Documents & records
Transmittal
Also called: letter of transmittal
A transmittal is the paperwork that accompanies documents moving between parties — drawings, submittals, samples, closeout data — recording exactly what was sent, when, and to whom, and often what response is expected. It doesn't carry the content's substance; it establishes the fact and timing of the handoff. On a contentious job, the transmittal log is what proves a submittal was delivered on a given date or that the design team held it too long.
Why it matters
Timing drives money and schedule on a construction project. A transmittal fixes the date a package changed hands, which is what a delay or long-lead procurement claim ultimately rests on. Without that record, arguments over who was waiting on whom come down to memory.
How it shows up on site
Transmittals feed the same logs that track submittals and RFIs, and they're the audit trail behind the submittal register. When a review is overdue, the transmittal is the proof of when the clock started.
Related terms
- SubmittalThe product data, shop drawings or samples a contractor sends for review to confirm what will be installed matches the spec before it's ordered.
- Submittal registerThe master log that tracks every required submittal, its review status and its due date across the whole job.
- Request for information (RFI)A formal written question from the contractor to the design team when the drawings or specs are unclear, conflicting or incomplete.
- Shop drawingA fabricator's or installer's detailed drawing showing exactly how a component will be made and installed, submitted for review before fabrication.
- Punch listThe running list of incomplete or defective work a contractor has to fix before an area is accepted and closed out.
- Nonconformance report (NCR)A formal record raised when installed work does not meet the drawings, specs or an accepted standard, and the plan to resolve it.
Knowing the term is step one. Proving it is the job.
RTI holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and the photos are attached, then chains the record so it can be proven untouched later.