Construction submittal glossary.

The agreement, the general and supplementary conditions, the drawings, the specifications, addenda issued before signing, and modifications issued after. They define the work. Under AIA A201, shop drawings, product data, and samples are not contract documents even after they are reviewed and accepted.

See also Drawings, Specifications, Addendum, Change order.

The graphic part of the contract documents: plans, elevations, sections, details, and schedules showing the design, location, and dimensions of the work. AIA A201 Section 1.2.1 treats the drawings and the specifications as complementary and sets no order of precedence; when a project has one, it is written into the agreement, the supplementary conditions, or Division 01. When the two disagree, the RFI is the tool for asking.

See also Specifications, Request for information (RFI), Schedule (on the drawings).

The written requirements for materials, products, equipment, systems, workmanship, and administrative procedures, organized by MasterFormat section and bound as the project manual. The submittals article in each technical section lists what has to be submitted for that work.

See also Project manual, CSI MasterFormat, Submittals article.

The bound volume holding the bidding requirements, contract forms, conditions of the contract, and the specifications. On most jobs it is what people mean by the spec book.

See also Spec book, Specifications, Division 01 General Requirements.

Field shorthand for the project manual, the same document under another name. When someone says it is in the spec book, they mean a specification section inside the project manual, and the log row that comes from it should say which page.

See also Project manual, Specification section.

The Construction Specifications Institute standard for organizing specifications into numbered divisions and sections numbered with six digits, for example Section 08 71 00 Door Hardware inside Division 08 Openings. Nearly every submittal log is sorted by it. The current edition carries 50 division numbers, several of them reserved.

See also Division, Specification section, SectionFormat (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3).

The primary numbered level of MasterFormat, which sorts divisions into groups and subgroups: related work under a two digit number, such as Division 03 Concrete or Division 23 Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning. Scopes are described by division, and a log grouped by division mirrors how the trades bid the job.

See also CSI MasterFormat, Specification section.

One numbered unit of the specifications covering a defined portion of work, such as Section 07 92 00 Joint Sealants. The section is the unit a submittal is filed against, and its number is the first column in most logs.

See also CSI MasterFormat, Submittals article, SectionFormat (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3).

The CSI structure in three parts of a specification section. Part 1 General carries the administrative requirements, including the submittals article. Part 2 Products says what is acceptable. Part 3 Execution says how it is installed and tested. The submittal requirements live in Part 1; the product requirements they have to prove live in Part 2.

See also Submittals article, Specification section.

The part of Part 1 of a specification section that lists what must be submitted for that section: product data, shop drawings, samples, certificates, test reports, and closeout items. Current CSI and MasterSpec sections often split it into separate articles, such as Action Submittals, Informational Submittals, and Closeout Submittals. Reading every one of them in the project manual is how a log gets built.

See also Action submittal, Informational submittal, Closeout submittals.

The administrative sections that apply to every technical section: Section 01 33 00 Submittal Procedures, 01 25 00 Substitution Procedures, 01 77 00 Closeout Procedures, and their neighbors. The rules for how submittals are numbered, formatted, reviewed, and timed live here, not in the technical sections.

See also Submittal procedures (Section 01 33 00), Substitution request, Project closeout.

The standard contract terms defining the rights and duties of the owner, the contractor, and the design professional. AIA A201 is common on private building work; EJCDC C-700, ConsensusDocs 200, and the FAR clauses on federal work are other forms. In A201, Section 3.12 sets the contractor's obligations for shop drawings, product data, and samples, including review before submission.

See also Supplementary conditions, Contractor's review, Architect's review.

Amendments to the general conditions written for one project: a changed review period, added insurance requirements, owner review rights. They override the general conditions where the two conflict, so the submittal review period is sometimes set here rather than in Division 01.

See also General conditions, Review period.

A written change to the bidding documents issued before bids are due, modifying or clarifying the drawings or specifications. Addenda become part of the contract documents. A log drafted from the original section can miss a requirement an addendum added, which is why the conformed set matters.

See also Conformed set, Contract documents.

Drawings and specifications reissued after award with every addendum and negotiated change folded in, so the team works from one document instead of the original plus a stack of changes. When a conformed set exists, the log should cite it.

