The spec-to-submittal checklist.

What is inside

One sheet, six phases, 23 steps. Each step has a checkbox and a blank for who owns it, so the sheet works taped to a trailer wall as well as it does in Excel. The steps below are the file, in full, so you can judge it before you download it.

The six phases

Phase 1. Before you start

• Collect the full spec book, all addenda, and the current drawing set.
• Confirm project name, number, and the approved handoff location.
• Confirm data-handling requirements (NDA or security process) if needed.

Phase 2. Read each specification section

• Open each CSI section and find its submittals article (usually Part 1).
• List every required item: product data, shop drawings, samples, test reports, certifications.
• Note the submittal type and the responsible party for each item.
• Record the source page number for every requirement.

Phase 3. Build the submittal log

• Create one row per required submittal.
• Capture CSI section, item description, type, responsible party, and source page.
• Add review status (draft, needs review, ready) and a due date.
• Flag rows that need a decision (substitutions, owner selections).

Phase 4. Assemble the submittal packages

• Gather product data and safety data sheets for each specified product.
• Collect shop drawings and samples where the section requires them.
• Build a package cover identifying project, section, and item.
• Mark submittal packages that are missing evidence instead of leaving gaps hidden.

Phase 5. Review before handoff

• Check each row against its source page to confirm the requirement is real.
• Resolve flagged decisions and substitutions with the responsible party.
• Confirm nothing was missed by scanning every section once more.
• Verify responsible parties and due dates are assigned.

Phase 6. Hand off clean

• Export the submittal log and schedule as editable XLSX.
• Export the submittal packages as PDFs with transmittal covers.
• Deliver to the approved project location and keep an audit record.
• Load the source-backed set into your tracking and approval workflow.

Where SubPro helps

Every phase on this list can be run by hand, and plenty of teams do. Phases 2 and 3 are where the week goes: a project engineer opens every section, finds the submittals article, and retypes hundreds of requirements into a spreadsheet.

Those two phases are what SubPro drafts from the spec book, with the source page on each row, so your team begins at phase 5 instead of phase 2. The Log Build does it from one uploaded project manual with no call required. The sample log above is the drafted output from a sample spec book, so you can judge it against the checklist before anyone asks for your time.