How to Prepare a Construction Submittal Package, Step by Step

A submittal package has one job: prove, before anything is bought or fabricated, that what you plan to install meets the contract documents. Packages get rejected less for bad products than for unclear ones. Here is the process we follow on every section, in the order we do it.

1. Start with the spec section's Part 1

Every specification section lists what it wants to see in a "Submittals" article in Part 1, usually split into action submittals (needing approval), informational submittals and closeout submittals. That list is your checklist. Also read Division 01's Submittal Procedures section (01 33 00) for format rules: file naming, cover sheet requirements, how many copies, and review time. Our guide on how to read a spec book walks through where each requirement hides.

2. Pick products that actually comply

Go to Part 2. Note the basis-of-design product, the listed acceptable manufacturers, and every performance requirement: sizes, ratings, materials, finishes, flow rates, listings. Then check the drawings and schedules, which often add tags, quantities and options the spec doesn't repeat. If you are proposing something else, find out whether the spec treats it as a comparable product or a substitution. Substitutions usually need a formal request and a side-by-side comparison.

3. Mark up every cut sheet

A manufacturer's data sheet usually shows a whole product family. The reviewer needs to see which one you picked. Highlight or arrow the exact model, size, options and accessories, and cross out what doesn't apply. Add the spec section and paragraph or schedule tag next to each item. A clean, marked-up sheet is the single biggest difference between "Approved" and "Revise and Resubmit."

4. Add the shop drawings, samples and certificates

If the section asks for shop drawings, prepare them at a readable scale, coordinated with the contract drawings and field conditions. Gather certificates, test reports, warranties and installer qualifications listed under informational submittals. Note physical samples on the transmittal so they're tracked with the paperwork.

5. Build the cover sheet and index

The cover sheet (transmittal) identifies the project, spec section, submittal number and revision, what's enclosed, and any deviations. The index lists each item with its page number. Bookmark the PDF so a reviewer can jump to any item. You can build a cover sheet in minutes with our free submittal cover sheet builder.

6. Check the whole package against the spec, line by line

Before it leaves your hands, go through Part 1 and Part 2 one more time and tick off every requirement against the package. List each deviation on the cover sheet with the reason. Anything you can't resolve from the documents (a missing dimension, a conflict between spec and drawings) should become an RFI, not a guess.

7. Log it and track the review

Record every package in a submittal log with the date sent, the reviewer and the response. Long-lead items should go first so procurement isn't held up. Our free submittal log template tracks days in review and status automatically.

8. Answer every comment on a resubmittal

When a package comes back "Revise and Resubmit" or "Rejected", fix every comment, bump the revision number, and add a short response to each comment so the reviewer doesn't have to compare the two versions. Resubmit only what changed, unless the spec requires a complete package.