See also Addendum, Spec page citation.

The named product or manufacturer a specification section was written around, listed to set the standard of quality that comparable products must meet. Other manufacturers may be listed as acceptable, or admitted through a substitution request.

See also Or equal, Substitution request, Proprietary specification.

Specification language that allows a product not named in the section if it is equivalent to the one named. Or approved equal is the stricter wording: the design professional has to accept the equivalence before the product is used. Either clause invites a proposal; neither lets the contractor install an unnamed product without review.

See also Substitution, Substitution request, Basis of design.

A section that names a specific manufacturer and product. A closed proprietary specification allows no alternatives; an open one carries an or equal clause. Public work usually restricts the closed form.

See also Basis of design, Or equal.

A section that states the result a product or system must achieve, such as a thermal transmittance limit or a sound transmission class, and leaves the product selection to the contractor. The submittal then has to prove performance, usually with test reports and calculations.

See also Test report, Design data and calculations.

A section that spells out the materials, dimensions, and methods in detail rather than naming a product or a result. The submittal proves the product matches the description item by item.

See also Performance specification.

A published industry standard the specification incorporates by name, such as ASTM C920 for sealants or AWS D1.1 for welding. Requirements inside a reference standard, like a certificate the standard demands, are the easiest to miss because they are not printed in the section.

See also Certificate, Specifications.

A table on the drawings listing repeated items with their attributes: the door schedule, finish schedule, fixture schedule. Submittals are checked against these tables. Door hardware usually works differently: the hardware sets are specified in Section 08 71 00, and the door hardware schedule the hardware supplier prepares is a separate submittal on most jobs.

See also Drawings, Shop drawing.

The documentation a contractor sends to the design team to show that a proposed product, material, assembly, or method meets the contract documents before it is bought or installed. A submittal demonstrates compliance. It does not change the contract.

See also Action submittal, Informational submittal, Submittal package.

A submittal that needs a review decision before the work can proceed: product data, shop drawings, and samples for items the design team must accept. The reviewer returns it with a review action. Division 01 defines the category.

See also Informational submittal, Review action.

A submittal furnished for the record rather than for a decision: certificates, qualification data, test reports, manufacturer's instructions, field reports. The reviewer confirms receipt and returns it only if it shows a problem. A missing one is still a contract requirement unmet.

See also Action submittal, Certificate, Test report.

The documents required at completion: operation and maintenance manuals, warranties, record documents, spare parts and attic stock lists, training records, and final certificates. Section 01 77 00 or 01 78 00 lists them, and final payment usually waits on them.

See also Operation and maintenance (O&M) manual, Record documents, Project closeout.

The assembled proof for a submittal: the cover sheet or transmittal, then the product data, shop drawings, certificates, or other documents the section requires, in the order the reviewer expects. Some project platforms use package for a group of related submittal items sent together, often one specification section, with each item reviewed on its own. See submittal package software.

See also Submittal cover sheet, Package assembly, Product data.

Information the manufacturer publishes for a product: data sheets, catalog pages, performance figures, finish options, and installation instructions, marked to show which model and options apply. It answers the product data line in the submittals article. Browse manufacturer product data free under Submittal Documents.

See also Cut sheet, Manufacturer's instructions, Submittal package.

Trade name for a single product data sheet, usually one or two pages from the manufacturer's catalog. A product data submittal is often a stack of cut sheets with the applicable items circled or highlighted.

See also Product data.

A drawing, diagram, or schedule prepared by the contractor, subcontractor, fabricator, or supplier to show how a specific portion of the work will be fabricated and installed, in more detail than the design drawings carry. Reinforcing steel placing drawings, structural steel details, and casework elevations are typical.

See also Coordination drawing, Delegated design submittal, Release for fabrication.

A physical example of a material, product, or finish submitted for review of color, texture, pattern, or quality: a color chip, a tile, a brick, a length of extrusion. Samples are usually the items the architect has to select, which makes them the rows most likely to wait on the design team.

See also Mock-up, Owner review.

