What is a submittal?
A submittal is the set of documents a contractor sends to the architect or engineer to show exactly what it plans to install: the specific products, how custom items will be built, and what the finishes will look like. The design team reviews it against the drawings and specifications before anything is ordered or fabricated. Approval doesn't change the contract. It confirms the contractor's choices meet the design intent.
Why submittals exist
Drawings and specs describe what the building needs. They often name a product, or several acceptable ones, but they leave the exact model, size, options and fabrication details to the contractor. The submittal closes that gap. It's the design team's chance to catch the wrong product before it's bought, and the contractor's record of what was accepted. On most jobs, no material is released for purchase until its submittal comes back approved.
The main types
AIA's general conditions (A201-2017, section 3.12) define three kinds, and most specs follow them:
- 1Product data. The manufacturer's published information: data sheets, often called cut sheets, catalog pages, performance charts and instructions. The contractor marks the exact model and options being supplied. This is the most common submittal on any job.
- 2Shop drawings. Drawings, diagrams and schedules made specially for the job by the contractor, a sub or a fabricator. They show how a custom item will be built and installed: ductwork layouts, steel, millwork, switchgear, curtain wall.
- 3Samples. Physical pieces that set the standard the work will be judged by: a tile, a paint draw-down, a fabric swatch, a brick.
Specs also call for related items, such as test reports, certificates, warranties and, at the end of the job, closeout submittals like operation and maintenance manuals. Each spec section's SUBMITTALS article lists exactly which ones it needs.
Shop drawings vs. product data
The difference is who made the document. Product data is the manufacturer's standard information, the same pages any buyer would get, marked to show the selection. Shop drawings are made for this one project, by someone on the contractor's side. A rooftop unit's data sheet is product data. The drawing that shows the curb, the duct connections and where it sits on the roof is a shop drawing.
Who sends it, and who reviews it
- The subcontractor or supplier builds the submittal for its scope.
- The general contractor reviews it, coordinates it with the other trades, and sends it on. Under A201, sending it means the contractor represents that it has checked and coordinated it.
- The architect, and the engineer for their disciplines, reviews it for conformance with the design and returns an action: approved, approved as noted, revise and resubmit, or rejected.
- The GC sends the action back to the sub, who orders, fabricates or corrects.
Specs usually give the design team 10 to 21 days per review cycle; the how-long guide covers why it often takes longer, and the rejection guide covers what sends a submittal back.
An example
A typical product data submittal for interior lighting has a transmittal naming the project, spec section and submittal number; an index of every fixture type submitted; the fixture schedule from the drawings; and the manufacturer's data sheet for each type, with the exact catalog number and options marked. Here's a complete 16-page example package (PDF, no sign-up), built the way reviewers expect to receive one.
What is a deferred submittal?
A deferred submittal is a different thing with a similar name. It comes from building permitting, not from the architect's review. The International Building Code (section 107.3.4.1) lets the design professional leave certain parts of the design out of the permit application and submit them to the building official later, once the contractor has engineered them. Fire sprinkler and fire alarm systems, roof trusses and curtain wall are common examples. The permit set lists which items are deferred, and that work can't be installed until the building official approves it.
Where Beem fits
Building a submittal means finding every item the drawings and spec require, pulling each maker's current data sheet, marking the exact model, and checking the values before it goes out. Beem does that as a service: send the drawings and spec, and the package comes back within 48 hours, checked by our trade experts, with anything that differs flagged for your call. Your first package is free while we test.
Questions people ask
What is a submittal in construction?
The documents a contractor sends to the architect or engineer to show exactly what it will install: product data, shop drawings, samples and related items. The design team reviews them against the drawings and specifications before anything is ordered or fabricated.
What are the types of submittals?
The three main types are product data (the manufacturer's published information, marked with the selected model and options), shop drawings (drawings made for the job showing how custom items will be built and installed) and samples (physical pieces that set the standard). Specs also call for test reports, certificates, warranties and closeout documents.
What is the difference between shop drawings and product data?
Product data is the manufacturer's standard published information, marked to show the selection. Shop drawings are made specially for the project by the contractor, a sub or a fabricator, and show how a custom item will be built and installed.
Are submittals part of the contract documents?
No. Under AIA A201-2017, shop drawings, product data and samples are not contract documents. They show how the contractor proposes to meet the contract documents, and an approval doesn't change the contract.
What is a deferred submittal?
A permitting term from the International Building Code: parts of the design, such as fire sprinklers, fire alarm or roof trusses, that are left out of the permit application and submitted to the building official later. That work can't be installed until the building official approves it.