Tracking submittals through the approval cycle

Submittals are how subcontractors prove they will deliver the right product. Buildra's submittal log routes the submittal, captures the architect's review, and gives you a defensible record of who approved what.

The lifecycle

Every submittal moves through five states:

1. Draft. You are writing the submittal cover.
2. Submitted. Sent to the reviewer.
3. Under review. Reviewer has acknowledged.
4. Returned. Reviewer has stamped (Approved, Approved as Noted, Revise and Resubmit, Rejected).
5. Closed. You have either accepted the stamp or re-submitted a revision.

Creating a submittal

1. Go to /projects/<id>/submittals.
2. Click New submittal.
3. Pick the spec section (the auto-complete suggests sections from your indexed specs).
4. Fill in the title and description.
5. Attach the cut sheets, product data, samples, or shop drawings.
6. Pick the reviewer (architect of record by default).
7. Click Submit. The reviewer receives an email with the cover sheet and attachments.

Tip: Number submittals by spec section. Section 09 5113 (Acoustical Panel Ceilings) becomes submittal 095113-001. This makes the log self-organizing.

Handling revisions

When a submittal comes back as “Revise and Resubmit,” click the Resubmitbutton on the detail page. Buildra creates a new version (095113-001 R1) that inherits the metadata and is linked to the prior. The whole revision chain is visible in the submittal's history tab.

Stamps and notations

The five reviewer stamps map to five distinct downstream actions:

• Approved: Submittal is closed; product is approved for procurement.
• Approved as Noted: Subcontractor accepts the margin notes; closed.
• Revise and Resubmit: Make the requested changes and create a new revision.
• Rejected: Try a different product. Usually a spec-substitution conversation follows.
• For Reference Only: No action; document for record.

The submittal schedule

Buildra auto-generates a submittal schedule from your spec sections and the start-of-construction date. Go to /projects/<id>/submittals/schedule to see what is due when. The schedule is editable; if you want to push a submittal date, drag the bar in the timeline view.

The closeout log

At closeout, every approved submittal gets bundled into a single PDF package — your O&M binder. Click Export package in the submittal log. The PDF includes the cover sheet, stamped review, and all attachments, sorted by spec section.

Common mistakes

• Submitting incomplete packages. If product data is missing, the reviewer rejects on principle. Use the checklist on the New Submittal page.
• Skipping spec section linkage. An unlinked submittal becomes orphan data — fine in the moment, terrible at closeout.