Construction submittal process, step by step from buyout to closeout
The construction submittal process is the same on almost every commercial job: read the spec, list every required item, collect packages from subs, review them as the contractor, send them to the design team, act on the stamp and close out. What changes from project to project is the contract: review periods, numbering, routing and format are set in Division 01. Here is each step the way a project engineer runs it, with what each stamp means and what to do next.
Read the spec at buyout
The process starts before the first package exists. As subcontracts are awarded, read Section 01 33 00 Submittal Procedures first, then every technical section. In each one, find the Part 1 submittal articles (often 1.4 Submittals, or separate Action Submittals, Informational Submittals and Closeout Submittals articles), and also scan Part 2 and Part 3 for items such as mockups, field quality control reports and manufacturer field service reports that some writers place there.
Note the requirements of 01 33 00 that apply to every package: the numbering format, the transmittal form, the contractor stamp, the electronic format and the review period the architect is allowed. That period is defined by the contract in days, and the consultant review time is often listed separately. Those numbers drive every date you set in step 2.
Build the submittal register and schedule
Create one row per required item: spec section, paragraph reference (for example 08 71 00, 1.4.B), submittal type, description in the words of the spec, responsible company, reviewer and required-by date. Back-calculate that date from the required-on-site date: subtract the material lead time, the contractual review period and at least one resubmittal cycle on anything complex.
Issue the schedule to the architect if the contract requires it, and send each sub its own list. A submittal register built this way is the baseline for the whole job. Submittal builds it from the uploaded project manual, with each row linked to its paragraph, so you review rows instead of typing them.
Collect packages from subcontractors
Each sub prepares the package for its sections: product data with the specified options marked, shop drawings, samples, certificates. Ask for complete packages. A hardware schedule without the cut sheets or a shop drawing without the calculations required by the spec will come back with Revise and resubmit, and that cycle costs the full review period again.
Group related items into one package when the spec asks for them together, for example door hardware schedule, product data and keying schedule for 08 71 00. Number it in the project format, for example 087100-002, and keep the sequence per section.
Review as the general contractor
The GC review is not a formality. Check the package against the spec paragraph, the drawings and the work of other trades: does the RTU weight match what the structural drawings allow, do the door frames match the hardware preparation, are deviations clearly flagged. Then apply the contractor stamp the contract requires, which usually states that the GC has reviewed and coordinated the package.
If the package is incomplete, return it to the sub before it reaches the architect. A package rejected by the GC costs days. A package rejected by the architect costs a full review cycle.
Transmit to the architect and consultants
Send the package with a transmittal that lists the number, revision, spec section, contents and the action requested. The architect forwards sections owned by consultants (structural, mechanical, electrical, civil) and returns their comments with the architect's stamp. The review clock in the contract starts when the architect receives a complete package, which is one more reason to keep the transmittal record.
Track who holds every package at every moment. That is what ball in court means, and it is the single most useful column in a submittal log.
The review stamps and what each one means
| Stamp | What it means | What happens next |
|---|---|---|
| Approved | No exceptions taken, the package conforms with the design intent | Release for fabrication, procurement and installation |
| Approved as noted | Conforms if the reviewer's notes are followed | Proceed and incorporate the notes; resubmit only if the stamp asks for it |
| Revise and resubmit | Partly acceptable, changes are needed before proceeding | Do not proceed, correct the package and resubmit as the next revision |
| Rejected | Does not conform or is incomplete | Do not proceed, prepare a new package that meets the spec |
| For record only | Informational item received, no review action taken | File it, nothing to release |
Exact wording varies by firm (No exceptions taken, Make corrections noted, Amend and resubmit). The meaning stays the same, and every stamp carries the reminder that the contractor remains responsible for conformance, dimensions and coordination.
Resubmit with the next revision
A resubmittal is the same submittal with a new revision suffix, for example 087100-002-R1, never a new number. Answer each comment, cloud or highlight what changed and note in the transmittal how the comments were addressed. The reviewer gets the full review period again, so a second cycle on a long lead item can move the delivery. Our article on revise and resubmit covers how to cut those cycles.
Release, install and close out
Approved and Approved as noted packages go to the field and the purchasing desk. The superintendent installs from the approved revision only. During construction, informational items (test reports, inspection records, certificates) are logged For record only.
At the end, collect closeout submittals: warranties, O&M manuals, spare parts and attic stock receipts, record drawings and final certificates. They are reviewed like any other submittal and then assembled into the closeout binder the owner receives before final payment.
Run the whole process in one place
Submittal follows these steps without changing how your contract works. It reads the spec and builds the register, groups rows into packages with your numbering, routes them through GC review to the architect and consultants, records every stamp, creates the next revision on resubmittal and keeps the full history. Reminders go by email to whoever holds the ball, and the overdue list shows what is late against its required-by date. See the full how it works page, or start with the hero demo.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the review period in the construction submittal process?
It is whatever the contract says. Section 01 33 00 and the general conditions set the number of days for the architect, often with additional time for consultant review and for large or complex packages. Use those numbers, not habit, when you set dates.
Does a resubmittal get a new number?
No. It keeps the original number with the next revision suffix, for example 087100-002-R1 after 087100-002. That keeps the history of the item in one line of the log.
Can work proceed on Approved as noted?
Usually yes, provided the notes are incorporated. If the stamp also asks for a resubmittal of corrected drawings, follow it, and check the wording of the stamp used on your project.
Where do substitution requests fit in the process?
Substitutions follow their own procedure in Division 01, typically Section 01 25 00 Substitution Procedures, and should be approved before the related submittal is sent. A substitution hidden inside a submittal is a common reason for rejection.