Submittals
Submittals are documents a contractor provides for the design team to review during a project, proving that the materials, equipment and methods it will use comply with the contract: in US construction the term most precisely covers post-award shop drawings, product data and samples. At bid time, the forms a bidder must complete and return are usually called bid forms, proposal forms or exhibits, which are the US counterpart to what Australian and UK tenders call returnable schedules.
What are submittals in construction?
Submittals are documents a contractor sends to the design team to review during a project, confirming that the products and methods it intends to use meet the specification. The most common types are shop drawings, product data sheets, samples, mock-ups, test reports and certificates. In US practice they are governed by the project specifications (commonly CSI MasterFormat section 01 33 00, 'Submittal Procedures') and tracked on a submittal schedule or submittal register, so the design team knows what to expect and when.
Are submittals the same as returnable schedules?
Submittals and returnable schedules are related but not the same, and they sit at different stages of a job. Returnable schedules (the Australian and UK term) are the forms a bidder completes and returns with the bid: priced schedules, compliance statements, capability and program. US submittals in the strict sense are a post-award process, the shop drawings and product data reviewed during construction. The overlap is real but partial, so treat 'submittals equal returnable schedules' as a rough translation, not an exact equivalence.
What is the US equivalent of a returnable schedule at bid time?
At bid time, the US counterpart to a returnable schedule is usually called a bid form, proposal form, exhibit or attachment. These are the structured forms a bidder must fill in and submit with the offer: the bid price form, the list of subcontractors, the bid bond and any required certifications, in the format the owner will evaluate. The name differs from the Australian 'returnable schedule', but the function is identical: a buyer-issued form returned as part of a compliant submission.
What types of submittals does a US project require?
A US project groups submittals into a few standard categories. Shop drawings show fabrication and installation detail; product data is the manufacturer's cut sheets; samples are physical examples for colour or finish; quality records cover test reports, certifications and mill certificates; and closeout submittals include O&M manuals, warranties and as-builts. Each is listed against a specification section and routed for the design team's action: approved, approved as noted, revise and resubmit, or rejected.
Why the US/AU terminology gap trips up bid teams
A team bidding across regions loses time, and sometimes compliance, by assuming the words map one-to-one. If a US tender asks for 'submittals with the bid', it usually means bid forms and exhibits, not shop drawings; if an Australian tender asks for 'returnables', a US contractor may hunt for a submittal register that is not the point. The safe move is to read the instructions to bidders for the actual list of required documents and their formats, then map your standard answers onto them whatever the local label. This cross-region mapping is what Elora Grid handles: it reads each tender's instructions, identifies the documents actually required, and maps your maintained answers onto the buyer's forms regardless of regional name, citing each to its source. Pricing and judgment stay with your team.
Common questions
What does 'submittal' mean in US construction?
In US construction, a submittal is a document a contractor sends to the architect or engineer for review to prove that a product, material or method meets the contract specification. The most common are shop drawings, product data and samples. They are usually a post-award activity, governed by the specifications (often CSI section 01 33 00) and tracked on a submittal schedule.
Is a returnable schedule the same as a submittal?
No, though the two are often equated loosely. A returnable schedule (the AU/UK term) is a form completed and returned with a bid. A US submittal, strictly, is shop-drawing or product data reviewed after award. The bid-time US counterpart of a returnable schedule is a bid form, proposal form or exhibit: the same idea, at a different stage and under a different name.
What is the difference between bid submittals and construction submittals?
Bid submittals, more accurately called bid forms, exhibits or proposal forms, are the documents an owner requires with the offer: the priced bid form, bid bond, subcontractor list and certifications. Construction submittals are the post-award shop drawings, product data and samples the design team reviews against the specification. The first decides who wins the work; the second governs what gets built.
How should a bid team handle the US/AU terminology gap?
Read the instructions to bidders for the actual list of required documents and their formats, rather than relying on the label. Treat 'submittals', 'returnable schedules', 'bid forms' and 'exhibits' as regional names for buyer-issued forms you must complete and return. Keep a maintained answer library and map it onto whatever each tender's forms require, with pricing left to your team.
Send a real tender. Get the output back.
Hand Elora Grid one real task and judge the result yourself.