A submittal cover sheet is the first page of your submittal package. It tells the reviewer which project, spec section, product and revision they are holding, who sent it, and what you need back. Build it once as a template, fill it in the same way every time, and your packages get reviewed faster and bounce less.
This guide is for electrical, plumbing, HVAC, masonry, concrete, roofing, fire protection, drywall and other specialty trade subs who send submittals to a GC. It covers the fields to include, a layout you can copy, how the cover sheet differs from a schedule and a transmittal, and the checks to run before you hit send.
TL;DR
- The cover sheet identifies the project, spec section, submittal number, revision, product, preparer and requested action, and leaves room for review stamps.
- Many specs dictate the form or the minimum fields. Read Division 01 33 00 (Submittal Procedures) before you use your own template.
- One cover sheet per package, and a new number and revision on every resubmittal.
- List every item on the cover sheet, one per line, and mark deviations plainly.
- Keep the cover sheet separate from the submittal schedule: the sheet introduces one package, the schedule plans all of them.
Table of Contents
- What a submittal cover sheet does
- What to put on it
- A cover sheet layout you can copy
- Cover sheet, transmittal and submittal schedule: three different documents
- Building the package behind the cover sheet
- What the package looks like by trade
- Numbering and revisions
- Checks before you send
- Do requirements change from job to job?
- Submittal schedule planning
- Perspective: stop rebuilding the cover sheet
- Keep submittals in one place with Sub Ascent
- FAQ
- Sources
What a submittal cover sheet does
Think of it as the routing slip for the package. The GC gets your package, sorts it, and sends it to the architect or engineer. If the front page does not say what it is, who it is from and what spec section it answers, somebody has to open the file and work it out. That costs days.
The cover sheet also becomes the record. When the reviewer stamps it, dates it and writes comments on it, that page proves what was reviewed and what the answer was. Six months later, when the owner's rep asks why you installed a certain product, the stamped cover sheet is your answer.
Specs treat it as a real requirement, not a courtesy. San Bruno's Section 01300, for example, requires the accompanying form to identify the contractor, subcontractor or supplier preparing the submittal, the project name and number, a description, and the contract or specification reference and paragraph the submittal addresses.
What to put on it
Start with the fields reviewers expect and specs commonly list. The Montana Department of Transportation, for instance, states what each cover sheet must include: project name and contract number, specification section and submittal type, submittal number and revision, the contractor's QC reviewer, and any deviations or alternatives. Most private work asks for a similar set.
Here is the full field list we would build into a trade sub's template:
| Field | What to write | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Project name and number | Exactly as on the contract documents | Keeps the package from landing in the wrong file |
| Spec section number and title | For example, 26 05 33 Raceway and Boxes | Lets the GC route it to the right reviewer |
| Submittal number and revision | Your numbering scheme, plus Rev 0, 1, 2 | Ties each resubmittal to the log |
| Submittal type | Product data, shop drawings, samples, certificates, closeout | Tells the reviewer what to look for |
| Description | Short, specific: item, location or system | Gets it recognized at a glance |
| Manufacturer and model | The exact product, not a category | Reviewer can approve without hunting |
| From / To / Date | Your company, the GC, date sent | Starts the review clock |
| Date required | When you need it back | Connects to your procurement lead time |
| Contents list | One line per drawing, data sheet or sample | Lets the GC check completeness in seconds |
| Deviations or exceptions | Written out, with the reason | Keeps substitutions out of the "approved as submitted" bucket |
| Contractor certification | Signature and date | Many specs return unsigned packages |
| Review stamp blocks | Space for GC, architect or engineer | Where the action and comments are recorded |
Be exact about the product
"Light fixtures" is not a description. "Type F2 recessed 2x4 LED troffer, manufacturer and catalog number, per fixture schedule on E-601" is. The same goes for a masonry sub writing "CMU" when the spec calls out a specific block unit and mortar type. A reviewer who has to guess will either reject the package or stamp it with a comment you will not like.
Write deviations on the sheet, not in the middle of the package
If you are proposing anything other than what the contract documents specify, say so on the cover sheet and explain why. Do not bury it on page 40 of a data sheet. Hidden deviations are the fastest way to lose a reviewer's trust, and a clearly marked one is often approved if the reason is sound.
The certification line
Some owners require you to certify that you have checked the package before it goes out. The CSU Division 01 33 00 spec, for example, requires a signed statement that field measurements, materials, dimensions and catalog information have been verified and coordinated with other approved shop drawings and the contract requirements. It also says submittals without the contractor's signature are returned unreviewed. Whoever signs should have actually done the check. That is usually the PM or the estimator who built the package, not whoever is nearest the pen.
