Construction Material Submittals Process Guide | Projul

If you have been in construction long enough, you know that the stuff nobody sees on a job site is often what determines whether a project finishes on time or drags on for months. Material submittals are a prime example. They are not glamorous. Nobody brags about their submittal log at the end of a project. But get them wrong, and you will watch your schedule fall apart while your crew sits idle waiting for materials that should have been approved weeks ago.

This guide walks through the full construction material submittals process, from understanding what submittals actually are to building a tracking system that keeps your project moving. Whether you are a GC managing dozens of subs or a specialty contractor handling your own submittals, the principles here will help you avoid the delays and headaches that come with a sloppy submittal workflow.

What Are Construction Material Submittals (and Why They Matter)

A material submittal is a document package you send to the architect or engineer of record for review before you buy or install a specific product on the job. Think of it as a checkpoint. The design team specified certain materials in the contract documents, and the submittal process is how everyone confirms that what you plan to install actually matches what they designed.

Submittals come in several forms:

• Product data sheets that show manufacturer specifications, performance ratings, and installation requirements
• Shop drawings created by fabricators or manufacturers that detail how a product will be built or assembled for your specific project
• Material samples like paint chips, flooring tiles, or stone pieces that let the design team see and feel the actual product
• Test reports and certifications that prove a product meets code requirements, fire ratings, or other performance standards
• Manufacturer warranties and maintenance data that get filed for the owner’s records

The reason submittals matter so much comes down to one thing: if you install a product that was never approved, you own that risk. The architect can require you to tear it out and replace it at your own cost. That is not a theoretical risk. It happens on projects every single week across the country. Getting your submittals right protects your schedule, your budget, and your reputation.

If you are already thinking about how submittals connect to the bigger picture of keeping project records organized, check out our guide on construction document management for a broader look at how to handle all the paperwork that comes with a project.

Building a Submittal Log That Actually Works

A submittal log is the backbone of the entire process. Without one, you are relying on memory and email threads to track which submittals have been sent, which are pending review, and which came back rejected. That approach falls apart fast, especially on projects with 50, 100, or even 200 individual submittals.

Your submittal log should track these data points for every item:

• Submittal number (a unique ID you assign, usually sequential)
• Specification section (the spec division the submittal relates to, like 03 30 00 for cast-in-place concrete)
• Description (what the submittal covers, such as “structural steel shop drawings” or “HVAC diffuser product data”)
• Responsible party (which sub or supplier is preparing it)
• Required date (when you need the submittal back approved to stay on schedule)
• Date submitted (when you actually sent it to the design team)
• Date returned (when the architect sent it back)
• Status (approved, approved as noted, revise and resubmit, or rejected)
• Resubmittal dates (if it bounced back)
• Notes (any comments from the reviewer or flags for your team)

The best time to build your submittal log is right after you get the contract documents. Go through the specs section by section and pull out every submittal requirement. Most specification sections have a paragraph near the top labeled “Submittals” or “Action Submittals” that lists exactly what is required. Do not skip the general conditions or Division 01 sections either, because they often define the overall submittal procedures and format requirements.

Once your log is built, share it. Your project manager, superintendent, and every subcontractor on the job should know what is expected and when. Tying the submittal log to your construction schedule is what separates contractors who stay ahead from those who are constantly playing catch-up. Every approved submittal is a green light to procure, and every delayed one is a potential schedule hit.

One more thing: keep the log updated. A submittal log that was accurate three weeks ago is useless. Make it part of your weekly project meeting to review the log, check on outstanding items, and push the responsible parties to get things moving.

Understanding Submittal Review Turnaround Times

Here is where a lot of contractors get burned. You send a submittal to the architect and assume it will come back in a few days. Two weeks later you are chasing them down, and your material lead time just got pushed back by a month.

