Glossary

Submittal review glossary

Plain-language definitions of the submittal, spec, and deviation terms a Project Manager runs into every day.

Every term links to a short, citable definition. Use it to settle what a word means before it turns into a deviation or an RFI.

Action submittal A submittal that needs the design team's approval before the work can proceed, such as product... Approved as noted A review action accepting a submittal subject to the marked corrections, so the sub can proceed... Architect of record The licensed architect responsible for the project's design documents and for approving... As-built drawings Drawings marked up during construction to record what was actually built, including field... Basis of design The specific product a spec is written around, named so that other products can be measured... Buy America Federal and state requirements that certain materials, often iron and steel, be produced... Change order A written, signed amendment to the contract that adjusts scope, price, or schedule. Deviations... Closeout documents The records turned over at the end of a project: warranties, operation and maintenance manuals,... Conformance The degree to which a submitted product matches what the spec requires. A deviation is a point... CSI MasterFormat The Construction Specifications Institute standard that organizes construction specifications... Cut sheet A single manufacturer page describing one product's specifications. Cut sheets are the most... Deferred submittal A portion of the design the building code allows the contractor to submit after the permit is... Deviation Any difference between what the spec requires and what the submittal proposes, whether in... Deviation report The one-page output Deviation Check produces for a submittal: a verdict, a table of deviations... Field verification Measuring or confirming an existing jobsite condition before fabricating to it, often required... Informational submittal A submittal provided for the record rather than for approval, such as manufacturer installation... Long lead item A material or piece of equipment with a long manufacturing or delivery time, such as switchgear,... Mockup A full-size sample assembly built to confirm appearance and workmanship before the real work... NEMA rating A National Electrical Manufacturers Association rating for electrical enclosures that defines... Operations and maintenance manual A compiled set of product data, warranties, parts lists, and maintenance instructions for the... Or equal Language in a spec that lets a sub propose a product equal to the one named, usually subject to... Performance specification A spec that states the result a product must achieve, such as a rating, capacity, or tolerance,... Prescriptive specification A spec that names exact products, materials, or methods the sub must use, leaving little room... Product data Manufacturer literature such as catalog cuts, data sheets, and performance tables, submitted to... Proprietary specification A spec that names a single manufacturer or product with no or-equal option, requiring that exact... Redline A spec or drawing passage marked up to show what needs to change. Deviation Check returns... Resubmittal A submittal sent again after a revise and resubmit action, correcting the items the reviewer... Revise and resubmit A review action telling the sub the submittal is not approved as submitted and must be corrected... RFI A formal question from the contractor to the design team to clarify or resolve something unclear... Shop drawing A detailed drawing prepared by a sub, fabricator, or manufacturer showing how a specific item... Spec section A numbered part of the project specifications covering one scope of work, written in the CSI... Submittal A package a subcontractor sends to the general contractor to show that the products and methods... Submittal log A tracking register listing every submittal on a project, its spec section, status, and review... Submittal package The full set of documents a sub submits for one spec section: cut sheets, manufacturer data,... Submittal review The process of checking a sub's submittal against the governing spec section to confirm the... Submittal schedule A planned list of every submittal a project expects, with the date each is due from the sub and... Substitution request A formal request to use a product different from the one specified, submitted on a substitution... Transmittal The cover form that routes a submittal between parties, recording who sent what, when, and for... UL listing A safety certification from UL Solutions showing a product was tested to a recognized standard....

Looking for trade-specific deviations? Browse the CSI division guides. New to the process? Start with the submittal review guides.

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