OpenTimestamps vs TimeBinder for design firms
- Emailing yourself vs a timestamp
- Can a file's date created be changed?
- Cloud version history as proof
- Timestamp vs electronic signature
- NDA and a timestamp before disclosure
- Timestamp vs notary
- How to prove a file existed before a date: every method compared
Pages, tools and plans for design practices
- Timestamping for designers and architectsStart here for the app walkthrough
- Timestamping for design and engineering firms
- Engineering and construction records
- Free tool: Before You SubmitA pre-submission checklist
- Free tool: Handover Receipt
- Free tool: Process Readiness Check
- Free SHA-256 hash checker. The AI CAD add-in checklist helps you read the current terms and keep a dated copy of the files before you install an assistant beside CAD files. It cannot inspect an installer, and it is not legal advice
- Free folder hash generator and verifier
- AI visualization handoff checkerA checklist before you send a generated or assisted visualization. It does not identify generated media.
- Business plans for practicesMonthly invoice, shared account
- Which plan do I need?
Newest tools, guides and answers (10–13 Nov 2026)
- Client-file AI tool checklist
- AI agent file-access checklist
- Figma AI terms checklist
- Was this file changed? Free file comparison checker
- Content Credentials checker: is there a C2PA manifest in this file?
- Real or AI? Architecture Quiz
- Real or AI? Interiors Quiz
- Real or AI? Skylines Quiz
- Spot AI fakes in 5 short lessons
- How to prove a document existed on a date
- How to prove a contract wasn’t edited after signing
- How to tell if a file has been changed
- How to tell if a PDF has been edited
- What is a file hash?
- How to tell if an image is AI generated
- Independent timestamp vs traditional evidence of when a file existed
- Forensic examination vs an independent timestamp: what each can show
Free checklist: prove a file existed by a date
A short checklist for architects and design practices: what to timestamp before a tender, competition or client issue, and what a TimeBind does and does not show. General information, not legal advice.
Why architects add a dated record to the issue process
Drawings change hands constantly, and any copy can be edited by a person or by an AI tool. A TimeBind adds a layer of protection against that: a dated record of the exact set you issued, so when a client says the revision was different, a contractor works from an older sheet, or a tender panel questions your submission, you can show what existed by the recorded time and that the file you hold still matches it.
If you are about to lodge a planning or permit set, or upload drawings to a review tool, the free AI planning drawing checklist helps you review the exact sheets, the source, and the current terms. It cannot decide an application, and it cannot show that a drawing is accurate or safe to build.
Architecture timestamping: FAQ
How do architects timestamp drawings before a tender?
Export the exact files you will lodge, such as the PDF drawing set, any IFC or DWG you are sharing and the design statement. Drop them into TimeBinder, up to 10 files per TimeBind (zip a larger set). Your browser makes a fingerprint of each file and the files stay on your device. You get a Proof of Time Certificate showing the fingerprint and the recorded time. Keep it with the portal's lodgement receipt.
What does an independent, verifiable timestamp show about a design file?
It shows that this exact file existed no later than the recorded time, and lets anyone check later that a file they are shown still matches its fingerprint. It does not show who designed the file, who owns it, or how a tender panel or court will treat it.
Can I show that a design existed before a tender closed?
A TimeBind made before closing shows that the files existed by the recorded time. It does not replace the portal's lodgement receipt, which is the record of what was lodged and when. Timestamp the final package before you upload it, then keep both records.
Which TimeBind should I use on deadline day, Pooled or ASAP?
A Pooled TimeBind is batched with others and usually recorded within 24 to 48 hours, often sooner. If the deadline is hours away, an ASAP TimeBind is broadcast straight away. For earlier stages, such as concept and design development, Pooled is usually enough.
How do I timestamp a Revit, BIM or CAD file?
Timestamp the files you issue or share: the PDF set, the IFC export, the DWG or the model copy you send. A fingerprint changes if even one byte of the file changes, and opening and re-saving a native model such as an RVT can change it. So timestamp the exact copy you export, and keep that copy unchanged with the certificate.
Should I timestamp every client revision round?
Timestamp the sets you issue outside the practice, such as each revision round that goes to a client, consultant or authority. Minor internal iterations do not need one. Separate TimeBinds per round give you a separate dated certificate for each issue.
What should I timestamp for a design competition entry?
The exact entry files before you upload them: boards, the design statement and any supporting model exports. Check the competition rules about what an anonymous entry may contain. You can keep the certificate in your own records instead of including it in the entry.
Does a timestamp show I designed it or own the copyright?
No. A TimeBind shows when an exact file existed, not who made it or who owns it. Authorship and ownership turn on the facts, employment and commission terms and the law where you work. Our guides on who owns architectural drawings and house plans explain the questions to ask a lawyer.
How is a timestamp different from emailing drawings to myself or from file metadata?
An email to yourself relies on mail systems you do not control, and a third party cannot independently check it. A file's date created and modified fields can be changed. A TimeBind records the file's fingerprint on the Bitcoin blockchain; an ASAP TimeBind can be checked there without relying on TimeBinder, and a Pooled TimeBind is checked through TimeBinder.
How do I present a timestamp certificate to a tender panel or client?
Give them the certificate and the exact file. Explain only what it shows: this file existed no later than the recorded time and still matches its fingerprint. They can check the QR code or transaction ID on the certificate, or fingerprint the file themselves.
Do my drawings get uploaded to TimeBinder?
No. Your browser makes the fingerprint, and the file stays on your device. TimeBinder records the fingerprint, not the drawing, so the design is not published or shared.
What does it cost for a practice?
Your first Pooled TimeBind is free, with no credit card required. After that, TimeBinds start from US$5, and an ASAP TimeBind is US$15. Practices that timestamp often can use a Business plan with one company account and a monthly invoice.
Timestamp your next drawing set free
Add a layer of protection to your next issue set: a dated, checkable record of the exact drawings, models and statements you send.
Open TimeBinder →Practices that timestamp every week: see business plans or pricing.