A cover sheet layout you can copy
Build this on one page in Word, Excel or whatever your office already uses. Top to bottom:
- Header: your company name and logo, the word SUBMITTAL, and the date.
- Project block: project name, project number, GC, architect or engineer.
- Identification block: spec section and title, submittal number, revision, submittal type.
- Description: two lines at most.
- Contents table: item number, document title, manufacturer and model, page count. One item per line.
- Deviations: "None" or a written explanation with reference to the drawing or spec paragraph.
- Certification: a signature line for your reviewer.
- Stamp area: a large empty box at the bottom or right side, plus lines for action taken, reviewer name, date and comments. Leave it big. Reviewers stamp it and write in it.
Write "None" rather than leaving a field blank. A blank field looks like something you forgot.
Cover sheet, transmittal and submittal schedule: three different documents
These get mixed up constantly, and the mix-up causes real problems.
- Cover sheet: introduces one submittal or one package. It is the page with the stamp area.
- Transmittal: the general record that something was sent. A transmittal can accompany a letter, a drawing set or a submittal. On many jobs the owner's transmittal form doubles as the cover sheet. Check the spec.
- Submittal schedule (or register): a project-wide list of every required submittal, with planned dates. It is a planning tool, not a package front page.
The cover sheet answers "what is this package?" The schedule answers "what are we sending, and when?" Keep them separate and link them with the submittal number.
Building the package behind the cover sheet
A clean cover sheet on top of a messy package does not help. Here is the order we work in.
- Read the spec section. Pull every required item: product data, shop drawings, samples, test reports, certifications, warranties. Make a checklist from it.
- Collect the documents. Get manufacturer data, cut sheets, and your own drawings.
- Mark them up. Cross out options that do not apply and highlight or flag the model, size and finish you are supplying. The San Antonio River Authority's spec, for example, requires irrelevant portions of descriptive literature to be crossed out, pertinent items identified, drawings dated and labeled with the project, item and installation location, and critical field dimensions verified and marked.
- Cross-reference. Check against the drawings, the fixture or equipment schedules and the other trades' work.
- Build the contents list. The same River Authority spec says the cover sheet should list every drawing, report, data sheet or sample, one per line, and that the owner may decline improperly collated or incomplete submissions.
- Run an internal review. Someone other than the preparer should check it.
- Send and log it. Record the submittal number, the date and who has it. Our guide to ball in court tracking covers how to know where a submittal sits at any moment.
Separate items from different spec sections into different packages. A single submittal that mixes conduit, panelboards and lighting controls is hard to route and hard to approve. One reviewer holds up the whole thing.
What the package looks like by trade
The contents change, the cover sheet does not.
- Electrical: Division 26 product data, panel schedules, fixture cut sheets, and shop drawings for switchgear or gear rooms.
- Plumbing: fixture data, pipe and fitting data, valves, water heaters, and any hanger or support details the spec calls for.
- HVAC and mechanical: equipment data, fan curves, ductwork shop drawings and controls sequences.
- Roofing: membrane and insulation data, tapered insulation plans, fastening patterns, warranty forms and wind-uplift documentation.
- Concrete: mix designs, reinforcing drawings, admixtures, curing compounds and joint materials.
- Masonry: unit and mortar data, reinforcing and accessories, and shop drawings for lintels or special shapes. Our post on shop drawings in masonry submittals goes into detail.
Fire protection subs add hydraulic calculations and sprinkler head data. Low-voltage subs add riser diagrams and device data. Drywall, painting and flooring packages are often samples and finish data, so the cover sheet needs to say how many samples and what colors or finishes they are.
Numbering and revisions
One number per package, and a revision suffix on every resubmittal. If "Submittal 14" comes back marked revise and resubmit, the next version is "Submittal 14, Rev 1," not a new number and not a file called "final2." On resubmittals, clearly identify what changed. A reviewer who sees a flagged change reviews the change. One who does not will review the whole package again.
Pick a scheme that includes the spec section so the log sorts itself. Our post on locking your submittal numbering system walks through five moves for it. If the GC or owner prescribes a numbering format, use theirs on the sheet and keep yours in the log.
Checks before you send
Run this list on every package. It takes five minutes and saves a review cycle, which can run weeks.
- Is it on the form the spec requires? MDT, for one, requires its own cover and check sheets for all submittals.
- Do the project name, number and spec section match the contract documents exactly?
- Does every item in the contents list exist in the package, and the reverse?
- Is the exact product marked on every data sheet?