A full scale or partial assembly built before the production work to show the finished appearance and to test performance, such as a window wall section tested for water penetration. They are a quality requirement under Division 01 (Section 01 40 00 or 01 43 00) and the technical section; the log tracks their shop drawings and their acceptance. An accepted one sets the standard for the work and is sometimes left in place as part of it.

See also Sample, Test report.

A signed statement from a manufacturer, installer, or testing agency that a product, material, or person meets a stated requirement: a mill certificate, a welder certification, a certificate of compliance. Usually an informational submittal.

See also Informational submittal, Qualification data, Reference standard.

Documentation of a test performed on a product or assembly by the manufacturer, an independent laboratory, or a field agency, showing results against the specified standard. Fire resistance, structural capacity, and acoustic ratings are proved this way.

See also Field quality control report, Testing agency, Performance specification.

Evidence that a manufacturer, fabricator, installer, or testing agency meets the experience or credential a section requires, such as five years of comparable work or a named industry certification. Sections put these requirements in Part 1 under Quality Assurance.

See also Certificate, Informational submittal.

The standardized document, formerly called an MSDS, giving the hazards, handling, storage, and emergency measures for a chemical product. Sections for coatings, sealants, adhesives, and cleaners routinely require one with the product data.

See also Product data, Manufacturer's instructions.

The manufacturer's published installation, storage, and handling directions. Specifications commonly require installation per manufacturer's instructions, which makes the instruction sheet the standard the inspector measures against. It is a submittal only where the submittals article lists it.

See also Product data, Informational submittal.

The written guarantee from a manufacturer or installer covering a product or assembly for a stated term. Sections require a sample warranty with the product data and the executed warranty at closeout. The term and the start date are the two details reviewers check.

See also Warranty period, Closeout submittals, Substantial completion.

A submittal for an element the contract requires the contractor to design, such as steel connections, curtain wall, or fire sprinkler layout, prepared by a design professional the contractor retains and sealed where the contract or state law requires a seal. AIA A201 Section 3.12.10 covers it. The architect reviews it for conformance with the design intent only.

See also Design data and calculations, Engineer of record (EOR), Deferred submittal.

Under the building code, a portion of the design that is not submitted with the permit application and is submitted later with the building official's approval. The registered design professional in responsible charge reviews it and forwards it with a notation of general conformance, and the item cannot be installed until the building official approves it. IBC Section 107.3.4.1.

See also Registered design professional in responsible charge, Authority having jurisdiction (AHJ), Delegated design submittal.

A drawing that overlays the work of several trades, typically mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection above a ceiling, to resolve conflicts before fabrication. Required by many Division 01 and Division 23 sections, and the classic example of a submittal three trades argue over owning.

See also Shop drawing, Ball in court.

Engineering calculations, load tables, or design narratives submitted to show a product or system meets the specified performance, often sealed by an engineer. Seismic bracing, anchorage, and delegated design elements rely on them.

See also Delegated design submittal, Performance specification.

A report on inspections or tests made on the installed work, such as concrete cylinder breaks, weld inspections, or roof fastener pull tests, furnished as an informational submittal so the record shows the work was checked.

See also Test report, Testing agency, Informational submittal.

Items due before or just after mobilization rather than against a technical section: the schedule of values, the construction schedule, the safety plan, the list of subcontractors, insurance certificates, and the submittal schedule itself. Division 01 lists them, and they are easy to leave off a log built only from the technical sections.

See also Schedule of values, Submittal schedule, Division 01 General Requirements.

The breakdown of the contract sum by portion of the work, submitted before the first payment application and used to price progress each month. Not a technical submittal, but it lives on the same log and usually has the earliest due date.

See also Preconstruction submittals.

Documentation a section requires to earn or record credit under a green building program. Under LEED v4.1 that means items such as environmental product declarations (EPDs), raw material sourcing documentation, material ingredient reports, and emissions test results for low emitting materials. They ride with the product data and are often due to a separate reviewer.

See also Product data, Certificate.

Spare quantities of finish materials, such as tile, carpet, paint, or ceiling panels, that a section requires the contractor to deliver to the owner for future repairs. Listed in the section's closeout requirements and tracked on the log so it is not forgotten at turnover.

See also Closeout submittals, Turnover.

