Expert: Lee Kilcup - 10/18/2008

Question
I am translating a building contract from English, and I can not find the meaning of "submittal" with regard to detailed quality or brand. Can you please explain the term to me, in other words (in English, of course). Thank you for your trouble.

Answer
Submittals are product information (data) that is collected and sent to the designer for approval to make sure the the proposed product to be used in a construction project matches or exceeds the specified product. An example of this would be mill certifications on structural steel or manufacturers data on a glazing system or product.
The term submittal also is used with reference to shop drawings (detailed fabrication or installation drawings) that are used to fabricate or install products on the construction site. Examples of this would be structural steel shop drawings or casework (cabinetry) shop drawings.