A submittal is information a contractor sends to the architect or engineer for review before building part of the work. Under AIA A201-2017 the main types are shop drawings, product data and samples; submittals are not Contract Documents, and work that requires one may not proceed until the submittal has been approved.
Why it matters when licensing company data
The architect reviews a submittal only for the limited purpose of checking conformance with the information given and the design concept in the Contract Documents; approval does not change the contract. The contractor proposes a submittal schedule, tracks each item in a submittal log and resubmits anything returned for revision, so the log records every review status and date.
Submittal logs, RFIs and change orders together show how a design turned into what was built: which products were proposed, which were rejected and why, and which changes followed. For a contractor with many closed projects, those linked records are a large part of the project history that buyers ask about, provided the owner contracts and any design ownership terms allow them to be shared.
See the submittal log template and the construction closeout checklist.
Example
A mechanical subcontractor sends product data for rooftop units and shop drawings for ductwork through the general contractor. The engineer approves the units as noted and returns the ductwork drawings for revision because a duct clashes with a beam. The subcontractor revises and resubmits, and the general contractor's submittal log records each date and status. At closeout, the approved submittals join the record documents handed to the owner.
Source
AIA A201-2017 General Conditions (preview). Definition reviewed November 9, 2026 by Origin Data Partners.