The submittal log template.
A submittal log is one row per item the spec requires: what it is, who sends it, when it has to go out, and where it stands. The column most logs leave out is the one that matters most, the date each submittal has to go out so the material lands on time, worked back from the need-on-site date and the lead time. Our free template does that math for you.
The columns that matter
- 1Number and revision. The submittal number stays the same through every resubmittal; only the revision changes. That keeps an item's whole history on one row.
- 2Spec section and item. One row per product the section's SUBMITTALS article requires, with the MasterFormat number beside it.
- 3Type. Product data, shop drawing, sample, warranty or closeout. Each one follows its own rules in the spec.
- 4Basis of design and what was submitted. Two columns, side by side. A difference between them is the first thing a reviewer looks for, so write it in the notes before they find it. More on basis of design.
- 5Responsible. Who builds and sends it: the sub, the supplier or the GC.
- 6Need on site, lead time, review days, buffer. The four numbers that set the deadline.
- 7Submit by. Calculated from the four above. This is the date the log exists to protect.
- 8Sent, review due, returned, action, status. Where it stands today. The template colors anything late to send in orange and anything coming back for resubmittal in amber.
Work back from the date it has to be on site
Start from the schedule, not from the spec. The date that matters is the day the material has to be on site. Take away the lead time, which starts at approval, not at the order. Take away the review days from Division 01, usually Section 01 33 00. Then take away a buffer for one resubmittal and the routing between sub, GC and architect.
On the template's example row, an air terminal unit is needed on site April 5, 2027. With a 10-week lead time, 14 review days and a 14-day buffer, the package has to go out by December 28, 2026, more than three months before anyone sees the unit. Long-lead equipment like switchgear runs the same math with a longer lead time, which is why its submittal is often the first one due on the job.
Build the rows from the spec
Go section by section through the project manual. Every section in your scope has a SUBMITTALS article that lists what you owe. One row per product, and nothing left out: an item missing from the log is an item missing from the package, and the reviewer will notice. The package guide covers what goes in each one.
Keep a log your firm controls
Many GCs track submittals in their own platform, and many architects and subs keep a spreadsheet beside it anyway. In the architect and contractor forum threads we read this fall, the same reasons came up again and again: the GC's system isn't set up the way the firm works, the dates don't match the general conditions, and access ends when the GC archives the job. A log your firm owns survives the project and answers the question when the trades argue later. Keep it, and reconcile it with the GC's dates on a set day each week.
Or let us build it
Beem builds the register from your drawings and spec as part of every package: every item listed, the basis of design named, and each data sheet checked by our trade experts. The package comes back within 48 hours of the complete set, and your first one is free while we test.
Questions people ask
What is a submittal log?
A list of every submittal a project requires, one row per item, with its spec section, who is responsible, the dates it is due, sent and returned, and the reviewer's action. It is how a team sees what is late before the material is.
What is the difference between a submittal log and a submittal register?
Many people use the words interchangeably. Strictly, the register is the list of what the spec requires, built at the start, and the log is the running record of each submittal's dates and actions. The template holds both on one row per item.
How do you calculate when a submittal is due?
Work back from the date the material has to be on site: subtract the lead time after approval, the review days from Division 01, and a buffer for one resubmittal and routing. The template does it in the Submit by column.
Does the template work in Google Sheets?
Yes. Open the Excel file in Google Sheets and the formulas, dropdowns and colors carry over. A CSV version is there too for importing into other tools.
Can Beem build the submittal log for us?
Yes, as part of the package. We list every item from your drawings and spec, name the basis of design, and check each data sheet, with our trade experts looking over the result. It comes back within 48 hours of the complete set.