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Construction submittal glossary.

133 terms from the submittal process and construction document control, defined the way they are used on a job, so the log, the register, and the transmittal mean the same thing to everyone on the project.

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The contract documents

What every submittal answers to. 22 terms

Contract documents

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.

Drawings

The graphic part of the contract documents: plans, elevations, sections, details, and schedules showing the design, location, and dimensions of the work. When the drawings and the specifications disagree, the general conditions say which governs, and the RFI is the tool for asking.

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

Specifications

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.

Project manual

Also: Spec book

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. SubPro reads it front to back to draft the log.

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

Spec book

Field shorthand for the project manual. Same document. 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, Spec page citation.

CSI MasterFormat

Also: MasterFormat

The Construction Specifications Institute standard for organizing specifications into numbered divisions and six-digit sections, 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).

Division

The top level of MasterFormat: a two-digit group of related work 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.

SectionFormat (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)

The CSI three-part structure 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.

Submittals article

The paragraph group inside Part 1 of a specification section, usually numbered between 1.03 and 1.06, that lists what must be submitted for that section: product data, shop drawings, samples, certificates, test reports, and closeout items. Reading every submittals article in the project manual is how a log gets built.

See also Action submittal, Informational submittal, Closeout submittals.

Division 01 General Requirements

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.

General conditions

Also: AIA A201

The standard contract terms defining the rights and duties of the owner, contractor, and architect. On most private work that is AIA A201. Its Article 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.

Supplementary conditions

Project-specific amendments to the general conditions: 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.

Addendum

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.

Conformed set

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.

Basis of design

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.

Or equal

Also: Or approved equal

Specification language, often written as or approved equal, that allows a product not named in the section if the design professional judges it equivalent. It is an invitation to propose, not permission to install. The log row for that item is a decision, not a lookup, which is why SubPro flags it.

See also Substitution, Substitution request, Review flag.

Proprietary specification

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.

Performance specification

A section that states the result a product or system must achieve, such as a U-value 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.

Prescriptive specification

Also: Descriptive specification

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.

Reference standard

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, Review flag.

Schedule (on the drawings)

A table on the drawings listing repeated items with their attributes: the door schedule, finish schedule, hardware schedule, fixture schedule. Submittals are checked against these tables, and the hardware schedule is itself a required submittal on most jobs.

See also Drawings, Shop drawing.

Submittals and their types

What gets sent, and why each kind exists. 25 terms

Submittal

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.

Action submittal

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.

Informational submittal

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.

Closeout submittals

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.

Submittal package

The assembled proof for one 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. One submittal package answers one requirement. SubPro builds them from the drafted row. See submittal package software.

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

Product data

Manufacturer-published information 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.

Cut sheet

Also: Data sheet

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.

Shop drawing

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.

Sample

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.

Mock-up

A full-size 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. An accepted mock-up sets the standard for the work and is sometimes left in place as part of it.

See also Sample, Test report.

Certificate

Also: Certification

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.

Test report

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.

Qualification data

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.

Safety Data Sheet (SDS)

Also: MSDS

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.

Manufacturer's instructions

The manufacturer's published installation, storage, and handling directions. Specifications commonly require installation per manufacturer's instructions, which turns the instruction sheet into a submittal and into the standard the inspector measures against.

See also Product data, Informational submittal.

Warranty

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.

Delegated design submittal

A submittal for an element the contract requires the contractor to design, such as steel connections, curtain wall, or fire sprinkler layout, prepared and sealed by a licensed engineer the contractor retains. 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.

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.

Coordination drawing

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.

Design data and calculations

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.

Field quality control report

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.

Preconstruction submittals

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.

Schedule of values

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.

Sustainability submittal

Also: LEED submittal

Documentation a section requires to earn or record credit under a green building program: recycled content, regional materials, low-emitting product certifications, or product declarations such as an EPD. They ride with the product data and are often due to a separate reviewer.

See also Product data, Certificate.

Attic stock

Also: Extra materials

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 submittal process

How one requirement becomes an approved item. 17 terms

Submittal procedures (Section 01 33 00)

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.

Submittal number

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.

Contractor's review

Also: Contractor's review stamp

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. An unreviewed submittal comes back unopened.

See also General conditions, Sequential review, Deviation.

Resubmittal

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

See also Revise and Resubmit, Revision, Reviewer comments.

Revision

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.

Submittal cover sheet

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.

Review period

Also: Turnaround

The time the contract gives the design team to review and return a submittal, set in Division 01 or the supplementary conditions, commonly 10 to 14 working days. The submittal schedule is built backward from it, and each resubmittal restarts it.

See also Submittal schedule, Sequential review, Resubmittal.

Submittal schedule

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. Long-lead items sort to the top. Division 01 usually requires it within a set number of days after award. See what SubPro hands off.

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

Long-lead item

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.

Sequential review

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.

Ball in court

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.

Submittal register

The complete, source-backed inventory of every submittal the contract requires, built from the submittals article of every section. Many teams use register and log as one word. Where they differ, the register is the cited list and the log is the status view. See submittal register automation.

See also Submittal log, Spec page citation.

Spec page citation

Also: Source reference

The page number and paragraph in the project manual a log row was drafted from. A cited row can be verified against the source in one click. An uncited row has to be taken on faith. Every row SubPro drafts carries one.

See also Submittal register, Review flag, Conformed set.

Review flag

A marker on a log row telling the reviewer the row needs a human decision: an or-equal, an owner selection, a requirement buried in a reference standard, or a product the library could not match. Flags are how a drafted log says plainly what it is not sure of.

See also Or equal, Spec page citation, Reference standard.