The Division 01 section that sets the rules for every submittal: numbering, format, number of copies, transmittal form, review periods, resubmittal limits, and what the contractor's review stamp has to say. Read it before the first submittal goes out.

See also Division 01 General Requirements, Submittal number, Review period.

The identifier assigned to each submittal, usually the section number plus a sequence and a revision, for example 08 71 00-003 R1. Division 01 sets the format. A consistent number is what lets the log, the transmittal, and the returned copy refer to the same thing.

See also Numbering convention, Revision, Transmittal.

The general contractor's own check of a submittal before it goes to the design team: for completeness, coordination with the field, and compliance with the contract documents. AIA A201 requires the contractor to review and approve a submittal before submitting it, and most Division 01 sections require a stamp saying so. A submittal sent without that stamp is usually returned without action.

See also General conditions, Sequential review, Deviation.

A submittal sent again after a Revise and Resubmit or Rejected action, carrying the corrections the reviewer marked. Most Division 01 numbering rules keep the same number with a new revision. Division 01 often limits how many resubmittals the contractor gets before review costs shift to it.

See also Revise and Resubmit, Revision, Reviewer comments.

A numbered version of a submittal, drawing, or other document. Revision 0 is the first issue, and each resubmittal increments it. The revision stack is the history of what was proposed and what the reviewer said each time.

See also Resubmittal, Revision control, Version versus revision.

The first page of a submittal package: project, section, submittal number, description, manufacturer, product, and space for the contractor's and reviewer's stamps. Sometimes combined with the transmittal, sometimes a separate page behind it.

See also Submittal package, Transmittal.

The cover document that formally sends a submittal or any other document, recording the project, the items enclosed, the sender, the recipient, and the date. It proves delivery and starts the review clock. It does not describe the product. See construction transmittal software.

See also Submittal cover sheet, Review period, Distribution list.

The time the contract gives the design team to review and return a submittal, set in Division 01 or the supplementary conditions. AIA A201 Section 3.10.2 asks only that the submittal schedule allow the architect reasonable time; the MasterSpec version of Section 01 33 00 allows 15 days for an initial review. The submittal schedule is built backward from it, and each resubmittal restarts it.

See also Submittal schedule, Sequential review, Resubmittal.

The dated list of when each submittal will be sent and when it must be returned so procurement and installation stay on the construction schedule. Items with long lead times sort to the top. Division 01 usually requires it within a set number of days after award.

See also Long-lead item, Review period, Required on site date.

A product or assembly whose fabrication or delivery time is long enough to threaten the schedule: switchgear, elevators, custom curtain wall, air handling units. Its submittal has to move first because the order cannot be placed until the submittal is accepted.

See also Lead time, Submittal schedule, Release for fabrication.

The chain a submittal travels: supplier to subcontractor to general contractor to architect to consultant, and back the same way. Each party reviews, adds information where needed, and stamps. The number of hands is why the review period is longer than any one reviewer's time.

See also Contractor's review, Architect's review, Review period.

The party currently responsible for moving a submittal, RFI, or other item forward. A log column that answers who is holding this, and the fastest way to find where the schedule is stuck.

See also Submittal log, RFI log.

The master list tracking every required submittal on a project with its section, type, responsible party, dates, status, and review action. The working document of the submittal process. See what a submittal log is, or download the free log template.

See also Submittal register, Submittal schedule, Document register.

The inventory of every submittal the contract requires, built from the submittals article of every section. Many teams use register and log as one word. On federal work under the Unified Facilities Guide Specifications (UFGS), the submittal register is a formal form, ENG Form 4288, listing each submittal by section with its SD number and whether it needs government approval (G), and it tracks status as well. See submittal register automation.

See also Submittal log, Submittal procedures (Section 01 33 00).

The step of collecting the documents a submittal requires and putting them behind the cover sheet in order: data sheets marked up, drawings, certificates, then one bound PDF.

See also Submittal package, Product data, Submittal cover sheet.

The design professional's ruling on a submittal, stamped on the returned copy. Wordings vary by firm, but most fall into five outcomes: no exceptions taken (or approved), approved as noted, revise and resubmit, rejected, and returned without action, used when the submittal was not required, lacked the contractor's stamp, or was sent for information only. The action decides whether the item can be ordered as submitted, ordered with the corrections, or has to come back.

