How to track submittals in Bluebeam Cloud

Applies to:

  • Bluebeam Cloud — Web
  • Bluebeam Cloud — iOS

As part of the field tools included in our app/browser solution, Bluebeam Cloud, the Submittals tab is where key stakeholders can request, track, and respond to specs for a project. In this article, we cover how to complete the submittals process in Bluebeam Cloud from start to finish. 

Request specs

In Bluebeam Cloud, you can easily request submittals and assign them to other team members. Although a collaborator won’t need a Bluebeam subscription plan (i.e., Basics, Core, or Complete) to review or respond to a submittal, they’ll need to be an active user in your Bluebeam Cloud project.

To request specs or upload a submittal log, you must have a Core or Complete subscription with Admin permissions.

Upload submittal log

If you’d like to add multiple spec requests at once, you can upload a submittal log. To do this:

  1. From the Dashboard, select Submittals in the left sidebar.
  2. Select Upload Submittal Log in the center of the window or Upload in the upper right corner.
  3. In the pop-up, select Bluebeam Cloud Submittals Log Template to download the .xlsx file. Submittal Log Upload pop-up
  4. Click or tap Cancel.
  5. Open the Excel file template.
  6. Enter the spec information for all your requests.
    In the Submittal Category column, you can only enter one of the pre-defined values listed in the dropdown.
  7. After entering all your specs, save the Excel file to your device.
  8. Reopen Bluebeam Cloud and select Upload Submittal Log or Upload.
  9. Click or tap Okay.
  10. Browse for the Excel sheet you previously saved and select it.
After uploading submittals, the Spec Section for a request can’t be edited.

Once your spec requests are available in Bluebeam Cloud, you can edit and assign them.

  • To edit the details for an individual spec request, select the submittal and click or tap Edit either at the top of the window or at the bottom of the dialog.
  • To edit the status for multiple submittals, select them and click or tap Edit at the top of the window. Then, choose their Status from the dropdown in the Edit Multiple dialog.

Add submittals

In the Submittals tab, you can create new submittals and track existing requests. To add an individual spec request:

  1. Select Add Submittals in the center of the window if you have no submittals for your project yet. Otherwise, click or tap the Add button in the upper right corner.
  2. In the New Submittal dialog, enter the Spec Number.
    Spec Section in Bluebeam Cloud
    After entering the Spec Number, the industry standard Spec Section auto fills.
  3. Select a Submittal Category from the dropdown.
  4. Add a Description.
  5. Enter the Responsible Company.
  6. Additionally, you may add due dates, enter a Lead Time, and specify when the spec is Required On-Site.
  7. When finished entering the details for your request, select Save.

Assign a submittal

By default, the status of a new submittal appears as Not Yet Requested before it’s assigned. After adding the submittal, you need to send the request to the appropriate team member. To do this:

  1. Select the newly created submittal from the summary list.
  2. In the Submittal dialog, click or tap Assign in the bottom right corner.
  3. Select the new Status for the spec request from the dropdown.

    Submittal Requested is best for spec requests to specialty contractors, while Submitted for Design Review specifies that a submittal is ready for the architect(s) and design team to review and approve.

  4. Under Assignee, select the project team member who must respond to the submittal next.
  5. Enter a Due Date if you didn’t do so when creating the submittal.

    Although optional, you may also attach a PDF to the spec request, such as a cover page.

  6. Click or tap Send.

Once the request is officially sent, the assignee will receive an email prompting them to respond to the submittal in Bluebeam Cloud.

Submittal Requested Email

Respond to submittals

To respond to a submittal:

  1. The assignee can click or tap Respond To Request in their notification email. Alternatively, an assignee can locate the spec request in the Submittals tab and select Respond in the lower right corner of the dialog.
    If you respond to a submittal via email, you will be prompted to sign into Bluebeam Cloud with your Bluebeam ID (BBID).
  2. Attach your PDF response with any necessary digital stamps or signatures.
  3. Click or tap Send.

Once an assignee responds to a spec request, it’s sent back to the requestor for review. Its status also automatically updates to Pending GC Approval.

Submit specs for approval

After receiving a response with the appropriate attachment, a submittal is ready for review. To review a spec request in Bluebeam Cloud:

  1. The requestor can click or tap View Submittal in their notification email. Alternatively, the requestor can locate the spec request in the Submittals tab and select Review in the lower right corner of the dialog.
    If you choose to review a submittal via email, you will be prompted to sign into Bluebeam Cloud with your Bluebeam ID (BBID).
  2. When reviewing, you can download the PDF or mark it up directly in Bluebeam Cloud if information needs to be updated or clarified. Review submittal window
  3. Click or tap Assign.
  4. Update the Status.

    If the submittal needs to go back to the specialty contractor, select Submittal Requested. If the submittal is ready for approval from the architect(s) and design team, select Submitted for Design Review.

  5. Choose the appropriate Assignee.
  6. Specify the next Due Date.
  7. Click or tap Send.

When a spec request is submitted for design review, the architect or design team member will receive an email notification to review the submittal. When the new assignee responds to the request, they can download the attached PDF and/or mark it up directly in Bluebeam Cloud. Then, they can update the submittal with their response.

Submittal design review responses

If there is missing information or revisions are needed, the architect or design team member can send the submittal back to the original requestor.

Approved submittals

When an architect/design reviewer responds to a submittal with No Action Required, the Status will automatically update to Approved. To see all approved spec requests, switch from the Submittal Log tab to Approved.

Approved submittals in Bluebeam Cloud

In Bluebeam Cloud, it’s easier than ever to complete workflows and manage projects via app or browser. To learn more about the field tools available in our cloud solution, visit Get Started in Bluebeam Cloud.

Bluebeam Cloud

How-To

Learn how to request, track, and approve submittals in your Bluebeam Cloud project via app/browser.

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