Division 09 Finishes
Submittal Package Incompleteness in Division 09 Finishes submittals
Short answer
A required submittal element (cut sheet, schedule, calculation, sample) is missing, leaving the package unreviewable as submitted. Default grade in Division 09 Finishes: Fix and Resubmit.
A required submittal element (cut sheet, schedule, calculation, sample) is missing, leaving the package unreviewable as submitted. This guide covers how it shows up specifically in Division 09 Finishes submittals.
What to look for in Division 09 Finishes
Definition. A submittal item explicitly required by spec is missing from the package.
Detection signals. Spec section "Submittals" article lists required contents (manufacturer technical data sheets, physical color samples, maintenance and cleaning instructions, warranty, Safety Data Sheet (SDS), shop drawings, mock-up); one or more is absent from the package.
Default severity. Fix-and-Resubmit.
Example. Spec: "Submit: (a) data sheets, (b) two physical 12x12 inch samples per color, (c) maintenance instructions, (d) 5-year warranty." Submittal contains (a) and (d) only.
Common examples in Division 09 Finishes submittals
Incompleteness in Division 09 is a checklist failure against the spec's "Submittals" article, and a partial package usually hides the very item that would have shown a deviation.
- Physical color and finish samples in the required size and count (for example two 12x12 inch samples per color), since these are the items most often promised "under separate cover" and never sent.
- Manufacturer technical data sheets for every product on the finish schedule, not just the headline items.
- Shop drawings where required - reflected ceiling and suspension layout, tile and terrazzo setting plans, expansion-joint locations.
- Mock-up requirements - whether a required field mock-up or sample panel is scheduled and referenced.
- Maintenance and cleaning instructions and the attic-stock/extra-materials quantity the spec requires.
- Warranties in the specified term, executed, for flooring, coatings, and acoustical systems.
- Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for adhesives, coatings, and sealants.
- Installer or applicator qualifications where the spec requires them.
When the samples or shop drawings are missing you cannot actually review the finish that matters, so return the package as incomplete rather than approving around the gap - the missing item is often where the deviation is hiding.
How severe is it?
Default grade: Fix and Resubmit. The sub completes the package and resubmits before the PM can fully review.
Deviation Check assigns a default per category and escalates or de-escalates based on the spec, always showing its reasoning. See the Division 09 severity rules.
What the PM should do
Stamp the submittal Revise and Resubmit. Mark the deviation, return the relevant spec passage as a redline, and have the sub correct and re-send before fabrication or installation.
Other deviation categories in Division 09
Frequently asked questions
What submittal items does a Division 09 Finishes spec typically require that subs most often omit?
Physical color samples are the most frequent omission - specs routinely require two 12x12 inch samples per color but subs submit only data sheets. Maintenance and cleaning instructions and Safety Data Sheets are also commonly left out. A package missing any of these items required by the spec's Submittals article cannot be fully reviewed and must be returned as Fix-and-Resubmit.
Why can a Division 09 Finishes submittal package not be approved even partially when required items are missing?
The missing items are part of the review record - warranty terms, cleaning instructions, and physical samples are referenced during inspection, maintenance disputes, and warranty claims after the work is done. Approving without them creates gaps in the project record. The spec's Submittals article defines the complete package; partial review is not a standard path, so the sub resubmits with all required items before the PM issues any approval.
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