See also No Exceptions Taken, Approved as Noted, Revise and Resubmit, Rejected.

The review action releasing the submittal as presented. AIA A201 Section 4.2.7 says the architect will review and approve submittals, but many architects stamp no exceptions taken or reviewed on liability advice, to keep the stamp inside the limited review. The contractor can usually order, but under A201 Section 3.12.8 it stays responsible for any deviation it did not point out in writing, and other approvals, such as an owner selection, may still be open.

See also Review action, Architect's review, Release for fabrication.

The review action releasing the submittal on the condition that the reviewer's marked corrections are made. No resubmittal is required unless the stamp asks for one. The corrections become part of the record, and the fabricator has to see them.

See also Review action, Reviewer comments.

The review action returning the submittal for correction before any release. The item cannot be ordered or fabricated, the review period starts over on the resubmittal, and the log row goes back to open.

See also Resubmittal, Review period, Review action.

The review action refusing the submittal, usually because it proposes something the contract does not allow or is the wrong item entirely. The contractor has to send a corrected or different proposal. Most Division 01 sections keep the original number with a new revision; some require a new number when the product changes.

See also Review action, Substitution.

Under AIA A201 the architect reviews a submittal only for conformance with the information given and the design concept, not for dimensions, quantities, or means and methods, which stay the contractor's responsibility. The disclaimer printed on the stamp is that limit in writing.

See also General conditions, No Exceptions Taken, Contractor's review.

A product, material, or method proposed in place of the one specified. Allowed only through the substitution procedure in Division 01, usually Section 01 25 00, inside a stated window and with evidence of equivalence. A submittal that shows a product the section neither names nor lists as acceptable, without an accepted request, is a substitution without a request, and the reviewer should reject it.

See also Substitution request, Or equal, Basis of design.

The formal form asking the design team to accept a substitution: the specified item, the proposed one, the reason, the cost and schedule effect, and comparative data. An accepted substitution is recorded by change order or written acceptance before the submittal for the product is sent.

See also Substitution, Change order, Division 01 General Requirements.

Any point at which a submittal departs from the contract documents. Division 01 requires the contractor to identify deviations in writing on the submittal. An unflagged deviation is not accepted even when the reviewer missed it.

See also Contractor's review, Substitution.

The notes, clouds, and corrections the reviewer writes on the returned submittal. They travel with the revision, feed the resubmittal, and are the record of what the design team asked for. Losing them between revisions is a common document control failure.

See also Approved as Noted, Revision, Audit trail.

Two words for the same release with different legal weight. Contracts and stamps increasingly say reviewed or no exceptions taken rather than approved, to keep the reviewer's liability inside the limited review. Read the stamp, then read the general conditions.

See also No Exceptions Taken, Architect's review.

Review by the owner or the owner's representative in addition to the design team, common on institutional and public work for finishes, security, and equipment. It adds a party to the sequential review and days to the turnaround.

See also Sequential review, Sample, Owner.

The discipline of managing project documents so the right version reaches the right people and the history is kept: numbering, revision control, distribution, transmittals, and retention. On a construction job it covers drawings, specifications, submittals, RFIs, changes, and correspondence.

See also Document register, Revision control, Distribution list.

The master index of every controlled document on a project with its number, title, current revision, status, and date. The submittal log, the drawing log, and the RFI log are registers for their document types.

See also Submittal log, Drawing log, RFI log.

Giving every issued version of a document a revision identifier, recording what changed and when, and withdrawing superseded versions from use. It is the reason a returned submittal has to be filed against the revision that was sent.

See also Revision, Superseded, Document status.

The status of a document version replaced by a later revision. A superseded drawing on the trailer wall is how work gets built to the wrong version. Registers mark superseded versions and keep them for the record without distributing them.

See also Revision control, Document status, Controlled document.

A label on each document stating what it may be used for: For Review, For Construction, For Information, Record, Void. Status and revision together tell a reader whether the sheet in hand can be built from.

See also Revision control, Superseded.

