RFIs and Submittals: How Software Streamlines Construction Documentation
RFIs (Requests for Information) and submittals are two of the most workflow-heavy document types in construction. Both have specific approval processes, multiple reviewers, distribution requirements, and documentation trails that matter for contract compliance and dispute defense. Both are routinely managed through email threads, shared spreadsheets, and the project manager's memory at companies that haven't invested in real software for the workflow. The result is a slow drain on project velocity: RFIs that languish because nobody tracked the response deadline, submittals that get installed before approval because nobody enforced the gate, and documentation trails that fall apart when the dispute happens 18 months later.
This article covers what RFIs and submittals actually are, why they're particularly hard to manage without dedicated software, and what to look for when evaluating platforms that handle these workflows. Coverage of the full feature set lives in: PM Software Features Explained. The foundational explainer on what PM software does lives here: What is Project Management Software?
What RFIs and Submittals Are and Why They Matter
The two document types have distinct purposes, but they share enough structural similarities that platforms typically handle both with similar workflow logic.
RFIs (Requests for Information)
An RFI is a formal question from one party to another, usually contractor to design team, asking for clarification on a contract document. The drawings show one detail, but the spec implies something different. The mechanical contractor needs to know whether a particular ductwork routing is acceptable. The framer hits a structural condition that the drawings don't fully address. Each of these triggers an RFI.
The lifecycle of an RFI:
1. Field or PM identifies the question
2. RFI is formally written with the question, the relevant drawing reference, and supporting context
3. RFI is submitted to the design team (often through the GC if the question originates from a sub)
4. The design team reviews and responds
5. The response is distributed back to the field
6. Future work proceeds based on the answer
RFIs matter for two reasons. First, the answer affects the work being done in the field. Wrong installation triggered by an unanswered or misunderstood RFI is a common cause of rework. Second, RFIs establish the documentation trail when scope changes or questions arise later. A change order based on an RFI response has standing because the question and answer were both formally documented.
Submittals
A submittal is the contractor's documentation of what they intend to install, sent for review and approval before installation. Submittals cover material specifications, equipment data sheets, shop drawings, color and finish samples, and similar items. The construction documents specify what's required; the submittals confirm what specifically will be installed and verify it meets the requirements.
The lifecycle of a submittal:
1. The contractor or sub identifies a required submittal from the spec book
2. The submittal is assembled (cut sheets, drawings, samples)
3. Submittal is routed to the GC for review
4. GC routes to the architect or engineer for approval
5. Approval (or rejection with comments) flows back
6. Approved submittal is the basis for procurement and installation
7. Rejected submittals are revised and resubmitted
Submittals matter because installing material that hasn't been approved creates real risk. If the architect rejects the substitution after installation, the contractor may have to remove and replace the work. The submittal log is one of the most important contract compliance documents on any commercial project.
Why Both Workflows Break in Generic Tools
Generic tools (email, shared drives, spreadsheets) handle both workflows poorly because:
No structured workflow logic, so RFIs and submittals get stuck or lost in email threads
No automatic routing, so the wrong reviewer gets the document or no reviewer gets it
No deadline tracking, so response time slips silently
No version control, so the latest revision isn't always the one being used
No status visibility, so nobody knows what's open at any given time
No audit trail, so dispute defense is fragile
Each of these failures creates real cost. A submittal that takes 8 weeks instead of 2 weeks delays procurement and pushes the schedule. An RFI that gets lost causes the field to make a decision based on guesswork. A submittal that gets installed before approval creates rework risk. Software that handles these workflows properly eliminates most of those failure modes.
Pro Tip: When evaluating RFI and submittal features, ask the vendor to demonstrate response time tracking. The platform should show the average and current response time for open RFIs and submittals, with overdue items flagged. If the platform can't produce a response time report cleanly, it lacks the operational visibility that makes RFI and submittal workflows actually work in production. Response time tracking is the metric that turns RFIs and submittals from passive documentation into active project management. A platform that doesn't track it isn't really managing the workflow.
What Real RFI and Submittal Software Should Do
The features below separate platforms that genuinely handle these workflows from platforms that treat them as glorified email threads.
Structured Forms with Required Fields
Real RFI and submittal software uses structured forms that enforce the data needed for the workflow to function: title, drawing reference, requested-by, assigned-to, requested response date, supporting attachments. Without structure, RFIs come in incomplete and have to be cycled back for missing information, which adds days to the response time.
