Submittal log template

A submittal log template is a running list of every submittal on a job: what it is, which spec section requires it, who owes it, when it went to the architect, when it came back, and what the reviewer said. The free template below gives the general contractor one sheet to see what is late, what is in review, and what has to be released before materials can be ordered.

Most material delays start on paper. The storefront has a long lead time, the shop drawings sat in a sub's inbox for three weeks, and nobody noticed until the opening was framed and empty. A submittal log reviewed every week is how you catch that early.

What the submittal log is for

The specifications list the submittals each section requires: shop drawings, product data, samples, mock-ups, test reports, and closeout items. At the start of the job, the GC builds the log from the specs, assigns each item to a sub or supplier, and sets a required date working back from when the material has to be on site. Then the log tracks each item through review and resubmittal until it is approved and released for fabrication.

How to fill in each column

• Submittal number: many teams use spec section plus a sequence, like 08 41 13-01, so related items group together.
• Spec section and description: what the item is and where the spec requires it.
• Responsible sub or supplier: who prepares it.
• Required by: the date it must be approved, worked back from the install date minus fabrication and delivery time.
• Date received from sub and date sent to architect: shows whether the delay is with the sub or the GC.
• Date returned: when the reviewer sent it back.
• Status: use the review stamp wording on your job, such as approved, approved as noted, revise and resubmit, or rejected.
• Lead time: the fabrication and delivery time after approval. This is what turns a late submittal into a late job.

Common submittal log mistakes

1. Building the log from memory instead of reading every spec section, then discovering a missed submittal at closeout.
2. Forwarding sub submittals to the architect without checking them against the specs first.
3. No required-by dates, so everything looks equally urgent until it is too late.
4. Ordering material on an "approved as noted" submittal without reading the notes.
5. Not tracking resubmittals as new revisions, so it is unclear which version was approved.

Related forms and guides

See how to manage submittals on a construction project for the full process and how to manage long-lead items for the procurement side. Questions that come up during review usually become RFIs, so pair this log with the RFI template. Once material ships, track it in a material delivery log.

Smart Business Automator tracks submittals and RFIs by due date and links them to shipment tracking, so a late approval shows up against the delivery it will push. See RFI and submittal tracking automation.