Getly
Before any Revit families download, check four things: the Revit version the family was saved in, its level of detail (LOD), whether it is truly parametric, and the licence. A family saved in a newer Revit will not open in your older one. A family with imported mesh geometry can make a whole project slow. A personal licence does not cover client work. This guide goes through each check, what Revit families cost on Getly today, and which kinds of families are worth paying for.
What the shelf looks like today
We measured the Revit families and Architecture & BIM categories on Getly on November 4, 2026. Together they hold 51 active listings. The median price is $5. The middle half of listings costs between $4 and $9.99, so a good family is rarely an expensive purchase. Only 3.9% of listings are free.
Licences on this shelf are clearer than on most: 74.5% of listings allow commercial use, 19.6% are for personal use only, and 2.0% state no licence. Besides RFA files, the shelf also carries DWG drawings, ArchiCAD PLN files and FBX models, so read the file list on each product page to see what you actually get.
Browse the full shelf in Revit families, or the wider Architecture & BIM category for plans, details and models in other formats.
Check 1: the Revit version
This is the check that saves the most time. Revit families are forward compatible only:
- A family saved in an older Revit opens in a newer one. Revit upgrades it on load, and once you save it, it stays in the new version.
- A family saved in a newer Revit does not open in an older one. There is no "save as older version" in Revit.
So if your office runs Revit 2023, a family saved in 2025 is useless to you. The listing should name the version. If it does not, ask the seller through Getly messages before you pay. A good answer sounds like "saved in Revit 2022, tested in 2024 and 2025".
A family saved in a very old version is not a problem in itself. It will upgrade. But upgrading many families at once takes time, and very old families sometimes carry outdated parameters or materials. Prefer families saved within the last few versions.
Check 2: LOD, and how much detail you need
LOD (level of development, often read as level of detail) describes how much geometry and information a model element carries. The usual industry scale runs from 100 to 500:
| LOD | What it means | When you need it |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | A placeholder: a mass or symbol showing that something goes there | Early massing and feasibility |
| 200 | Approximate size, shape and position | Concept and schematic design |
| 300 | Accurate size, shape and position, ready to be measured and scheduled | Design development, coordination, most drawings |
| 350 | Adds connections and interfaces with other elements | Coordination between trades |
| 400 | Detail for fabrication and installation | Shop drawings, manufacturer-specific work |
| 500 | Verified as built | Handover and facility management |
More detail is not always better. A chair modelled at fabrication level, with every screw, looks fine in a render and slows down every floor plan it appears on. For most architectural work, LOD 200 to 300 is the right range. Look for families that show a simple symbol in plan at coarse detail and full geometry only in fine detail or 3D views.
Check 3: is it really parametric
A Revit family earns its price through parameters. A static family is one fixed object. A parametric one lets you change width, height, material or configuration from the properties panel. Read the description and the previews for:
- Type parameters: sizes built in as types, for example a door in 800, 900 and 1000 mm widths.
- Instance parameters: values you change per placed element, such as a sill height or a handle side.
- Type catalogues: a TXT file next to the RFA that lists many types. Revit lets you load only the ones you need, which keeps the project light.
- Shared parameters: needed if you want a value to appear in schedules and tags. Ask whether the shared parameter file is included.
- Nested families: a window with a nested handle or a table with nested chairs. Useful, but check that nested parts are shared if you need to schedule them separately.
- Materials: parameters for materials, so you can apply your office standards instead of the author's colours.
Screenshots of the properties panel or the "Family Types" dialog are the best proof. If a listing only shows a pretty render, the family may be a static model.
Check 4: file size and geometry
A normal furniture or fixture family is usually a few hundred kilobytes to a few megabytes. A much larger file often means imported geometry: a DWG, SAT or mesh brought in from another program. Imported meshes cannot be edited in Revit, do not respond to parameters and make views slower. Check the listing for:
- The file size of each RFA, if it is stated.
- Whether the geometry is native Revit solids or imported.
- Detail levels: coarse, medium and fine should show different amounts of geometry.
- Clean plan and elevation symbols, so your drawings look right without manual linework.
Check 5: host, category and the rest of the pack
- Hosted or not. Doors and windows are wall hosted. Some lights are ceiling or face hosted. A face-based family is more flexible; a wall-hosted one is more predictable. Make sure the host type fits how you model.
- Family category. A desk saved as "Generic Model" will not appear in your furniture schedule. The right category matters for schedules, filters and visibility.
- Other formats. If you work with consultants on other software, a pack that also ships DWG, FBX or IFC files is worth more. Check the file list on the product page.
- Previews. Good listings show the family in plan, elevation and 3D, plus the properties panel. Several clear images tell you more than any description.
Which families architects reuse most
Some families get placed in almost every project, so they are worth buying once and keeping in an office library. In common practice these are:
| Family type | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Doors | Width and height as types, swing and handle side as parameters, frame and leaf materials |
| Windows | Sill height, panel division, glazing material, clean plan symbol |
| Furniture | Light geometry, simple plan symbol, material parameters |
| Casework and kitchens | Modular widths, countertop as a separate parameter, schedule-ready category |
| Plumbing fixtures | Correct category for schedules, clearance zones if needed |
| Railings and balusters | Profiles and baluster families that work with Revit's railing tool |
| Curtain wall panels | Panels and doors that fit curtain wall grids |
| Annotation and title blocks | Tags with shared parameters, title blocks with editable fields |
| Entourage | People, plants and cars with very light geometry |
For custom or regional elements, such as a specific roof railing or a local window standard, a seller who made the family for their own projects often has exactly what generic libraries miss. Search the Revit families category for the element name.
Licence: personal or commercial
Every Getly listing can state one of five licences: personal use only, commercial use allowed, extended (commercial plus client work), public domain (CC0), or custom terms in the description. The licence shows next to the buy button.
- If you use a family in projects you deliver to clients, you need commercial use at least.
- If you want to share the family with a team or put it into a template you hand to clients, read the terms carefully or ask the seller.
- If a listing states no licence, ask before you pay. Do not assume commercial use.
On this shelf most listings already allow commercial use, but check the listing you are about to buy, not the average.
Quick checklist before you pay
- Revit version stated, and not newer than yours.
- LOD fits your stage, usually 200 to 300.
- Parameters shown in a screenshot of the properties panel.
- Reasonable file size, native geometry, coarse and fine detail levels.
- Correct family category and host type.
- Extra formats (DWG, FBX, IFC) if your consultants need them.
- Licence that covers client work.
Payment on Getly is by card or USDT/USDC stablecoins, and no account is needed. Your files arrive by email with download links. If a family turns out to be broken or not as described, you can request a refund within the 30-day refund window.
