In every construction project, maintaining alignment on design choices, product selection, project timelines, and costs is essential. This is where construction submittal packages come into play – ensuring we meet deadlines, budgets, code requirements, and set standards for material or work quality.
A construction submittal package is a critical formal document that includes all product specifications, datasheets, supporting documentation, and samples for a specific construction project. These submittals, gathered by contractors and provided to design professionals, are vital for gaining approval for equipment, materials, etc., before fabrication and delivery. A well-prepared submittal can positively impact cost, quality, timing, and overall project success.
Documents included in the submittal can consist of:
Each product is clearly marked by type, part numbers, and manufacturer names. This detailed information is summarized in an organized table of contents and typically includes a professional cover sheet with relevant job information.
Transparency is critical in the submittal process, with every detail logged for stakeholder visibility. Large commercial projects can involve thousands of materials, fabrications, and equipment, making an “approved” submittal a vital quality control measure before on-site product arrival.
Submittal approval workflows can vary from project to project, but can include any of the following stakeholders:
Typically, specifiers including Architects, Engineers, and Designers create a basis of design or select specific products for the project on behalf of the project owner. During the design process, fixture schedules are produced in construction plans before moving into the quoting phase of the project when builders and sellers get involved and need to track submittal creation and reviews.
Depending on the market, the formal submittal package is created by one of or a combination of the builders, specifiers, and sellers. It is critical for the documentation to be detailed, consistent, transparent, and easy to review or communicate any changes that may impact timing and project costs.
Ask anyone in construction and you might get a different answer depending on the type of stakeholder. The answer is that there is no specific time when submittals are required and it varies depending on the project. Oftentimes, submittals start during the pre-construction phase, other projects might require specific submittal schedules for different phases of the job, or in other cases, submittals aren’t required until final approval after a project has been quoted and awarded to a contractor to begin construction.
Creating submittals can be very cumbersome and time-consuming due to immense data entry, lookup, and organization tasks. The more thoroughly a submittal is prepared ahead of time, the more likely it is to proceed smoothly from one approval step to the next, thus every detail needs to be documented carefully. Any person involved with the project can begin creating submittals, but many stakeholders will ultimately shape the final submittal package.
There are many ways submittals can be created ranging from PDF editors to 3rd party software solutions, but none faster, more powerful, or more scalable than Parspec.