Submittals

Documents, samples, and data provided by the contractor to the architect and engineer for review, demonstrating that proposed materials, products, and systems comply with the construction documents.

What Are Submittals?

Submittals are documents, samples, and product data provided by the contractor to the design team (architect and engineers) for review and approval during construction. Submittals demonstrate that the specific materials, products, equipment, and systems the contractor proposes to use comply with the requirements of the construction documents. The submittal process is the primary quality control mechanism ensuring that what gets built matches what was designed.

Types of Submittals

Common submittal types include: shop drawings (detailed fabrication and installation drawings), product data (manufacturer's literature, specifications, and performance data), material samples (physical samples of finishes, materials, and colors), test reports (structural, fire resistance, acoustic, or other performance testing), certificates (manufacturer warranties, code compliance certifications), and operation and maintenance manuals.

The Submittal Process

The contractor prepares a submittal schedule at the start of construction, identifying all required submittals and their due dates. Submittals are organized by specification section and routed through the general contractor to the appropriate design professional for review. The reviewer checks for compliance with the contract documents and returns the submittal with an action stamp: approved, approved as noted, revise and resubmit, or rejected.

Managing Submittals

The volume of submittals on a commercial project can be enormous — hundreds of individual packages. Timely submittal preparation and review is essential to maintaining the construction schedule, as many activities cannot proceed until the corresponding submittals are approved. Construction management software helps track submittal status across the project team.