Most contracts specify a review period, and it is typically somewhere between 10 and 14 business days. That is just the architect’s review time. The full cycle looks more like this:

1. Subcontractor prepares the submittal (3 to 7 days, sometimes longer for shop drawings)
2. GC reviews internally (2 to 5 days to check it against the specs before forwarding)
3. Architect/engineer reviews (10 to 14 business days per the contract)
4. GC receives and distributes the response (1 to 2 days)
5. If rejected, the sub revises and resubmits (add another full cycle)

When you add all of that up, a single submittal can easily take 4 to 6 weeks from start to approval, and that is if everything goes right the first time. If you get a “revise and resubmit” response, you could be looking at 8 to 12 weeks before you have an approved submittal in hand.

Now layer on the material lead times. Some products, like custom curtain wall systems or specialty electrical gear, can have lead times of 16 to 24 weeks after the order is placed. That means you need to start the submittal process for those items almost immediately after the contract is signed.

The smart move is to build a submittal schedule that works backward from your construction schedule. Identify the long-lead items first, figure out when you need approved submittals to place orders on time, and then set internal deadlines that account for the full review cycle. This is the kind of planning that keeps a project from going sideways, and it is closely related to how you approach schedule recovery when things do slip.

Curious what other contractors think? Check out Projul reviews from real users.

A practical tip: do not submit everything at once in a massive dump during the first week. Architects hate that, and it usually results in a slower overall turnaround. Instead, prioritize long-lead items first, then batch related submittals together in logical groups. Send structural steel before you send door hardware. Send mechanical equipment before you send ceiling tile selections.

Common Reasons Submittals Get Rejected (and How to Avoid Them)

A rejected submittal is not just an inconvenience. It adds weeks to your timeline and creates friction between your team and the design team. Here are the most common reasons submittals come back with a “revise and resubmit” or “rejected” stamp, and what you can do to avoid each one.

1. The Product Does Not Match the Specification

This is the number one reason for rejection. The spec calls for a specific product or a product that meets certain performance criteria, and the submittal shows something different. Sometimes the contractor is trying to substitute a cheaper product. Sometimes it is an honest mistake where someone grabbed the wrong data sheet.

How to avoid it: Before you send anything, compare your submittal against the spec line by line. If you are proposing a substitution, follow the contract’s substitution request procedure, which is a separate process from a standard submittal.

2. Missing or Incomplete Documentation

The spec says to submit product data, installation instructions, and a warranty letter. You send just the product data sheet. That is coming back.

How to avoid it: Use the spec section as a checklist. Literally highlight each required item and verify it is included in your package before you send it.

3. Failing to Highlight Deviations

If your proposed product differs from the spec in any way, even a minor color variation or a slightly different dimension, you need to call that out clearly. Architects do not have time to play detective and find the differences buried in a 40-page product catalog.

How to avoid it: Use a transmittal cover sheet that lists any deviations from the specified product. Highlight or flag the relevant sections in the data sheets. Make the reviewer’s job easy, and they will be more likely to work with you on minor differences.

4. Poor Quality Shop Drawings

Shop drawings that are hard to read, missing dimensions, or that do not reference the contract drawing numbers will get sent back. Fabricators sometimes rush through shop drawings, and the GC sends them along without checking.

How to avoid it: Review shop drawings in-house before forwarding them. Check that they reference the correct contract drawing numbers, include all required dimensions and details, and are legible.

5. Wrong Revision or Outdated Information

This happens more often than you would think. A sub sends you a data sheet for a product that was discontinued two years ago, or they submit shop drawings based on an old set of contract documents that has since been revised by an addendum.

How to avoid it: Verify that all documentation is current. Check the manufacturer’s website to confirm the product is still available and the data sheet is the latest version. Make sure shop drawings reference the most recent contract document revision.

Keeping your submittals clean on the first pass ties directly into quality control practices. The same mindset that catches a bad weld in the field will catch a bad submittal before it leaves your office.

