Electrical submittals.
Electrical submittals cover everything in Division 26 that the job installs: the gear, the wire and conduit, the wiring devices, the lighting and its controls. Gear goes first, because switchboards, panelboards and transformers carry the longest lead times on the job. The checks that matter most are the ratings against the one-line and panel schedules, and the voltage and phase of every piece of equipment against the circuit that feeds it.
What's usually in scope
Each spec section's SUBMITTALS article sets what you owe, so build the list from the project manual. On a typical commercial job it includes:
- 1Distribution gear. Switchboards (26 24 13), panelboards (26 24 16), low-voltage transformers (26 22 13), enclosed switches and breakers (26 28 16), and surge protective devices (26 43 13).
- 2Common work. Conductors and cable (26 05 19), grounding and bonding (26 05 26), raceways and boxes (26 05 33).
- 3Wiring devices. Receptacles, switches and plates (26 27 26).
- 4Lighting and controls. Interior lighting (26 51 00) and lighting control devices (26 09 23), such as occupancy sensors and dimmers.
Section numbers follow MasterFormat; your project manual may number or split them differently.
Why gear goes first
Switchboards, panelboards and transformers are built to order, so their lead time starts at approval, not at the order. A gear package that comes back revise and resubmit pushes the delivery date by a full review cycle. That's why many jobs release gear early, and why the gear submittal is often the first one due. The submittal log template works the date back from when the gear has to be on site.
What to check on gear
- 1Voltage, phase and wires. Each board matches the one-line: 208Y/120 V or 480Y/277 V, three-phase, four-wire, as drawn.
- 2Bus and main. Bus rating, main breaker or main lugs only, and the main's size, all against the panel schedule.
- 3Short-circuit rating. The board's rating meets or exceeds the available fault current shown on the one-line or the short-circuit study.
- 4Breakers. Every circuit on the panel schedule has a breaker of the right size and pole count, spaces included.
- 5Enclosure and mounting. NEMA type for the location, and surface or flush as drawn.
- 6Options the spec asks for. Integral surge protection, feed-through lugs, door-in-door trim, copper bus. Each one shows on the sheet or it isn't there.
On our sample project, the gear submittal covered five panelboards in one 23-page item. Each panel's breakers had to be read against its own schedule before any of it could be called a match.
Devices and lighting
Lighting fixtures usually come from a schedule: check each fixture type's lumens, color temperature, voltage, driver and dimming method, mounting and finish against its row. Wiring devices and many controls don't appear in any schedule. They're defined by a symbol in the legend and placed on the plans, like a duplex receptacle or an occupancy sensor. They still need a submittal, so count them from the legend and the plans, not from the schedules alone.
Check the equipment other trades bring
The costliest electrical misses start in someone else's submittal. A rooftop unit, a kitchen appliance or a pump arrives at a voltage, phase or amperage the circuit wasn't built for. On our sample project, a rooftop unit was submitted at 460 V three-phase for a building served at 120/208 V. The fix at submittal is a different selection. The fix in the field is a new unit or new gear. Read the electrical data on every mechanical, plumbing and equipment sheet against the panel schedule that feeds it.
How Beem handles electrical
We read the schedules, the legend and the plans to list every item, match each sheet against the one-line, panel schedules and spec, and check other trades' equipment against the circuits that feed it. Our trade experts look over the result, and the package comes back within 48 hours of the complete set. Your first one is free while we test.
Questions electrical contractors ask
What is included in electrical submittals?
Product data and shop drawings for the Division 26 work in your scope: distribution gear such as switchboards, panelboards and transformers, conductors and raceways, wiring devices, lighting fixtures and lighting controls. Each section's SUBMITTALS article lists exactly what it requires.
Which electrical submittals should go out first?
Distribution gear. Switchboards, panelboards and transformers are built to order with long lead times that start at approval, so the gear submittal is usually the first one due and is often released early.
What should I check on a panelboard submittal?
Voltage, phase and wires against the one-line; bus rating, main type and size; the short-circuit rating against the available fault current; every breaker against the panel schedule, spaces included; enclosure type and mounting; and any options the spec requires.
Do receptacles and switches need a submittal?
Usually, yes. Wiring devices often appear only as legend symbols on the plans rather than in a schedule, but the spec section for wiring devices still lists them as a required submittal. Count them from the legend and the plans.
How does Beem check electrical submittals?
We list every item from the schedules, legend and plans, match each data sheet against the one-line, panel schedules and spec, and check other trades' equipment against the circuits that feed it. Our trade experts look over the result before it comes back to you.