A submittal log shows every product, drawing and sample that needs approval, where it is, and what is holding it up. The columns that matter and how to keep reviews moving.
A submittal log is the register of every item a contractor must submit for approval before it is built or installed: shop drawings, product data, samples, test reports and certificates. It records what is required, when it is due, who is reviewing it, and what came back. On most projects the submittal log is the best early warning of delay, because a product that has not been approved cannot be ordered, and a product that has not been ordered will not arrive on time.
The most expensive submittals are the ones nobody listed. Build the log from the specification sections at the start of the project, not from what subcontractors happen to send.
Review turnaround is where schedules quietly slip. A shared submittal log makes the delay visible: filter by status and age and the items sitting with a reviewer beyond the contract period are obvious. Ettex Records holds the log with one row per submittal, the documents attached to the row, and date fields that make "overdue with reviewer" a view rather than a manual count. Transmittals and responses belong on the same record so the history of each item is in one place.
The two are often confused. A submittal asks the design team to approve something the contractor proposes to supply; a construction RFI asks the design team a question because the documents are unclear or conflicting. They share reviewers and often reference each other — an RFI answer can trigger a revised submittal — but they need separate logs and separate numbering.
Usually the main contractor, with the design team updating review outcomes. On larger projects a document controller owns it.
The terms are used interchangeably. Some projects call the planned list a register and the tracking record a log.
Weekly at the project meeting, filtered to overdue and upcoming items. Monthly reviews are too slow to catch lead-time problems.
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