Keeping Your Project on Schedule Through the Submittals Process

Submittal delays are one of the top three reasons construction projects fall behind schedule. The frustrating part is that they are almost always preventable. Here is a system that keeps submittals from becoming a bottleneck.

Start Before the Shovel Hits Dirt

Your submittal process should begin during preconstruction, not after you mobilize. Use the time between contract award and the start of construction to build your submittal log, identify long-lead items, and get your subs working on their submittals immediately.

Tie Submittals to Your CPM Schedule

If you use a critical path method schedule, add submittal activities as line items. This makes it visible to everyone, including the owner, when a late submittal review is going to push the schedule. It also creates a documented record if you need to support a time extension claim later.

Hold Subs Accountable

Write submittal deadlines into your subcontracts. If a sub is responsible for providing shop drawings by a certain date and they miss it, that needs to be addressed in your weekly coordination meetings, not six weeks later when you realize the material is not going to show up on time. If you want a deeper dive on managing subcontractor relationships and accountability, our post on steps when terminating a subcontractor covers the tougher side of that conversation.

Track and Escalate

Review your submittal log at every weekly project meeting. Flag anything that is overdue. If the architect is sitting on a submittal past the contractual review period, send a written notice. Be polite but be firm. A simple email that says “Submittal #042 was submitted on January 5th and the 14-day review period expired on January 23rd. Please advise on expected return date” puts the ball in their court and creates a paper trail.

Have a Backup Plan for Long-Lead Items

Sometimes, even with perfect submittal management, a product ends up with an unexpectedly long lead time. Identify backup products during the submittal phase so you have an alternative ready if the primary choice becomes unavailable. This is a lot easier to do before you are under pressure than in the middle of a schedule crunch.

Use Technology to Your Advantage

Tracking submittals in a spreadsheet works for small projects, but once you have more than 30 or 40 items, things start slipping through the cracks. Construction project management software can automate reminders, track status changes, and give you a dashboard view of where everything stands. If you are evaluating your options, our breakdown of the best construction project management software is a good starting point.

The Submittal Workflow: Putting It All Together

Let us walk through the ideal submittal workflow from start to finish so you can see how all of these pieces connect.

Step 1: Spec Review and Log Creation. As soon as you have the contract documents, go through every specification section and pull out the submittal requirements. Build your submittal log and assign responsible parties for each item.

Step 2: Prioritize by Schedule Impact. Sort your submittal log by required approval date, which you calculate by working backward from when you need the material on site. Long-lead items go to the top of the list.

Step 3: Internal Preparation. Subs and suppliers prepare their submittal packages. Give them clear deadlines and the exact format requirements from the contract.

Step 4: GC Internal Review. Before you send anything to the design team, review it yourself. Check it against the spec. Make sure the package is complete. Catch the easy mistakes before they waste everyone’s time.

Step 5: Submit to the Architect/Engineer. Send the submittal with a transmittal that includes the submittal number, spec section, description, and any notes about deviations or substitutions. Log the submission date.

Step 6: Track and Follow Up. Monitor the review period. If you are approaching the contractual deadline without a response, send a polite follow-up. Update your log with every status change.

Step 7: Process the Response. When the submittal comes back, distribute the response to the responsible sub or supplier immediately. If it is approved or approved as noted, move to procurement. If it is revise and resubmit, get the revised package turned around as fast as possible and start the cycle again.

Step 8: Close the Loop. Once a submittal is fully approved, file the approved copy where your entire team can access it. Your field crew needs to see the approved submittal, not just the office. This connects back to having a solid document control system in place.

The submittal process is not exciting, but it is one of those foundational practices that separates well-run projects from chaotic ones. When you have a clean submittal log, clear deadlines, and a team that understands the process, you eliminate one of the biggest sources of construction delays.

Try a live demo and see how Projul simplifies this for your team.

Take the time to set up your submittal process right at the beginning of every project. Your future self, the one who is not scrambling to explain a schedule delay to an owner, will thank you.