- Are deviations written on the cover sheet with reasons?
- Is the certification signed?
- Do file names and formats match what the GC asked for?
- Is the review period compatible with your procurement lead time?
MDT's guidance treats a ready package as one that is complete in content and compliant in form: right cover sheet, naming convention, electronic format, internal QC and an explanation of any deviation. That is a good standard for any job.
Do requirements change from job to job?
Yes. Owners, GCs and spec writers each have their own rules. Some give you a form. Some give you a list of minimum fields. Some require an electronic register in their own system. Kutztown University's Section 013300 lets the owner's representative set the form and format of the register, and lists minimum fields only if no format is prescribed.
So the working rule is: use the project's form when there is one, and your standard template when there is not. Keep the fields the same either way so your log stays consistent. Our submittals workflow guide for working with GCs shows how to find out the GC's preferences on day one.
Submittal schedule planning
The cover sheet is built package by package. The schedule is built once, at the start, and it keeps you from scrambling later.
A usable schedule, or register, starts with the spec section, submittal name, category, scheduled submission date and scheduled approval date. Kutztown's spec lists exactly those as the minimum, and says the register should include every submittal the contract documents require and be coordinated with the project schedule, subcontractors and the schedule of values.
For your own use, add:
- Responsible person
- Review duration the spec allows
- Procurement lead time
- Required-on-site date
- Current status and who has the ball
Build the dates backward. Start from the day the material has to be installed, subtract delivery, subtract fabrication, subtract the review period, and you have the date the package has to leave your office. Long-lead items like switchgear, rooftop units, sprinkler pipe, curtain wall and rebar go first. If you are new to this, our seven-step submittal process guide lays out the whole chain.
Perspective: stop rebuilding the cover sheet
We have seen the same pattern in trade shops of every size. The PM copies last job's cover sheet, changes the project name, forgets to change the spec section, and the GC sends it back. Nobody was careless. The process just asked a busy person to retype twelve fields by hand.
Our view: the cover sheet should come from the same record as the submittal log. Number, spec section, revision, project and dates are entered once, and the page is generated from them. That is how we built the submittal and RFI side of Sub Ascent for specialty trade subs.
The other half is visibility. A perfect cover sheet still does not tell you who has the package today. A sub who can see every open submittal, its revision and its due date in one place stops chasing and starts planning. That matters more on an electrical or HVAC job where one late approval can hold up a long-lead order.
GC-built tools are made to manage the GC's side of the review. A sub needs the other side: what we owe, what is out, what is back. That is what we are building for.
Dave
Keep submittals in one place with Sub Ascent
Sub Ascent is job and bid management software for specialty trade subs, with submittal and RFI management, change order workflows, daily field reporting, QuickBooks sync and profit analytics in one system. Plans are published at Starter $49 per month ($490 per year), Scale $99 per month ($990 per year) and Pro $179 per month ($1,790 per year). PDF takeoff is a separate $99 per month add-on. Check the plans on our features and benefits page for what each tier includes.
If your submittals live in email threads and spreadsheets today, see how Sub Ascent works and decide whether it fits your shop. For the paper side, our guide to four-step document control is a good place to start whatever software you use.
FAQ
Is there a standard submittal cover sheet?
No single form is used everywhere. Owners and spec writers often prescribe their own form or a minimum list of fields, and they vary from one project to the next. Check Division 01 33 00 first. If it names no form, use your own template with the fields in the table above.
What is the difference between a submittal cover sheet and a transmittal?
A transmittal is the general record that something was sent. A cover sheet is the front page of one submittal package and carries the spec section, number, revision and review stamp areas. On some jobs the owner's transmittal form serves as the cover sheet, so follow the spec.
Do I need a new cover sheet for a resubmittal?
Yes. Each resubmittal gets its own cover sheet with the same submittal number and a new revision. Identify clearly what changed from the prior version so the reviewer can focus on the changes. This also keeps your log accurate.
Who should sign the certification on the cover sheet?
The person who actually checked the package against the contract documents, usually the PM or the estimator who built it. Some specs, like CSU's, return unsigned packages without review. Do not sign a package nobody has reviewed.
What is the difference between a cover sheet and a submittal schedule?
The cover sheet introduces a single package. The schedule lists every submittal the contract requires, with planned submission and approval dates. You build the schedule early and use it to decide which cover sheets to produce first.
Sources
- San Bruno Section 01300: Submittals
- MDT Construction Submittals Quick Reference
- CSU Division 01 33 00 Submittal Procedures
- San Antonio River Authority Submittals specification
- Kutztown University Section 013300 Submittal Procedures