Automatic Routing Based on Type
The platform should route the RFI or submittal to the right reviewer automatically based on the type of question or submittal category. A structural RFI goes to the structural engineer, a mechanical submittal goes to the MEP reviewer. Manual routing wastes time and introduces routing errors.
Response Time Tracking and SLA Enforcement
Each RFI or submittal should have a target response time (often 7-14 days for RFIs, 14-21 days for submittals depending on complexity). The platform should track time from submission to response, flag items that are approaching or past their deadline, and produce reports on response time trends. This turns RFIs and submittals from passive items into managed workflow with measurable performance.
Version Control on Resubmittals
When a submittal is rejected with comments and resubmitted, the platform should track all versions, link them to the original submittal record, and clearly show which version is current. The original review comments should remain visible so the resubmitter can confirm they addressed the feedback.
Drawing Reference Integration
RFIs and submittals frequently reference specific drawing details. Strong platforms let the user pin the RFI or submittal to a specific drawing area, creating a visual link between the document and the drawing. When the response comes back, anyone viewing the drawing can see what RFIs are associated with that area.
Distribution and Acknowledgment
When the response comes back, it needs to flow to everyone who needs to know: the original requester, the field crew doing the affected work, downstream subs whose work depends on the answer. Strong platforms handle this with distribution rules and acknowledgment tracking (the foreman confirms they received and read the answer). Weak platforms just send notifications and hope.
Clean Reporting and Logs
The RFI log and submittal log are critical reporting artifacts. They need to show every item, status, response time, current owner, and history. The log is the document that supports payment applications, tracks pending items in project meetings, and forms the basis of dispute documentation. Strong platforms produce clean logs as standard reports. Weak platforms require manual export and rebuild.
Mobile Capture from the Field
RFIs often originate from a field condition: the foreman sees something that doesn't match the drawings. Mobile capture lets the foreman create the RFI from a tablet at the location, attach a photo, and pin to the relevant drawing area. Without mobile capture, the RFI gets created hours or days later when the foreman gets back to the trailer, with the visual context already faded.
Subcontractor Self-Service
Subs need to be able to submit their own RFIs and submittals through the platform without having full PM platform licenses. Strong platforms include sub portals or guest access that lets subs participate in the workflow without paying full user fees.
Case Study: A 25-person commercial subcontractor was running a major hospital project in 2024 with roughly 200 RFIs and 350 submittals across the 18-month duration. They started managing both workflows in email and shared spreadsheets. By month four, the average RFI response time had crept to 22 days against a 10-day SLA, and 14 submittals had been installed before formal approval was documented. The owner threatened to back-charge for the rework risk on the unapproved submittals. The PM team migrated both workflows to their PM platform's structured RFI and submittal modules over a 3-week recovery effort. Within 60 days, average RFI response time dropped to 8 days, the submittal log showed every item with current status and approval state, and no further submittals were installed without documented approval. The owner's concerns were resolved. The lesson was that RFI and submittal volume above roughly 50 items per project breaks email-based management, and the recovery cost in the middle of a project is much higher than the cost of starting with proper software from day one.
How RFI and Submittal Capability Varies by Platform Tier
Different PM platform tiers handle these workflows with different depth. Match the platform's capability to your actual project requirements.
Residential PM Platforms
Buildertrend, JobTread, CoConstruct, Houzz Pro. These platforms include basic communication and document tracking features but typically lack robust RFI and submittal workflow logic with formal routing and approval gates. This is appropriate for residential remodel work where formal RFI and submittal processes are uncommon. Most residential projects don't generate enough RFIs or submittals to justify dedicated workflow software.
For residential operations that occasionally do work requiring formal RFI processes (custom architectural work, larger projects), the workaround is usually to manage RFIs as structured tasks with attachments rather than as native RFI workflow.
Mid-Tier Commercial PM Platforms
Procore, Autodesk Build, RedTeam, Buildxact. These platforms include full RFI and submittal modules with structured forms, routing, response time tracking, and integration with drawings. The capability is strong enough for most commercial work and is one of the main reasons commercial GCs invest in this tier of platform.
