Submittals play a critical role in the construction process. When managed correctly, they help ensure compliance with regulations and allow all parties involved to track the progress of a construction project. 

In this blog, we’ll cover the types of submittals, why they’re important, the submittal process, and how to avoid common challenges.

Definition of construction submittals

What are construction submittals?

Construction submittals are documents submitted to the architect or engineer for review and approval — typically prepared by general contractors to demonstrate compliance with design intent. These documents can include shop drawings, product cut sheets, material samples, mockups, vendor details, calculations, test reports, warranties and manuals, as-built drawings, test results, and even meeting notes. Utilities, energy sources, safety measures, proposals, bids, agreements, certificates, change orders, and special installation details can also be included, depending on the construction project.

The architect reviews these submittal documents and confirms that they align with the intended design and project specifications. This part of the submittal process happens before materials and equipment are fabricated and sent to the job site.

Why are construction submittals important?

Submittals are important because they help ensure that projects are executed safely, on time and on budget, and according to designs and specifications. Practically every detail of a project needs to be reviewed and approved via submittal before construction begins. Failing to do so could result in setbacks for the construction project.

In short, submittals help reduce risk, improve the quality of the project, and reduce re-work.

Say, for example, that a contractor installs tile floors in an office tower without first getting a submittal approval. Although the tiles might look almost identical to the ones the architect requested, they are in fact made of a more expensive material. As a result, the project goes over budget and no longer aligns with the intended design.

Reviews and approvals are tracked in a construction submittal log, which acts as a record that the design team has approved each item of consequence. This can be important down the road if approvals are called into question.

Types of submittals

There are a number of submittal types everyone on a construction project should be aware of. Each of these construction documents could potentially be included in a submittal package.

1. Shop drawings

Shop drawings are used to illustrate how a contractor will meet the construction project’s design intent, facilitate compliance, and provide essential diagrams, schedules, and other data to be used throughout the project build.

Sometimes referred to as technical drawings or fabrication drawings, shop drawings guide the production of built elements — from structural steel and precast concrete to windows, elevators, mill work, and more. This makes them one of the most important documents included in a construction submittal.

2. Product cut sheets

Virtually any device or piece of equipment you buy comes with specifications. If you’ve ever bought a new smartphone, you likely looked at the specifications first — the amount of memory, the number of megapixels in the camera, and so on.

In construction, these specifications are referred to as product cut sheets or product data. They give contractors, architects, and other members of the team the information they need to ensure equipment matches the construction specifications.

Test reports are sometimes provided in submittals as evidence that equipment meets a specific standard.

3. Material samples

Material samples are exactly what they sound like: physical examples of materials to be installed. These are submitted for the design team’s review to confirm that the materials meet their specifications. For example, they may want to confirm that the flooring is the intended quality and texture.

4. Mockups

Mockups are models of an element of the construction. They can be scaled down or life-sized, depending on the element. They’re created by contractors so that the design team can verify how the element will look when constructed. Mockups are a useful way to examine the workmanship of the contractor or contractors.

5. Vendor information

Project owners don’t always have visibility into the vendors the general contractor or subcontractors hire for a construction project. This is especially true on larger projects. The owner, or their representatives, are within their rights to request a list of the vendors that are providing work or materials. Vendor information often includes contact information and a description of the work they’re doing.

6. Engineering calculations

Engineering calculations are reviewed by the design team to ensure compliance with project specifications. An electrical contractor, for example, may need to show that the electrical system they’ve built can handle anticipated demands.

Verifying calculations during the submittal process can help avoid catastrophes, such as a power outage at a hospital.

7. Warranties and manuals

Contractors and suppliers often include documentation on the warranty coverage for materials, equipment, or products in a submittal. Operating or maintenance manuals might also be included. These provide in-depth instructions on how to use and maintain equipment or systems used in the construction project.

8. As-built drawings

As-built drawings are simply called as-builts in the industry. Unlike shop drawings, which contractors submit before they build something, as-builts are submitted once their work is complete. As-built drawings illustrate the finished product, including approved specification changes.

How architects & engineers review construction submittals

Step 1: Preparing the submittal package

The process begins with the contractor and subcontractors reviewing the project specifications and assembling the necessary documentation. The contractor is responsible for coordinating these materials—often sourced from various subs—and compiling them into a complete submittal package for the lead consultant (typically the architect or engineer) to review.

A key part of this step is the creation of a submittal log, which outlines every item requiring review and approval by the design team.

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Step 2: Submittal review

Once the submittal package is submitted, the design team begins their review. Architects and engineers are responsible for ensuring that each item aligns with the design intent, technical specifications, and contract documents.

This step can be time-consuming, especially when working across disconnected tools, PDFs, and emails.

🧠 Enter Part3’s AI-powered Submittal Assistant: It flags issues, surfaces relevant spec sections, and centralizes feedback—so you can move through reviews faster, with fewer errors.

Step 3: Approval of submittals

Once the lead consultant confirms that the submittal meets the project requirements, they issue an approval. The contractor is then notified, and construction for that scope of work can begin based on the approved materials or systems.

Common submittal review challenges

Even the most experienced design teams will tell you: submittal reviews can be a pain. Manual workflows, missing information, and constant back-and-forth with contractors make the process slower—and riskier—than it needs to be.

Here are some of the most common challenges:

• Disjointed communication: Questions from subcontractors often lead to RFIs mid-submittal, which slows down reviews.

• Spec confusion: Unclear or missing details in drawings/specs can delay package prep and review.

• Version control issues: Submittals reviewed via email and PDFs make it hard to track feedback and approvals.

• Manual tracking: When submittals are logged in spreadsheets, it’s easy to lose visibility into status and timelines.

• Review delays: High volumes and fragmented tools make it difficult for architects to keep pace—leading to bottlenecks and rework.

That’s why cloud-based platforms like Part3 are gaining traction—making it easier for architects and engineers to manage reviews, centralize feedback, and reduce risk.

How to improve the submittal process

1. Track submittals in the cloud

Construction administration software like Part3 gives your team a single place to collaborate on submittals. Because documents are stored in the cloud, you can rest assured that everyone is working on the right version. This lowers the likelihood of using the wrong materials, and gives the architect a greater measure of control over the project.

Our webinar on Submittal Tools took a deep dive into Part3's submittal solutions. Watch it below:

2. Keep information secure and private

Submittals can at times contain sensitive information. Storing them locally, or distributing them over email, puts this information at risk. Using cloud software like Part3, which has security built in at the core, can help keep sensitive information safe.

3. Centralize feedback

Keeping track of feedback in different versions of the same document is challenging — especially when feedback is also received over email, in person, or on the phone. Centralizing your feedback in one location goes a long way toward keeping everyone on the same page.

4. Leverage analytics

Using something like an Excel spreadsheet to track submittals has a major downside: you can’t effectively monitor the performance of your submittal process.

Tools like Part3 automatically generate useful statistics that help you identify bottlenecks, such as the:

• Dollar amount of issued and unapproved changes

• Number of days added to a project through changes

• Number of documents issued and returned over time

• Total number of submittals returned and in progress

• Average response time on submittals

Better submittals start with better tools

The submittal process has historically been a challenging one—manual, time-consuming, and prone to miscommunication. But that’s changing.

Advancements in cloud technology, like Part3's submittal software, are helping architects and engineers take control of the process with streamlined reviews, centralized feedback, and AI-powered tools that simplify the workload.

Ready to streamline your submittal process? Book a demo with Part3 today.