A document whose distribution is tracked so every holder can be sent the next revision. An uncontrolled copy, such as a printout, carries no promise of being current. The distribution list is what makes control possible.

See also Distribution list, Superseded.

The record of who receives which documents, in what form, and when. On a submittal it decides who gets the returned copy, usually the subcontractor, the fabricator, the field staff, and the project file.

See also Controlled document, Transmittal.

The register of every drawing sheet on the project with its current revision, issue date, and status. Paired with the submittal log, it tells the field which sheets and which submittals are current.

See also Document register, Superseded.

The register of every request for information with its number, subject, date sent, date answered, ball in court, and the answer. The submittal log refers to it when an RFI settles a question a submittal raised.

See also Request for information (RFI), Ball in court, Document register.

The agreed pattern for document identifiers on a project, set in Division 01 or the document control plan: submittal numbers built on the section number, sequential RFI numbers, sheet numbers by discipline. A consistent pattern keeps old documents easy to find.

See also Submittal number, Document register.

The recorded history of a document: who created, sent, reviewed, revised, and received it, with dates. Most submittal software records it automatically.

See also Reviewer comments, Project record.

The unbroken record of who held a document or sample and when, from creation to final file. It matters for samples, test specimens, and any document that could end up in a dispute.

See also Sample, Audit trail.

The single shared repository where a project's documents and models are stored, controlled, and distributed, the term ISO 19650 uses on BIM projects. A general contractor's project management platform plays that role on most jobs.

See also Document control, Controlled document.

The complete set of documents kept for the project's life and after: contract documents, accepted submittals, RFIs, changes, meeting minutes, daily reports, and closeout documents. It is the file a team searches when a claim or a warranty question comes up after completion.

See also Retention period, Record documents, Audit trail.

How long project records are kept after completion. The contract and company policy set it, usually with the state's statute of repose in mind, and that statute varies widely from state to state. Accepted submittals are part of that record.

See also Project record.

Loosely interchangeable in the field. In document control, a revision is a formally issued state of a document with a number on it, and a version is any saved state, drafts included. The log tracks revisions.

See also Revision, Revision control.

A formal written question from the contractor to the design team asking for clarification of the contract documents: a missing dimension, a conflict between drawings and specifications, an unclear requirement. The answer becomes part of the record and can change what a submittal has to show.

See also RFI log, Clarification, Drawings.

A written instruction from the architect making a minor change in the work that affects neither contract sum nor time, issued on AIA form G710. An ASI can change a finish or a detail, so the affected submittal has to be checked against it.

See also Field order, Change order.

A written amendment to the contract signed by the owner, contractor, and architect, changing the work, the contract sum, the contract time, or all three. An accepted substitution with a cost effect is recorded this way. AIA form G701.

See also Construction change directive (CCD), Potential change order (PCO), Substitution request.

A written order from the owner and architect directing a change in the work before the price and time are agreed, issued on AIA form G714 when a change order cannot wait. The work proceeds and the cost is settled later.

See also Change order, Field order.

Under EJCDC C-700, a written order from the engineer requiring a minor change in the work that changes neither the contract price nor the contract times. Some construction management contracts let the construction manager issue one. On AIA contracts the matching tool is the architect's order for a minor change in the work under A201 Section 7.4, usually issued as an ASI.

See also Architect's supplemental instructions (ASI), Construction change directive (CCD).

A contractor's notice and cost proposal for a change that has been identified but not yet agreed, tracked in a change log until it becomes a change order or is withdrawn.

See also Change order, Bulletin.

A set of revised drawings and specifications issued by the architect describing a proposed change so the contractor can price it. A bulletin usually precedes a change order and can add or remove submittals from the log.

See also Potential change order (PCO), Change order.

A design team response that explains the contract documents without changing them, typically the answer to an RFI. When a clarification does change scope, cost, or time, it should become a change order, and the contractor's written notice is what protects that.

See also Request for information (RFI), Change order.

The register of every item that has to be bought, with the submittal it depends on, the acceptance date, the order date, the lead time, and the date the item is needed on site. It reads the submittal log backward from the construction schedule.

See also Lead time, Required on site date, Submittal schedule.

