Construction document control software that keeps one current revision
Document control on a construction job comes down to three questions asked every week: what is the current revision, who has it now, and what happened to the earlier ones. Submittal answers them for every submittal package on the project, in five steps that start with the spec book and end with the closeout binder.
From the project manual to closeout in one record
- Upload the project manual
- Check the register built from it
- Build packages and send transmittals
- Route for review and return stamps
- Close out with the approved documents
Each step works on the same record. The row created from paragraph 1.4.B in step two is the row the reviewer stamps in step four and the row whose warranty lands in the binder in step five. Nothing is retyped between steps, which is where most document control errors start.
Start with the document every submittal comes from
Upload the project manual as a PDF, scanned or native, or add sections one at a time as addenda come in. Submittal identifies each MasterFormat section, from 03 30 00 Cast-in-Place Concrete to 33 series site utilities, and reads the Part 1 articles that list required submittals. When an addendum reissues 07 54 23 TPO Roofing, upload the new section and read its fresh rows next to the existing ones, then merge, edit or close rows so the register matches the current spec. How the reading works is explained on the construction specification software page.
One controlled list of everything the spec requires
The register holds one row per required item with its spec paragraph, type, responsible company, reviewer and required-by date. A project engineer reads each section next to its rows, merges duplicates and assigns companies. From this point the register is the controlled list: a submittal that is not on it does not exist for the project, and a row that is on it stays open until it is stamped or deliberately closed. The difference between this list and the working log is covered on the submittal register page.
Every package gets a number, a revision and a transmittal
Rows are grouped into packages numbered by section, sequence and revision, for example 092900-001-R0 for the first gypsum board package. The subcontractor uploads product data, shop drawings and sample photos into the package, and Submittal issues the transmittal as a PDF listing each document, its revision and the action requested. The transmittal is stored with the package, so the record shows exactly what was sent, to whom and when.
- One current revision per package, always marked as current
- Earlier revisions kept read only, never replaced
- Transmittals generated for each issue and each return
Stamps returned in order, with the reasons kept
The package goes to GC review first, then to the architect and any consultant on the row. Reviewers mark up pages and return Approved, Approved as noted, Revise and resubmit, Rejected or For record only. A Revise and resubmit stamp opens R1 with the comments carried over, and the ball in court moves back to the sub with a due date. Email reminders go to whoever holds the package, and the overdue list shows what is stuck and with whom. The full sequence is in the construction submittal process guide.
The closeout package comes from what was already approved
At substantial completion the owner expects O&M manuals, warranties, certificates and attic stock records. Because closeout submittals sit in the same register as action submittals, they are tracked from day one, not discovered in the last month. On Business and Enterprise, the closeout binder assembles every approved O&M document, warranty and certificate into one PDF with a table of contents. Every plan exports the full log to Excel, CSV and PDF at any time. More on packages, revisions and binders is on the construction document management software page.
What the record guarantees
- One current revision per package, visible on the log and in the package
- Full history of every revision, stamp, comment, markup and file, nothing overwritten
- Every transmittal stored with the package it belongs to
- Every row traced to the spec paragraph that required it
- Audit log of user actions on Business and Enterprise
These rules hold whether the project has 40 packages or 900. Pricing is per active project, shown on the submittal management software page, and every feature is described on the submittal software page.
Frequently asked questions
Can several people work on the same package at once?
Yes. The sub uploads files, the GC reviewer comments and the architect marks up pages in the same package. Each action is recorded with the person and the time, and only one revision is current at any moment.
What happens to the old revision after a resubmittal?
It stays in the package as read only, with its stamp, comments and files. The new revision becomes current, and both appear in the history and in exports.
Do transmittals have to be written by hand?
No. Submittal generates a transmittal PDF each time a package is issued or returned, listing the documents, revisions and the action taken.
How do addenda affect the register?
Upload the reissued section and Submittal reads it again. Its rows appear next to the existing ones with their paragraph references, so you merge, edit or close rows deliberately and every change is kept in the history.