Submittal Package in Construction: What It Is and How to Get It Right
You're two weeks from mobilization. The structural steel fabricator is ready to go. The mechanical sub has their coordinated shop drawings ready. Everyone's waiting on one thing: approved submittals.
If your submittal process isn't organized before work begins, that wait gets longer than it needs to be. Shop drawings sit in someone's inbox. Product data sheets never make it to the design team. The review process drags on because nobody's sure what's been submitted, what's been approved, and what's still missing.
That's the problem a well-organized submittal package solves.
What a Submittal Package Actually Is
A submittal package is a collection of documentation (typically shop drawings or product data sheets) that a supplier or subcontractor submits to the design team for review and approval before materials are purchased, fabricated, or installed on a construction project.
It's how the general contractor proves to the project owner and design team that the proposed materials, methods, and equipment actually meet the contract requirements and project specifications. Not assumed to meet them. Documented to meet them.
A complete submittal package typically includes shop drawings, product data sheets, material samples, warranty information, and any additional documentation required by the project specifications.
Each submittal item within the package corresponds to a specific requirement in the project specifications, tied to a line in the submittal register that tracks status throughout the review process.
The primary purpose is quality control. The submittal process exists to catch problems before they're built into the project, when fixing them is cheap, rather than after installation, when fixing them is expensive.
Why the Submittal Process Matters More Than Most Contractors Think
Here's what happens on projects without a disciplined submittal process.
The drywall contractor installs a fire-rated assembly using a product that wasn't submitted or approved. The inspector flags it. The assembly has to come out. Now you're paying for demo, reinstallation, and the delay that comes with it.
Or the mechanical contractor orders equipment based on the spec, but the engineer had a substitution in mind and never communicated it. The equipment arrives. It doesn't fit the design. Change orders and delays follow.
Both of these situations are preventable with a complete, properly managed submittal package. When proposed materials and methods go through the review process before work begins, the design team and project stakeholders have the opportunity to catch compliance issues, substitution problems, and coordination conflicts while there's still time to act on them.
That's the real value of construction submittals.
What Goes Into a Submittal Package
Not every submittal package looks the same. The necessary documentation depends on the spec section, the type of work involved, and the contract requirements. But there are core submittal items that show up on almost every construction project.
Shop Drawings
Shop drawings are detailed technical drawings prepared by the subcontractor or fabricator showing exactly how a specific element will be manufactured and installed.
Structural steel connections, curtain wall systems, prefabricated components, custom millwork, these all require shop drawings that the design team reviews for compliance with design specifications before fabrication begins.
Shop drawings are not the same as contract drawings. They show the contractor's interpretation of the design, which is exactly why they need to go through the approval process before anything gets built.
Product Data Sheets
Product data is the manufacturer's documentation for a specific material or piece of equipment. It covers technical requirements, performance characteristics, installation instructions, and applicable standards.
When a responsible contractor submits product data, they're demonstrating that the proposed materials meet the project specifications, not just that they're similar to what was specified.
Material Samples
For finish materials, flooring, roofing, cladding, and similar work, physical samples often need to be submitted for review and approval. Samples let the design team verify color, texture, and quality against the design specifications before orders are placed.
Warranty Information
Many spec sections require warranty documentation as part of the submittal package. This is especially common for roofing, waterproofing, and equipment. Submitting warranty information upfront confirms that the proposed materials qualify for the required warranty terms.
Additional Documentation
Depending on the project requirements, additional documentation might include test reports, certifications, installation procedures, or substitution requests. When in doubt, include the related documents. An incomplete submittal package gets rejected and resubmitted, which costs everyone time.
How to Create a Submittal Package That Moves Through Review Quickly
The submittal review process has a reputation for being slow. Sometimes that's on the design team. More often, it's because the submittal package wasn't put together correctly in the first place.
Here's how to create submittal packages that get approved without unnecessary back and forth.
Start with the submittal register
Before you create a single submittal, build your submittal register. This is the master list of every required submittal on the project, organized by spec section, with assigned responsibility, required submission dates, and status tracking. It keeps multiple people aligned and ensures nothing gets missed over the course of the project lifecycle.
Read the spec section before you submit
Every spec section has submittal requirements. Some require shop drawings only. Others require product data, samples, and warranty information together.
Submitting an incomplete package because you didn't read the spec wastes the design team's review time and pushes your approval date back. Read the appropriate section, gather everything required, and submit it complete.
Make it easy for reviewers to find the essential information
Organize your submittal package clearly. Label each submittal item. Reference the spec section. If you're submitting product data for a specific piece of equipment, don't make the engineer dig through forty pages of manufacturer literature to find the performance data they need. Flag the necessary information. The faster reviewers can find what they're looking for, the faster approval comes back.
Coordinate between subcontractors before submitting
Many submittal items have dependencies. The mechanical contractor's equipment submittal needs to coordinate with the electrical contractor's power requirements. The structural steel shop drawings need to align with the architect's connection details.
Catching these coordination issues before the submittal goes in is far better than having the design team send it back with comments that require two subs to sort out a conflict.
Track every submittal from creation to approval
A submittal that gets submitted and then forgotten is a submittal that comes back to bite you. Use your submittal register to track status on every open item.
Know what's been submitted, what's under review, what's been approved, and what has outstanding revisions. This is how you stay on top of the process instead of reacting to it.
The Connection Between Submittals and Project Success
The submittal process isn't just a compliance exercise. It's one of the primary mechanisms for keeping a construction project on schedule and within budget.
When submittals move through the review process efficiently, procurement stays on schedule, fabrication happens on time, and materials arrive when the work is ready for them. When the submittal process stalls, everything downstream stalls with it.
This is why the submittal package isn't just the subcontractor's problem. It's the general contractor's responsibility to manage the process across all specialty contractors, ensure the submittal register is complete, and drive approvals forward so work begins on time.
Project success depends on clear communication between the contractor, design team, and project owner throughout the entire submittal process. Everyone needs to be on the same page about what's been submitted, what's approved, and what's still outstanding. When that visibility exists, the project runs smoother. When it doesn't, you get delays, compliance issues, and conflicts that could have been avoided.
Where SubmittalLink Fits In
Managing construction submittals across multiple subcontractors, multiple spec sections, and multiple reviewers is a coordination challenge that grows with every project you add to your plate.
Most local builders are handling this through email threads, shared drives, and spreadsheets that get out of date the moment something changes. It works on simple projects. It falls apart on anything with real complexity.
SubmittalLink was built specifically for this problem. You can create a submittal package, track it through the review process, manage revisions, and give every stakeholder visibility into approval status without digging through inboxes or chasing people down for updates.
The submittal register stays current, the design team gets what they need to complete their review, and your project teams always know where things stand.
No enterprise complexity. No per-user fees. Just a cleaner submittal process that keeps your projects moving.
The Bottom Line
A submittal package is not paperwork for its own sake. It's the documented proof that the materials and methods going into your project meet the contract requirements and design specifications before anything gets built.
Build it completely. Organize it clearly. Track it consistently. And manage the process across your subs so approvals come back before the schedule needs them.