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Free Submittal Log Template for Construction

List every submittal on the job by MasterFormat spec section: the item, the type, the sub or supplier, when it came in, when it went to the architect or engineer, when it is needed back, when it returned and the review action. The log numbers submittals for you, keeps resubmittals as revisions (012, then 012.1), shows whose court the ball is in, flags what is overdue and counts where everything stands. Print it for the OAC meeting, save a PDF or download a CSV.

A template to track submittals, not contract advice. The submittal procedures in your contract and specifications set the rules, the review periods and the wording of the review actions.

What the submittal log template tracks

  • Project header

    Project name and number, general contractor, architect or engineer, owner, who keeps the log and the date it is as of.

  • Number and revision

    Each submittal gets the next number; a resubmittal keeps the number with a suffix, the way UFGS 01 33 00 describes it (submittal 18 becomes 18.1). Or number by spec section: 087100-01.

  • Spec section and type

    MasterFormat section number and title, with the division filled in for you, and the type: shop drawing, product data, sample, mock-up, design data, test report, certificate, O&M data, closeout and more.

  • Four dates

    Received from the sub or supplier, sent to the architect or engineer, required back by and returned, with the days in review counted for you.

  • Action and ball in court

    Approved, approved as noted, revise and resubmit, rejected, not reviewed or receipt acknowledged, and who has to act next, worked out from the status or set by hand.

  • Overdue flags and counts

    Open items past their required-by date are flagged, and the log counts open, closed and overdue submittals and how many sit with subs, the contractor, the architect or the owner.

How a submittal moves, and what the log records

Submittals are the documents and samples the contractor sends so the design team can check that what will be built matches the contract documents. The federal guide specification for submittal procedures, UFGS 01 33 00, sorts them into eleven submittal descriptions: preconstruction submittals, shop drawings, product data, samples (including field samples and mock-ups), design data, test reports, certificates, manufacturer's instructions, manufacturer's field reports, operation and maintenance data, and closeout submittals. The spec sections list which ones each part of the work needs.

A typical path: the sub or supplier prepares the submittal and sends it to the general contractor, who reviews it and sends it on to the architect or engineer, who reviews it and returns it with an action. UFGS 01 33 00 lists the notations: approved or accepted lets the work go ahead; approved as noted, or approved except as noted with no resubmittal required, lets it go ahead if the contractor takes no exception to the corrections; not approved, disapproved or revise and resubmit means resubmit with changes and do not proceed; not reviewed means it came back without a review, with the reason; receipt acknowledged is for information-only submittals.

The review period is set by the contract. UFGS 01 33 00 leaves it as a blank for the specifier, with at least 15 working days for quality control manager approval and 20 working days where the contracting officer approves as the bracketed defaults, and a note to use 30 working days on projects of 180 calendar days or more. Put the date you need each item back in the required-by column, counting back from when the material has to be ordered, and the log flags it once that date passes.

A question about the drawings or specs while you prepare the submittal? Send it with the RFI template.

A review comment changes the scope, the price or the time? Write it up with the change order template.

Submittal log, submittal register, RFI log and change order

Submittal log
This page: every submittal on the job with its dates, review action, revisions and who has the ball, kept up to date as items move.
Submittal register
The list of every submittal the specifications require, often made at the start of the job. UFGS 01 33 00 has the contractor keep it as the work goes and update it as submittal actions occur, so in practice it becomes the log.
RFI log
Questions to the design team about the drawings or specs, and their answers. An RFI asks; a submittal shows what you plan to install.
Change order
A signed change to the contract price or time. A submittal review does not change the contract by itself.

Tips for a submittal log that keeps the job moving

  • Build it from the specs first

    Go through each section's submittal list at the start and add a row for every item, with a required-by date from the schedule. A missing row is the submittal nobody chases.

  • Start with long-lead items

    Sort by required-by date and ask each sub for lead times. Equipment and custom-fabricated items can need approval long before they arrive on site.

  • Keep every revision

    Use Resubmit rather than editing the old row. The history shows how many rounds an item took and what the reviewer asked for each time.

  • Review it at every OAC meeting

    Print the open and overdue view for the owner-architect-contractor meeting and go down the ball-in-court column: each line is a name and a date.

More for project managers and project engineers: what is a submittal in construction, construction meeting minutes template.

Sources (read 2026-10-31)

Chase submittals in the OAC meeting, keep the record

Submittal status gets chased line by line in the weekly owner-architect-contractor meeting. Record the meeting with ParrotNotes and get a transcript and a summary with the action items, so who owes what by when is written down before you update the log.

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