📤 Submittal Management Playbook

Track shop drawings, product data, and samples through the approval cycle. Late or rejected submittals are one of the top causes of construction delays — this playbook keeps them moving.

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Why Submittal Management Matters

Impact	Poor Submittal Management	Good Submittal Management
Schedule	Delayed approvals = delayed procurement = delayed work	Submittals approved ahead of need dates
Cost	Rush orders from late submittals, rework from unapproved products	Materials ordered on time at best price
Quality	Wrong products installed, expensive rework	Correct products confirmed before ordering
Disputes	"We never approved that" — contract disputes	Full documentation of every approval

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Roles and Responsibilities

Role	Responsibilities
Project Engineer	Create submittal schedule, prepare packages, log and track all submittals, distribute responses
Project Manager	Review submittals before sending, monitor schedule, escalate late reviews
Subcontractors	Prepare and submit shop drawings/data per schedule, respond to review comments, resubmit when required
Architect / Engineer	Review submittals for design conformance, return with action stamp within contract timeframe
Owner	Review owner-furnished items, approve selections where required by contract

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Step-by-Step Process

Phase 1: Submittal Schedule (Project Start)

Create the submittal schedule within the first 2 weeks of the project.

For each submittal, identify:

Field	Description	Example
Submittal number	Sequential ID	SUB-001
Spec section	CSI specification section	03 30 00 — Cast-in-Place Concrete
Description	What's being submitted	Concrete mix designs (4000, 5000 PSI)
Responsible party	Sub or supplier who prepares it	ABC Concrete
Submit by date	When it must be submitted for review	03/01/2026
Need by date	When approval is needed to maintain schedule	04/01/2026
Lead time	Fabrication/procurement time after approval	2 weeks
Review time	Contract-allowed review period	14 calendar days

Schedule calculation (work backwards from need date):

Need-by date:           04/01/2026
- Lead time (2 weeks):  03/18/2026  ← Must be approved by this date
- Review time (14 days): 03/04/2026  ← Must be submitted by this date
- Preparation (1 week):  02/25/2026  ← Sub must start preparing

Front-Load Your Schedule

Submit everything you can in the first 30 days. Don't wait until you "need" it — architect review takes time, rejections take more time, and procurement has lead times. The earlier you submit, the more buffer you have.

Phase 2: Prepare the Submittal Package

Every submittal package includes:

1. Transmittal cover sheet — Submittal number, spec section, description, date
2. Shop drawings / product data — The actual submittal content
3. Highlighted relevant sections — Don't make the reviewer hunt for what matters
4. Deviations noted — If the product differs from spec, call it out explicitly
5. Contractor review stamp — Your company's stamp indicating you've reviewed for compliance

Contractor review stamp options:

Stamp	Meaning
Approved	Reviewed and complies with contract documents
Approved as Noted	Complies with minor notes/clarifications
Revise and Resubmit	Does not comply — needs revision before A/E review

Always Review Before Submitting

Never forward a sub's submittal directly to the architect without reviewing it first. You're responsible for verifying it matches the contract documents. Sending garbage to the architect wastes everyone's time and makes you look unprofessional.

Phase 3: Submit to Architect/Engineer

1. Log the submittal in the submittal log (date sent, to whom)
2. Submit per contract requirements (electronically or hard copies as specified)
3. Include all required copies (typically 1 electronic + specified hard copies)
4. Note the contract review period (typically 10–14 calendar days)
5. Set a follow-up reminder for the expected return date

Phase 4: Track Review Status

Status	Description	Action
Submitted	Sent to reviewer, awaiting response	Monitor due date
Under Review	Acknowledged by reviewer	No action needed
Overdue	Past contract review period	Send written follow-up, escalate
Returned	Response received	Process response (see Phase 5)

Follow-up schedule:

• Day 7: Verify receipt if no acknowledgment
• Day 10: Follow up if nearing review period deadline
• Day 14+: Written notice that review is overdue, copy PM and owner

Phase 5: Process the Response

Architect/Engineer response stamps:

Action	Meaning	What You Do
Approved / No Exceptions Taken	Proceed with fabrication/procurement	Order materials, distribute to sub
Approved as Noted	Proceed, but incorporate noted changes	Review notes, confirm sub can comply, order
Revise and Resubmit	Does not comply — must be corrected	Review comments, have sub revise, resubmit
Rejected	Fundamentally non-compliant	Start over with compliant product/drawing
For Information Only	No action required	File for record

Phase 6: Resubmit (If Required)

1. Review all comments with the subcontractor
2. Sub revises and resubmits to you
3. Verify corrections address all comments
4. Resubmit with cover letter noting what was revised
5. Track as a new submission with the same submittal number + revision (SUB-001 Rev 1)

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Submittal Log

Maintain a running log of all submittals:

#	Spec	Description	Sub	Date Sent	Due Back	Date Returned	Status	Notes
SUB-001	03 30 00	Concrete mix designs	ABC Concrete	02/15	03/01	02/27	Approved	—
SUB-002	05 12 00	Structural steel shop dwgs	Delta Steel	02/18	03/04	—	Under Review	Follow up 03/02
SUB-003	08 11 00	HM door frames	Best Doors	02/20	03/06	03/05	Revise & Resubmit	Wrong gauge, see comments

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Common Mistakes

Mistake	Consequence	Fix
No submittal schedule	Submittals trickle in late, delay procurement	Create schedule in first 2 weeks, distribute to all subs
Submitting without contractor review	Rejections that could have been caught internally	Always review and stamp before sending to A/E
Not tracking review periods	Overdue reviews go unnoticed	Log every submittal, set reminders, follow up on day 10
Vague resubmittals	Same rejection happens again	Address every comment specifically, note what changed
Not distributing approvals	Sub doesn't know they can order	Distribute approved submittals to sub within 24 hours
Lost submittals	"We never received that" — delays and disputes	Use transmittals with receipt confirmation for everything

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Metrics

Metric	Target	Frequency
Submittals on schedule	over 90% submitted by schedule date	Weekly
First-pass approval rate	over 75%	Monthly
Average review turnaround	Within contract period	Monthly
Overdue submittals	Zero overdue over 7 days	Weekly
Resubmittal turnaround	Within 5 business days	Per occurrence

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Related Resources

Resource	Link
Submittal Log Tracker	Submittal Log
Submittal Guide	Submittals Guide
Transmittal Generator	Generate Transmittal