A submittal is a package the contractor or subcontractor sends to the architect or engineer to show exactly what they plan to install: shop drawings, manufacturer product data, samples, mock-ups, test reports or calculations. The design team reviews it against the spec and returns it with an action such as “Approved,” “Approved as noted,” “Revise and resubmit” or “Rejected.”
Why it matters
Most long-lead equipment cannot be ordered until its submittal is approved. A late submittal pushes procurement, and late procurement pushes the schedule. Approved submittals also become part of the closeout record the owner uses to operate and maintain the building.
Worked example
Illustrative: on Riverside Medical Center, the fire dampers added under CO #14 need a submittal before the mechanical sub can order them. If the dampers have a six-week lead time and the design review takes two weeks, the submittal must go out at least eight weeks before the install date shown on the look-ahead schedule, or the ceiling close-in slips.
Common mistakes
- Building the submittal register late, after procurement deadlines have already passed.
- Passing a sub’s submittal to the architect without the GC reviewing it first.
- Assuming “Approved as noted” means no changes; the notes are binding.
How os.construction handles it
We’re building a submittal register tied to spec sections, cost codes and schedule dates, so a late review shows up as a schedule and procurement risk rather than a line in a separate log.