What is a material submittal?

A package the contractor sends to the consultant to approve a product before it is ordered or installed: datasheets, compliance statement against the specification, samples, certificates and test reports. The consultant returns it with a status code such as A, B, C or D.

What is an inspection request (IR)?

A formal request from the contractor for the consultant to inspect work at a stage defined in the inspection and test plan, such as conduits before concrete pouring or services above the ceiling before close-up. It is raised with a notice period, commonly 24 hours, and returned approved, approved with comments or rejected.

Can work start if the material submittal is still under review?

Ordering or installing before approval is at the contractor's risk. If the submittal is then rejected, the material may have to be removed. Most consultants will not approve an IR for work that uses unapproved materials.

What is the difference between an MIR and a WIR?

A material inspection request (MIR) checks materials on delivery against the approved submittal. A work inspection request (WIR) checks installed work. Many projects call both IRs with a prefix.

Material Submittal & Inspection Request Tracker

Nothing gets installed without an approved material, and nothing gets covered up without an approved inspection. This tracker teaches the paper trail every site engineer runs: log submittals, chase reviews, raise inspection requests at the right time and keep the records an auditor would want to see.

How material submittals and inspection requests work

Two loops run on every MEP project. The submittal loop approves what you will buy. The inspection loop approves what you have built. The second one depends on the first.

Material submittal loop

Inspection request loop

Material submittal log

Add a submittal, record the consultant's return, and resubmit anything coded C or D. Overdue reviews are flagged against the .

New submittal

Review period days (set by contract)

Latest revision only

Import CSV

Inspection request log

Every IR links to the material it uses and the stage it covers. The tracker blocks IRs for unapproved materials and checks the .

New inspection request

Notice period hours

Import CSV

A day on site: what would you do?

Ten situations every MEP site engineer meets. Pick your answer and see why.

Dashboard and 4D replay

Drag the date slider (or press play) to replay the project's paper trail. Everything below is recalculated as of that date from your logs.

Submittals by status

Inspection requests by result

Submittals waiting for review (age in days)

S-curve: submitted vs approved (A or B)

By discipline

3D inspection status by floor and zone

Each block is a floor zone, coloured by the inspection requests logged for it. Tap a block to list its IRs. Use the 4D replay in the dashboard tab to move the date; this view follows it.

Drag to rotate · scroll or pinch to zoom · tap a zone

All approvedApproved with commentsOpen / awaiting inspectionRejected, re-inspection neededNo IR yet

Zone details

Tap a zone in the 3D view.

Cover sheets and forms

Generic templates filled from your logs. Projects have their own forms: use these to learn what goes on them, or as a clean starting point.

Material submittal cover sheet

Submittal

Includes the compliance statement table, attachment checklist and the consultant's review box.

Inspection request form

Inspection request

Includes the contractor's check, attachments, and the inspector's result with signatures.

What a good submittal package contains

Engineer's notes

Habits of document controllers and site engineers who never lose an argument about a submittal.

Quiz

Score 0

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