Submittal

In short

• The submittal is a US construction term. It names the documents that a contractor sends to the architect and engineer for approval.

• The documents include product data, shop drawings and samples. Some sources also list material data.

• The purpose is to verify that the correct products will be installed. Approval comes before ordering or installing.

Example

A contractor needs ceiling light fixtures for an office building. Before it orders them, it submits the product data for the chosen model, with its options. A product can match the specification and still differ in one option, which is why the options are marked. The architect and the engineer compare the model with the specification and give the approval. Until then, the product should not be ordered or installed.

If the fixture is not the product named in the specification, the contractor has to offer an or equal product and get the substitution approved. Only after the approval can the order go out.

Distributors and manufacturers’ representatives assemble product data packages for the products they quote. These packages contain the spec sheets of those products.

What to watch for

• Send one submittal per specification section. Read the whole section first, so that every required item is included.

• Mark the exact model and options on the spec sheet, so that the reviewer sees what is being approved.

• A substitution, called an “or equal” product, needs approval before it is ordered.

• Check that the model in the order is the approved model.

• A rejected submittal delays the order. Allow time for a new submission.

Not to be confused with

• Spec sheet: one document inside a submittal, not the whole package.

• Shop drawing: a drawing of the product as it is built or fitted for the project. It is one of the usual contents of a submittal.

• RFI (request for information): a question about the project, not a submission for approval.