The time from placing an order to the product arriving on site, quoted by the manufacturer or supplier. Lead time plus review period plus resubmittal risk is how far ahead of installation a submittal has to be sent.

See also Long-lead item, Review period, Procurement log.

The period after award when the general contractor awards subcontracts and purchase orders for the project. Submittal requirements are assigned to their responsible parties during buyout, so the log is most useful when it is complete before buyout starts.

See also Subcontractor, Supplier, Submittal log.

The point at which an accepted submittal allows the fabricator or manufacturer to begin production. Nothing custom should be released before its submittal comes back with an accepting action.

See also No Exceptions Taken, Shop drawing, Lead time.

The date a product must be on the jobsite to keep the construction schedule. The submittal schedule and the procurement log count backward from it.

See also Submittal schedule, Procurement log, Lead time.

The part of the construction schedule the field plans against, usually the next two to six weeks. Open submittals for work inside that window can stop work.

See also Submittal schedule, Ball in court.

The final phase in which the contractor completes punch list work, delivers the closeout submittals, demonstrates the systems, and obtains final payment. Section 01 77 00 Closeout Procedures governs it. At closeout the submittal log shows whether every closeout item was delivered.

See also Closeout submittals, Substantial completion, Final completion.

The stage at which the work is complete enough for the owner to occupy or use it for its intended purpose, certified by the architect on AIA form G704. Warranties usually start here, which is why the warranty start date matters on the closeout submittal.

See also Final completion, Warranty period, Punch list.

The point at which all work, including punch list items and closeout submittals, is complete and accepted, and final payment is due. Under AIA A201 Section 9.10.2 final payment also waits on the closeout paperwork, such as an affidavit that bills are paid, the consent of surety, and releases or waivers of liens.

See also Substantial completion, Closeout submittals.

The list of incomplete or defective items the contractor must correct before final completion. Under AIA A201 Section 9.8.2 the contractor prepares it when it considers the work substantially complete; the architect then inspects and adds any items the list missed. Separate from submittals, but late closeout submittals often end up on it.

See also Substantial completion, Project closeout.

The organized binder or file of product data, instructions, parts lists, warranties, and maintenance schedules for the installed equipment and systems, delivered to the owner at closeout. Much of it is the accepted product data, filed a second time.

See also Closeout submittals, Product data, Turnover.

The set of drawings and specifications marked up during construction to show the work as actually installed, including changes, RFI answers, and field conditions. Practice varies: under most Division 01 sections, such as MasterSpec Section 01 78 39 Project Record Documents, the contractor keeps and submits the record set, and some contracts add a service in which the architect prepares clean record drawings from the contractor's markups.

See also Closeout submittals, Project record.

The process of verifying that building systems are designed, installed, tested, and operate to meet the owner's project requirements (OPR), as ASHRAE Standard 202 describes it. It is led by a commissioning provider (CxP), the role older documents call the commissioning authority. Commissioning submittals include test procedures, reports, and training records.

See also Commissioning provider (CxP), Test report, Project closeout.

The time after substantial completion during which defective work has to be corrected. Under AIA A201 Section 12.2.2 the contractor corrects nonconforming work found within one year of substantial completion. Section 12.2.5 says that year does not limit the contractor's other obligations, and the general warranty in Section 3.5 has no one year limit. Special warranties in the warranty submittals run for their own stated terms. The record of which product was accepted is where a warranty claim starts.

See also Warranty, Substantial completion, Project record.

The handoff of the completed building and its records to the owner: keys, closeout submittals, O&M manuals, record documents, training, and attic stock.

See also Project closeout, Operation and maintenance (O&M) manual, Attic stock.

The document from the authority having jurisdiction permitting the building to be occupied after inspections confirm code compliance. Deferred submittals have to be approved before the inspections that lead to it.

See also Authority having jurisdiction (AHJ), Deferred submittal, Substantial completion.

The party the work is built for and who pays for it, with the right under most contracts to review certain submittals and to accept substitutions that carry a cost effect.

See also Owner review, Architect.

The design professional responsible for the design and for administering the contract, including reviewing action submittals for conformance with the design concept and issuing review actions.

See also Architect's review, Engineer of record (EOR), Review action.

