Guide
Construction RFI and submittal tracking that protects the schedule
By Ray · Lode
On a construction job, a question left unanswered becomes a delay, and a delay becomes a change order. An RFI is a question asked on the project. A submittal is work or product sent for review before it goes in. Both move slowly when no one owns them, and both cost money when they stall the crew. RFI and submittal tracking is the habit of logging every item, watching its response time, and closing it before it blocks the schedule.
This guide covers the loop: log the RFI and submittal, route it, watch the days open, and close it with a record. It gives you an RFI log and a submittal register you can run in a spreadsheet.
The difference between an RFI and a submittal
An RFI is a Request for Information. You ask the architect or engineer to clarify the drawings or the spec. A submittal is product or work sent for review: shop drawings, a material sample, a product data sheet. The contractor sends it, the architect reviews it, and you cannot proceed until it is approved.
Both need the same discipline: a log, an owner, a due date, and a status you can read at a glance.
Why RFIs and submittals stall a job
- An RFI is emailed and no one owns it. It sits in an inbox.
- A submittal is sent to the architect and then forgotten.
- The response comes back late, and the crew has already moved to the next trade.
- The approval arrives with no record, so no one can prove it was on time.
- An unanswered RFI turns into extra work that was never priced.
The cost is not the question. It is the delay. A crew that waits on an answer stands idle, or builds the wrong thing and rebuilds it.
The RFI and submittal loop
1. Log every item when it is created
Every RFI and every submittal goes into a log the moment it is created. A paper log or a spreadsheet is fine. The log is the system of record, not the email thread.
2. Set an owner and a due date
Each item has an owner (who is answering it) and a due date (when you need the answer). RFIs and submittals without a due date slide.
3. Watch the days open
Count the days each item has been open. Set a threshold: an RFI open past five working days is a warning. A submittal open past its review window is a risk to the schedule.
4. Close it with a record
When the answer comes, close the item and keep the record: the reply, the approved drawing, the product data. If a late answer caused a delay, note it. That record is your defense in a change order claim.
Response time is the number to watch
The single most useful number on an RFI log is the days open. A young RFI is fine. An old RFI is a delay waiting to happen. Track it two ways:
- The average days open across all open RFIs. If it is climbing, questions are piling up.
- The oldest open RFI. That is your next problem.
Do the same for submittals. A submittal that is not approved before the trade is scheduled to start will delay the job.
Common tracking mistakes
- Logging in email, not in a register. Email threads are not a log. You cannot see the days open or who owns what.
- No due date. An item without a due date has no urgency.
- Not tracking the days open. You will not notice an RFI aging until it stalls the crew.
- Losing the approval. If you cannot produce the approved submittal, you cannot prove it was on time.
- Letting an RFI become work. An unanswered RFI that the crew answers by guessing becomes rework or a change order.
How Lode fits RFI and submittal tracking
Lode keeps your existing tools. It would read every RFI and submittal from the log or the system you already use. It would answer a status question against that record, with the exact source and the date it was resolved. It would flag the items open past their threshold and route them to the owner, without a new login for the field team.
Where this guide asks you to watch the days open, Lode would prepare that list from the records you keep. Where it asks you to prove an approval was on time, Lode would attach the source: the dated reply, the approved drawing, the product data. See what Lode runs for the intended workflow.
Templates
Copy these into a spreadsheet or a shared doc.
RFI log
| RFI # | Job | Question | Sent to | Owner | Date sent | Due | Days open | Status | Answer / date closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 001 | Open |
Mark the status as open, answered, or closed. Sort by days open, longest first, to see your next problem.
Submittal register
| Sub # | Job | Product | Trade | Sent | Owner | Due | Status | Review returned | Disposition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 001 | Pending | Approved / revise / rejected |
Mark the disposition as approved, approved with notes, revise and resubmit, or rejected. A "revise and resubmit" starts a new due date.
Related guides
The construction job costing guide covers the budget and cost loop. The change order guide covers pricing extra work, which an unanswered RFI often becomes.
Book a walkthrough
Book a walkthrough to explore one task around your existing tools. We start with sample records and agree the next step with you.
Sources
- RFI tracking and submittals, UDA ConstructionOnline: https://us.constructiononline.com/construction-document-management-minitour
- Route, track, and record RFIs, ProjectTeam.com: https://www.projectteam.com/features/rfis
- Submittal and RFI software for general contractors, SubmittalLink: https://www.submittallink.com/industries/general-contractors