What is the Difference Between Submittal and Transmittal

The main difference between submittal and transmittal is that submittal is a document, sample, or any other information that is presented for review or consideration, whereas transmittal is a document that is sent along with other documents or files.

Submittals and transmittals are two types of documents that transfer between parties. People working on construction projects frequently uses two types of documents. Although both play an important role, there is a distinct difference between submittals and transmittals.

Key Areas Covered

1. What is a Submittal 
      – Definition, Features, Examples
2. What is a Transmittal
     – Definition, Features, Information
3. Difference Between Submittal and Transmittal
     – Comparison of Key Differences

Key Terms

Construction, Submittal, Transmittal

What is a Submittal

Submittal refers to documents, samples, and any other information that should be delivered to engineers, architects, consultants, and others involved in a project, even before starting the project. Submittals are essential for any construction project since these types of projects run on specs and plans. Construction projects are often very complex and involve input from various professionals. For example, architects make drawings; then subcontractors decide what materials they are going to use; the construction manager adds these to the Project Manual, which can contain thousands of pages. A project manual can have many types of information like plans, drawings, selected products, quality assurance, testing information, and other documents.

Submittals can make up many types of documents, including samples, shop drawings, product data (e.g., blueprints, product manuals, etc.).

What is a Transmittal

A transmittal is a document that is sent along with other documents and files. It allows everyone to keep track of all communications that occur between everyone in the project. It provides evidence that the documents, samples, or files were sent, and records when they were sent and who they were sent to. If a question arrives, they can refer to the transmittal later on. Therefore, transmittals ensure no one overlooks anything during a complex communication process. Moreover, transmittals become very important during legal disputes.

In construction projects, it’s always important to know when someone sent the information and who received it. For example, the date of sending the document, and who received it? Transmittals help to record the information needed to prove delivery.

Information in a Transmittal

A transmittal typically contains the following information:

• Date
• Information about the sender and recipient (name, company, and address)
• Name, number, and address of the project
• The reason for sending the document
• List of documents sent
• Record of the actions that a receiver must take and when those actions are due

Difference Between Submittal and Transmittal

Definition

A submittal is a document, sample, or any other information that is presented for review or consideration, whereas a transmittal is a document that is sent along with other documents or files.

Stage of Construction

Submittals are the first step in a construction project. In contrast, transmittals can be sent at any stage.

Use

Moreover, submittals can be samples, shop drawings, product data (e.g., blueprints, product manuals, etc.), whereas transmittal is a document that records the transmission of other documents or files between parties.

Conclusion

A submittal is a document, sample, or any other information that is presented for review or consideration, whereas a transmittal is a document that is sent along with other documents or files. Thus, this is the main difference between submittal and transmittal. Furthermore, submittals can be samples, shop drawings, product data (e.g., blueprints, product manuals, etc.), whereas transmittals record the transmission of other documents or files between parties. Both are equally important in a construction project.

Reference:

1. Killough, Dawn. “What Are Transmittals in Construction?” Levelset, 15 Sept. 2020.
2. Novotny, Rachel. “What Is a Submittal? Everything You Need to Know.” ESUB Construction Software, 4 June 2019.

Image Courtesy:

1. “1110341” (CC0) via Pxhere
2. “146940” (CC0) via Pixabay

ncG1vNJzZmiolZm2oq2NnKamZ6edrrV5yKxkraCVYrGqssWeqZ6mk5p6o7HTsJyepl2owqO5yK2rmqRdlruledOrmKernZ7Bta3LaA%3D%3D