The licensed engineer responsible for a discipline's design, who reviews the submittals for that discipline: the structural engineer for steel and concrete, the mechanical engineer for HVAC. Consultant reviews usually route through the architect.

See also Architect, Delegated design submittal, Sequential review.

The prime contractor with the owner, responsible for the whole of the work, for reviewing and coordinating every submittal before it goes to the design team, and for maintaining the submittal log.

See also Contractor's review, Submittal log, Construction manager (CM).

A firm managing construction for the owner, either as an advisor (CM agency) or as the contractor holding the risk (CM at risk). In either form the CM usually runs the submittal log and the review routing.

See also General contractor (GC), Submittal log.

A contractor working for the general contractor on a defined scope, responsible for preparing the submittals for that scope, usually with its suppliers, and for building to the accepted ones. Most submittals on a job originate here.

See also Supplier, Buyout, General contractor (GC).

The company furnishing a product or material without installing it. Suppliers provide the product data, samples, and shop drawings for what they sell, and their lead times drive the submittal schedule.

See also Lead time, Manufacturer's representative, Subcontractor.

The manufacturer's agent for a territory, often the source of product data, samples, substitution requests, and the answer to whether a product still exists in the specified finish.

See also Supplier, Product data, Substitution request.

The person on the contractor's or construction manager's staff who builds the log, assigns items, assembles and sends submittals, tracks review actions, and distributes the returned copies. On smaller jobs the project engineer does it.

See also Project engineer (PE), Submittal log, Distribution list.

The contractor's staff member who handles submittals, RFIs, and document control for a project under the project manager, and usually the first to read the project manual.

See also Submittal coordinator, Project manager (PM), Document controller.

The person responsible for a project's cost, schedule, and contract administration for the contractor or the owner. Owns the decisions the submittal log flags: substitutions, resubmittals, and what gets sent.

See also Project engineer (PE), Substitution.

The person responsible for the project's document control system: numbering, registers, distribution, and archive. A dedicated role on large industrial and infrastructure jobs; on smaller building jobs it folds into the project engineer.

See also Document control, Project engineer (PE).

The building department, fire marshal, or other agency with legal authority to enforce the codes. It issues permits, approves deferred submittals, performs inspections, and issues the certificate of occupancy.

See also Deferred submittal, Certificate of occupancy, Registered design professional in responsible charge.

The licensed architect or engineer the building code names as responsible for the permit documents, who reviews deferred submittals and coordinates the other design professionals' work for the building official.

See also Deferred submittal, Authority having jurisdiction (AHJ), Architect.

The independent party, reporting to the owner, that plans and verifies commissioning, reviews the submittals related to commissioning, and reports the results to the owner. ASHRAE Standard 202 and LEED v4.1 use the name commissioning provider.

See also Commissioning, Owner.

An independent laboratory or inspection firm engaged to test materials and inspect the work, producing the test reports the specifications require. Special inspection under IBC Chapter 17 is a separate role: the special inspector is engaged by the owner or the registered design professional and reports to the building official, though one firm often does both.

See also Test report, Field quality control report, Authority having jurisdiction (AHJ).

What we call SubPro: software that runs the submittal process from bid to closeout. SubPro reads the spec book, lists the specified products and required submittals with the page each one came from, puts submittal packages together from its library of manufacturer documents, tracks reviews, marks the rows an addendum or other modification changes, and builds the closeout documents. A review flag marks the rows that need a decision.

See also Submittal, Submittal log, Submittal package, Project closeout.

In SubPro, the page of the project manual a log row was drafted from, shown on the row and in the Source Page column of the export, so a reviewer can open the source and check the row. A row SubPro couldn't tie to a page carries a review flag instead.

See also Editable export, Review flag, Conformed set.

In SubPro, a marker on a log row that needs a person's decision before the log goes out: a row SubPro is less sure of, a row with no page reference or no section number, a section number not in CSI format, or a row that a revised spec book added.

See also Submittal intelligence system, Spec page citation, Submittal log.

In SubPro, the submittal log delivered as an Excel workbook the team can edit, with the source page, status, and flags kept as columns. See the handoff.

See also Submittal log, Spec page citation.