Package assembly

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. By hand it is days of merging files. SubPro does it from the log row.

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

Review and approval

What the stamp says, and what it does not. 12 terms

Review action

Also: Stamp action

The design professional's ruling on a submittal, stamped on the returned copy. Wordings vary by firm, but they fall into four outcomes: accepted, accepted with corrections, revise and resubmit, and rejected. The action decides whether the item is released, corrected, or started over.

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

No Exceptions Taken

Also: Reviewed, Approved

The review action releasing the submittal as presented. Many architects avoid the word approved because A201 limits their review to conformance with the design concept. For the contractor the meaning is the same: order it.

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

Approved as Noted

Also: Make Corrections Noted, Furnish as Corrected

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.

Revise and Resubmit

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.

Rejected

The review action refusing the submittal, usually because it proposes something the contract does not allow or is the wrong item entirely. A new submittal, not a revision of the old one, is normally required.

See also Review action, Substitution.

Architect's review

Also: Limited review

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.

Substitution

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 quietly shows a different product is a substitution without a request, and it gets rejected.

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

Substitution request

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.

Deviation

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.

Reviewer comments

Also: Markups

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.

Approval versus acceptance

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.

Owner 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.

Document control and tracking

One version of the truth on a job with a thousand documents. 17 terms

Document control

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.

Document register

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.

Revision control

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.

Superseded

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.

Document status

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

See also Revision control, Superseded.

Controlled document

Also: Controlled copy

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.

Distribution list

Also: Distribution matrix

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

See also Controlled document, Transmittal.

Drawing log

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.

RFI log

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

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

Numbering convention

The agreed pattern for document identifiers on a project, set in Division 01 or the document control plan: section-based submittal numbers, sequential RFI numbers, sheet numbers by discipline. Consistency is what makes a search work six months later.

See also Submittal number, Document register.

Audit trail

The recorded history of a document: who created, sent, reviewed, revised, and received it, with dates. Submittal software keeps one without being asked. A spreadsheet keeps whatever someone remembered to type.

See also Reviewer comments, Project record.

Chain of custody

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.

Common data environment (CDE)

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.

Project record

Also: File of record

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. What gets pulled when a claim or a warranty question arrives years later.

See also Retention period, Record documents, Audit trail.

Retention period

How long project records must be kept after completion, set by contract, the statute of repose, and company policy, commonly seven to ten years. Accepted submittals are part of that record and outlive the software they were made in.

See also Project record, Editable export.

Version versus revision

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.

Editable export

Also: XLSX export

A log or register delivered as a spreadsheet the team can edit and import into the general contractor's tracking system, with the citation and status columns intact. What SubPro hands off, so the record survives a change of software. See the handoff.

See also Submittal log, Retention period.

Changes, questions, and directives

The documents that change what a submittal has to match. 8 terms

Request for information (RFI)

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.

Architect's supplemental instructions (ASI)

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.

Construction change directive (CCD)

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.

Potential change order (PCO)

Also: Change order request (COR), change proposal

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.

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.

Clarification

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.

Procurement and schedule

Why the submittal has to move before the order can. 6 terms

Procurement log

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 required-on-site date. It reads the submittal log backward from the construction schedule.

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

Lead time

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.

Buyout

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, which is when a drafted log is worth the most.

See also Subcontractor, Supplier, Submittal log.

Release for fabrication

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.

Required-on-site date

Also: Need-by date

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.

Look-ahead schedule

The two- to six-week slice of the construction schedule the field plans against. Open submittals for the work inside the look-ahead window are the ones that will stop work.

See also Submittal schedule, Ball in court.

Closeout and record

What the log has to prove at the end. 10 terms

Project closeout

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. The submittal log's last job is proving everything on it was delivered.

See also Closeout submittals, Substantial completion, Final completion.

Substantial 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.

Final completion

The point at which all work, including punch list items and closeout submittals, is complete and accepted, and final payment is due. A complete closeout submittal log is a condition of it.

See also Substantial completion, Closeout submittals.

Punch list

The list of incomplete or defective items the architect and owner identify near completion that the contractor must correct before final acceptance. Separate from submittals, but late closeout submittals often end up on it.

See also Substantial completion, Project closeout.

Operation and maintenance (O&M) manual

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.

Record documents

Also: As-built drawings

The set of drawings and specifications marked up during construction to show the work as actually installed, including changes, RFI answers, and field conditions. As-built is the field term for the contractor's markups; record drawings is the contract term for the version the architect prepares from them.

See also Closeout submittals, Project record.

Commissioning

The process of verifying that building systems are installed, tested, and operate as the contract documents intend, led by a commissioning authority. Commissioning submittals include test procedures, reports, and training records.

See also Commissioning authority (CxA), Test report, Project closeout.

Warranty period

The time after substantial completion during which the contractor and the manufacturers must correct defective work: one year for general work under A201, plus the longer terms in the warranty submittals. The record of which product was accepted is where a warranty claim starts.

See also Warranty, Substantial completion, Project record.

People and roles

Who holds each part of the process. 16 terms

Owner

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.

Architect

Also: Architect of record, design professional

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.

Engineer of record (EOR)

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.

General contractor (GC)

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).

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.

Subcontractor

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).

Supplier

Also: Vendor

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.

Manufacturer's representative

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.

Submittal coordinator

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.

Project manager (PM)

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), Review flag.

Document controller

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).

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.

Commissioning authority (CxA)

The independent party that plans and verifies commissioning, reviews commissioning-related submittals, and reports the results to the owner.

See also Commissioning, Owner.

Send us one spec book.

The terms are the easy part. The work is applying every one of them to a project manual before the schedule moves.