{"id":104300,"date":"2024-02-08T13:12:28","date_gmt":"2024-02-08T18:12:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sjcivil.com\/?p=104300"},"modified":"2024-02-12T04:53:50","modified_gmt":"2024-02-12T09:53:50","slug":"how-to-make-a-submittal-check-check-check","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sjcivil.com\/how-to-make-a-submittal-check-check-check\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Make a Submittal \u2013 Check, Check, Check!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Executive Summary. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0Making submittals on a construction project is art and science.\u00a0 Increase your success rate on submittals using this method! Check, check, check!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: How to Make a Submittal \u2013 Check, Check, Check!\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"152\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/episode\/2F2pdwBUl6zE4oaAFjripq?si=4yx16CHtRJCK3_Y13ui6yw&#038;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>What\u2019s a submittal in construction?\u00a0 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Buildings, dams, roads, et cetera, are all built using materials like concrete, aggregate, tile, paint, overhead cranes, toilets, and electrical wire.\u00a0 But, it\u2019s not as simple as just ordering the material and installing it.\u00a0 Many owners, especially public owners, require that each of these materials be approved via a \u201csubmittal\u201d before it is put in place on the project.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A submittal is a document package which explains on paper (or digitally) what is going to be installed.\u00a0 The engineer or architect can then see in this submittal package from the Contractor whether or not the material proposed satisfies the design intent and the Contract Documents.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Be the engineer.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0 The submittal you\u2019re making has to satisfy the specification.\u00a0 And, here\u2019s news \u2013 the review of a submittal is not rocket science.\u00a0 Engineers are busy people and all they\u2019re going to do when you make a submittal is open up the specification and make sure the material meets or exceeds what\u2019s required of the project.\u00a0 They will take the specification and check each paragraph to ensure that the material is good.\u00a0 Although some contracts require it, you might as well simply take out the specification yourself and do the Engineer\u2019s work:\u00a0 check each paragraph in the specification that is met and those that aren\u2019t met, simply state the deviation.\u00a0 The engineer is likely going to check your work to keep you honest, but if you can assist with this review it can take days off the return time and it can build up credibility between Contractor and Engineer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-104301 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/sjcivil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Image-check-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"99\" height=\"99\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Give me an example.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0 As an example, let\u2019s take a bike rack and shelter submittal.\u00a0 In paragraph 1.04 of the Project Specification 02870 from our job, there are two submittals required:\u00a0 product data and shop drawings.\u00a0 We\u2019re going to make the product data submittal.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There will be three main parts of the submittal:\u00a0 the cover sheet, the specification accompaniment, and the actual product data.\u00a0 The cover sheet is something you will make from your computer with your company\u2019s logo on it.\u00a0 The product data is the actual manufacturer\u2019s or supplier\u2019s literature explaining their product.\u00a0 The specification accompaniment is the new trick you\u2019re learning today.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The specification accompaniment is the excerpt from the specification which lists the product requirements.\u00a0 You as the submittal preparer simply markup with simple checkmarks and notes of deviation what your proposed product complies with, or doesn\u2019t.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, here we go with an example.\u00a0 This would be the \u201cchecked off\u201d specification accompaniment in your submittal package:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-104302 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/sjcivil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Image-check-2-229x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"229\" height=\"300\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-104303 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/sjcivil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Image-check-3-207x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"207\" height=\"300\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Assume the Engineer knows nothing.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0 You are the Contractor and you know your work.\u00a0 The Engineer knows his or her work.\u00a0 I make these statements because when you markup these specifications, you should assume the Engineer is not up to speed on the construction materials industry and why your submittal is so heavy in deviations:\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do not assume that he knows that stainless steel isn\u2019t available because of a Ukraine conflict and this is why you\u2019re submitting on fiberglass.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do not assume she knows that Alabama is where ductile iron pipe is made and a hurricane just took out the largest manufacturing plants and this is why you\u2019re submitting on PVC pipe.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You have to explain these things and treat them like they know nothing (but, respectfully).\u00a0 If anything, overcommunicate!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-104304 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/sjcivil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/check-mark-304890_1280-288x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"288\" height=\"300\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>My story.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0 A lot of engineers are consultants. This means that they do a lot of jobs at one time.\u00a0 They juggle a lot.\u00a0 And you may be on one project only.\u00a0 My point is that by the time they come up to speed on your job, he or she may have lost an hour or two.\u00a0 The quicker they get up to speed on your submittal, the quicker they can answer.\u00a0 So, if you \u201cdo their job for them\u201d, it is good for you and your project.\u00a0 If you\u2019re of the mindset of \u201cto heck with you Scott, I\u2019m not doing their job\u201d, my response is \u201cwell, you wanna be right, or you want a submittal back quickly?!\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check, check, check!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Work safe!<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-button-center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sjcivil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/2024.01.31-How-to-Make-a-Submittal-Do-It-Now.pdf\" class=\"su-button su-button-style-flat\" style=\"color:#FFFFFF;background-color:#293a57;border-color:#212f46;border-radius:12px;-moz-border-radius:12px;-webkit-border-radius:12px\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"color:#FFFFFF;padding:0px 30px;font-size:22px;line-height:44px;border-color:#6a768a;border-radius:12px;-moz-border-radius:12px;-webkit-border-radius:12px;text-shadow:none;-moz-text-shadow:none;-webkit-text-shadow:none\"> Download The PDF<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<span class=\"et_bloom_bottom_trigger\"><\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Executive Summary. \u00a0Making submittals on a construction project is art and science.\u00a0 Increase your success rate on submittals using this method! Check, check, check! What\u2019s a submittal in construction?\u00a0 Buildings, dams, roads, et cetera, are all built using materials like concrete, aggregate, tile, paint, overhead cranes, toilets, and electrical wire.\u00a0 But, it\u2019s not as simple [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":104304,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","iawp_total_views":25,"footnotes":""},"categories":[192],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Make a Submittal \u2013 Check, Check, Check!<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Making submittals on a construction project is art and science.\u00a0 Increase your success rate on submittals using this method!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, 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