Why submittals exist
Drawings and specifications describe design intent, but they rarely name one exact product with every option resolved. A spec might call for 'vitreous china wall-hung lavatory' with performance requirements; the submittal is where the contractor says 'specifically, this model, this trim, this carrier.' The architect's review confirms that the specific selection matches the intent before money is spent and material is fabricated.
Submittals also create the project's record of what was actually approved for installation. When a dispute surfaces two years later about why a different fixture was installed, the stamped submittal is the document everyone reaches for.
The three main types
Nearly everything in the submittal register falls into three buckets:
- Product data — manufacturer cut sheets and catalog pages, marked to show the exact model and options being furnished
- Shop drawings — drawings prepared for this specific project showing fabrication and installation: rebar bends, ductwork routing, switchboard elevations, curtain wall sections
- Samples — physical examples for appearance and workmanship approval: carpet, paint drawdowns, brick, metal finishes
- Beyond those: test reports, certifications, calculations (delegated design), warranties, and closeout documents like O&M manuals
Who does what
The subcontractor or supplier prepares the submittal for their scope. The general contractor reviews it first — checking completeness and coordination with adjacent trades — stamps it, and forwards it to the architect, who routes discipline-specific packages to the structural, mechanical, or electrical engineers. The reviewer returns it with an action stamp: Approved, Approved as Noted, Revise and Resubmit, or Rejected. Only then can the contractor release the material for purchase or fabrication.
Where submittals fit in the project timeline
Submittals dominate the first weeks after contract award. The GC issues a submittal schedule tied to procurement: long-lead items (switchgear, elevators, curtain wall, rooftop units) go first because fabrication cannot start until approval, and lead times run months. A late submittal on a long-lead item is one of the most common root causes of project delay — which is why GCs track the register so aggressively, and why the first month of any subcontract is substantially a documentation exercise before it is a construction one.
The faster way to produce them
Mechanically, building a submittal has always meant hunting down manufacturer PDFs, merging them, and typing a cover sheet. Submittal.App's AI Builder does that part automatically: describe the schedule or upload the spec section, and it matches products from an indexed cut-sheet library, assembles a formatted package with a cover sheet and table of contents, and sends it for review as a link. Approved packages convert to quotes and purchase orders in the same system.