“Project submittals help avoid conflicts and improve the building process.”
In this Coachcast we review the importance of project submittals.
Project Submittals = Shop drawings, material data, samples and product data that contractors provide to the Owner/A&E for review prior to installation on your projects.
What:
Submittals are part of the construction process and play an important role in the quality control process. The submittals serve as a way for the Owner & A/E to review products before they are incorporated into the project to make sure they fit with the design intent.
Why:
The entire submittal process is part of the construction experience and one of the areas that we can deliver a better experience to our clients. Handling them properly is a differentiator for your company. Even for the residential contractors out there, you do some form of a submittal process. For instance, you or your clients provides the information for the materials and finishes for the project. You can further formalize this process to let your clients know that you are organized and on top of things.
How:
Submittals typically fall into two categories; actionable and informational. Actionable ones require approval and the informational ones are just for review. The submittal requirements for your project are outlined in the specifications. For the residential and light commercial folks that don’t have a formal submittal requirement you can make your own. This will allow you to get approval from your client for major items before ordering and installing.
You should hold you suppliers and subcontractors accountable for their submittals as well. Be sure to include a section about submittals in your PO and subcontract templates.
When you are reviewing submittals to submit to your client don’t just rubber stamp them. Make sure you take the time to properly review them.
Once you get your approved submittals back keep a copy on the jobsite for easy review.
Be sure to pay attention to the submittal process and improve the process for your client. The benefits far exceed the effort.
Take-Action Items:
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Pay attention to the submittal process
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Review carefully before submitting to your client