Procore's RFI and submittal modules are particularly well-developed because the platform was designed around commercial GC workflow from the start. Autodesk Build (formerly PlanGrid + BIM 360) handles drawings strongly with associated RFI and submittal capability.
Enterprise Platforms and Specialty Tools
For very large projects (hospitals, industrial, major public works), the volume and complexity of RFIs and submittals can exceed what general-purpose PM platforms handle. Enterprise platforms (Autodesk Build full suite, Procore enterprise tier) and specialty tools (Newforma for design-build firms, Bluebeam Studio for markup-heavy submittal review) become appropriate at this tier.
Specialty Trade Subcontractors
Subs running formal RFI and submittal workflows on commercial projects benefit from PM platforms with strong RFI/submittal modules even at smaller operation sizes, because the capability is required by their GC partners. A specialty sub on a major hospital project may need the same workflow rigor as the GC, and trying to participate in the GC's RFI workflow through email rather than shared platform access creates friction.
Standalone vs Integrated
Some firms use standalone tools specifically for RFI and submittal management (Newforma is the canonical example for design firms working with contractors). The advantage is depth of capability for these specific workflows. The disadvantage is the integration cost of running another tool alongside the PM platform. For most contractors, the RFI and submittal modules built into a strong commercial PM platform handle the workflow without requiring a separate tool.
Pro Tip: During platform evaluation, ask to see the RFI and submittal log reports from a real customer's active project (with names redacted). Most vendors can produce these. The reports tell you everything: response time trends, which items are aging, what status everything is in, and how clean the data structure is. A platform with messy log reports has messy underlying data, which means the workflow is producing inconsistent records. A platform with clean, well-organized log reports has the discipline that produces useful documentation. The reports are more revealing than any feature demo because they show what the platform actually produces in production rather than what it could theoretically produce in ideal conditions.
RFI and Submittal Discipline Determines Project Velocity
The contractors who run commercial projects well don't just have RFI and submittal software. They have the operational discipline to use it consistently: every question becomes an RFI, every required submittal goes through the formal workflow, response times are tracked and managed, and the documentation trail is maintained as the project progresses rather than reconstructed at closeout. Software supports the discipline. It doesn't substitute for it.
If your operation isn't using formal RFI and submittal workflows yet, the right starting point depends on your work. Residential operations rarely need them. Mid-size commercial work usually benefits from them. Large commercial work absolutely requires them. Match the workflow rigor to the project complexity, and pick the platform tier that handles your actual workflow needs without forcing you to manage workflows your projects don't generate.
The foundational explainer on PM software lives here. The decision framework for picking a platform lives here: How to Choose Project Management Software. The deeper coverage of features that interact with RFIs and submittals (drawings, daily logs, change orders) lives here. Together with the complete document management software guide for contractors, these give you the framework for handling construction documentation workflows reliably.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between an RFI and a submittal?
An RFI is a question from the contractor to the design team asking for clarification or guidance on a contract document. A submittal is documentation from the contractor showing what they intend to install, sent for design team review and approval before installation. RFIs ask questions and get answers. Submittals propose specific products or details and get approved or rejected. The two workflows share similar approval routing logic, which is why software platforms typically handle them with the same underlying engine.
How long should it take to get an RFI answered?
Industry standard target response times for RFIs are typically 7-14 days, with most contracts specifying a target in the 10-14 day range. Time-critical RFIs (questions that are blocking active work) often have shorter target response times. The actual response time on most projects is longer than the target, which is why platforms with response time tracking matter. Response time creep is one of the leading causes of schedule slip on commercial projects.
Do I need RFI and submittal software for residential remodel projects?
Most residential remodel projects don't generate enough RFIs or submittals to justify dedicated workflow software. The volume is typically a handful per project rather than dozens or hundreds. For residential operations, the basic communication and document tracking in your PM platform is usually sufficient. The exception is custom architectural residential work or very high-end projects where formal RFI processes are part of the contract.
Can subcontractors use the GC's RFI platform?
Yes, most commercial PM platforms include subcontractor portal access that lets subs submit their own RFIs and respond to submittals without paying full user license fees. The specific access model varies by platform but the pattern is similar: GC has full platform access, subs have scoped access to their own work and the workflows they participate in. This is one of the main advantages of commercial PM platforms over residential-focused ones, where subcontractor coordination tends to be lighter.