Every GC has seen it. You’re reviewing the permit set and tucked somewhere in the drawings is a note flagging fire protection, structural steel connections, or prefab trusses as “deferred submittals.” For experienced teams, it barely registers. For newer PMs, it raises a quiet anxiety what exactly does that mean for my schedule, my budget, and my relationship with the AHJ? Here’s the honest answer: deferred submittals are completely normal. They’re also one of the more reliable ways projects bleed time and money when nobody’s paying close attention. The difference between the two outcomes usually comes down to whether you’re treating them as first-class items in your project workflow or quietly hoping they sort themselves out.
This guide covers what deferred submittals actually are, why they get used, how the process runs from permit set through closeout, and where things typically go sideways.
What Is a Deferred Submittal?
The International Building Code defines it as any portion of the design not submitted at the time of permit application, to be submitted to the building official within a specified period. That’s the code language. In practice, it means: some component of this building isn’t fully engineered yet when the main permit goes in, and it needs its own separate approval path with the AHJ before anyone touches it in the field.
That’s the critical distinction. A standard submittal moves through your usual architect review cycle the design is done, you’re confirming materials and methods match the specs. A deferred submittal is different. The design itself isn’t complete yet. That means a separate PE, a separate government approval process, and a timeline that runs entirely on the AHJ’s schedule, not yours. Teams that blur this distinction are the ones that find themselves three weeks from needing fire protection rough-in, still waiting on a fire marshal review they submitted too late.
Why Do Deferred Submittals Exist?
There are legitimate reasons and then there’s one you should watch closely.
Specialization: Some systems genuinely can’t be fully designed until the right trade partner or vendor is involved. Metal-plate connected wood trusses, fire sprinkler systems, curtain walls, pre-tensioned concrete these require a specialty engineer whose design is tied to a specific fabricator or product. The architect of record doesn’t have that information at permit time, and it wouldn’t make sense to pretend otherwise.
Owner-driven timing: Sometimes an owner wants a specific contractor or manufacturer for a particular scope a custom bar build-out, a specialty kitchen package, a structural glass system. Design can’t begin until that vendor is on board. Deferral isn’t a workaround; it’s a scheduling reality.
Trade partner efficiency: Deferring certain structural steel connections to the fabricator’s preferred PE isn’t cutting corners it’s actually smarter. That engineer knows whether the shop is set up for shear tabs or single-angle connections. Forcing a decision earlier than the fabricator can inform it often produces a less efficient, more expensive result.
Scope reduction by the design team: This is the one to flag. Some deferred submittals exist not because of specialization or timing, but because the structural engineer reduced their contract scope and handed design responsibility for cold-formed metal framing, certain stairs, or guardrail systems to the contractor. The engineering has to happen either way. The question is who pays for it. Owners sometimes end up paying twice, once in design fees for a “full structural scope” that quietly excluded several items, and again in the construction budget when the contractor has to hire a PE to fill the gap. If you’re a GC, this is worth surfacing early. If you’re an owner, it’s worth asking your design team directly which items are deferred and why.
Read More : Construction Submittal Schedule: How to Build and Track One
How the Deferred Submittal Process Actually Works
The exact path varies by project type and jurisdiction, but the general flow is consistent.
The Design Team Identifies and Flags Deferred Items
During the permit set, the architect and structural engineer flag which components are deferred and create a list that comes to the GC with the initial documents. That list is your foundation. Everything downstream in your tracking and scheduling effort starts here. If it’s incomplete or vague, get clarity before the project kicks off not two months in.
The GC Plans, Prices, and Hires
Once you have the list, you’re working through a few key questions. Who’s designing this scope is it truly design-build with the sub, or is the design team still involved in review? How was it budgeted as an allowance, and if so, does that allowance reflect what a PE engagement actually costs in this market? Who’s hiring the engineer the GC, the sub, or the owner directly?
This is also when you determine which deferred items require design team coordination before AHJ submission. A specialized HVAC package that affects the mechanical engineer’s base design needs to get in front of that engineer before it goes to the city. If you skip that step, you may get AHJ approval on something that still doesn’t integrate cleanly with the rest of the project, which creates its own set of headaches.
AHJ Submission Earlier Than Feels Necessary
This is where most deferred submittal delays originate. Local building departments and fire marshals operate on their own timelines. They are not going to accelerate because you have a target MEP rough-in date. In jurisdictions with significant permitting backlogs, deferred submittal approvals can run months out. Submit early. Then submit earlier than that. One non-negotiable: nothing gets installed until AHJ approval is in hand. The AHJ can reject work that went in before approval including requiring it to be torn out and redone. That’s not a theoretical risk. It happens. There are no legitimate shortcuts here.
Integration and Closeout
Once approvals are issued and work proceeds, the GC is responsible for making sure the deferred work integrates with everything else on the project. This may include a design team review after AHJ approval, a for-record submittal, and ongoing coordination through the punch list phase.
At closeout, deferred submittal items get the same treatment as everything else: reflected in as-builts, included in the closeout package, and inspected during the final walk-through. They don’t get a pass on documentation because they came in late in the process. Gaps in the record create problems at certificate of occupancy and show up years later when the building gets renovated.
Read More : Construction Submittal Process: A Step-by-Step Guide for GCs
Where Things Go Wrong: The Most Common Failure Modes
| Challenge | Root Cause | Risk Level |
|---|---|---|
| AHJ approval delays | Submitted too late, review times underestimated | High |
| Budget overruns | Allowances don’t reflect actual PE and resubmittal costs | High |
| Liability disputes | Design responsibility not defined in the subcontract | Medium–High |
| Integration failures | Deferred design not coordinated with base drawings | Medium |
| Document gaps at closeout | Items not tracked in the main submittal log | Medium |
| Schedule compression | Deferral decisions made too late to build in buffer | High |
The common thread: deferred submittals got treated as a side process instead of part of the main project workflow. That’s almost always how the problems start.
How to Actually Manage Deferred Submittals Well
None of what follows is complicated. It’s just disciplined.
Track them in the same system as your standard submittals
Keep a separate list for reference if you want, but manage deferred items in the same submittal log you use for everything else. Review them in weekly procurement meetings. If they live in their own silo, they fall through the cracks.
Tie every deferred item to a schedule activity
A deferred submittal that isn’t linked to a predecessor and successor in your CPM schedule is invisible. It doesn’t become real until it’s holding up a trade, and by then the damage is already done.
Submit to the AHJ earlier than feels necessary
Build the AHJ’s timeline into your schedule, not around it. Especially for life-safety systems moving through the fire marshal separately from the building department those reviews often run on different timelines than the general permit process.
Make design responsibility explicit in the subcontract
Who’s hiring the PE? Who pays for resubmittals if the AHJ kicks it back? Who owns the delay risk if approval runs long? These questions feel administrative until they’re contentious. Define them before the sub is signed.
Don’t let as-built documentation be an afterthought
Deferred submittal work needs to show up accurately in the project record. Missing documentation creates occupancy issues and resurfaces years later in ways that are expensive and annoying for everyone involved.
The Bottom Line
Deferred submittals are a normal part of complex construction projects. They’re not inherently a problem. What makes them a problem is when they get treated as an afterthought submitted late, poorly tracked, and disconnected from the schedule until they’re already causing delays.
Teams that handle them well aren’t doing anything special. They’re tracking deferred items with the same rigor they apply to standard submittals. They’re submitting to AHJs before it feels urgent. They’re making sure design responsibility is locked down in writing before a sub starts work. And they’re treating closeout documentation as mandatory, not optional.
That’s the whole game.
Learn More : Best RFI and Submittal Tracking Software for Construction
Managing Submittals Across a Full Project Shouldn’t Require Three Separate Spreadsheets
If your team is tracking deferred submittals in one place, standard submittals in another, and chasing approvals over email, the process gaps are going to show up in your schedule. Palcode.ai gives preconstruction and project management teams a single, structured environment to manage the full submittal process standard and deferred from permit set through closeout. See how it works: Book a quick demo.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does deferred submittal mean?
A deferred submittal is a portion of a building’s design that wasn’t completed and therefore wasn’t included when the original permit application was submitted to the building department. The IBC defines it as design that’s submitted to the building official within a specified period after the initial application. In everyday terms: the project got its permit before certain components were fully engineered, and those components need their own separate approval before any work on them can begin. It doesn’t mean the work is optional or that approvals can be skipped. It just means the approval happens on a separate track, usually later in the project timeline, through the AHJ rather than just the architect.
What is the difference between delegated design and deferred submittals?
Delegated design is about who is responsible for designing a specific part of the project (usually a contractor or specialty engineer). A deferred submittal is about when and how it gets approved by the building department after the main permit. So, delegated design is contractual; deferred submittal is a code/permit process. Some delegated designs become deferred submittals if they require later AHJ approval.
Do building inspectors look for unpermitted work?
Yes. Inspectors can identify work done without proper permits or approvals, including unapproved deferred submittal items. This can lead to stop-work orders, re-inspections, or even removal of work especially for structural or life-safety systems.
What’s the actual difference between a standard submittal and a deferred submittal?
A standard submittal confirms that your selected materials and methods match the contract documents the design is already done. A deferred submittal involves design work that wasn’t complete at permit time. It requires a separate PE engagement and a separate AHJ approval before installation can begin. The approval path is longer and less predictable.
Who owns the deferred submittal process on a project?
The GC is ultimately responsible, even when a sub is handling the design-build scope. The GC coordinates between the specialized designer, the base design team, and the AHJ, and is accountable for making sure approvals are in hand before work starts.
About the Author
Shikha is a Senior Product Growth Marketer at Palcode.ai, where she focuses on driving product adoption and improving user engagement through strategic, data-driven marketing. She also contributes to website content creation, translating complex product ideas into clear, structured, and SEO-optimized content that enhances user understanding and visibility.
