Shop Drawing Review Checklist: 15 Checks Before Consultant Submission
Use this shop drawing review checklist to catch missing information, specification mismatches, incorrect selections and coordination issues before sending a submittal to the consultant. A practical pre-submission checklist for contractors, project coordinators and engineers.
Shop drawing review should happen before the submittal reaches the consultant.
A supplier may provide technically accurate product data, but that does not automatically mean the submitted equipment complies with the project requirements.
The contractor still needs to check the shop drawing against the specifications, drawings, schedules and coordination requirements.
This checklist provides a practical first-pass review process that can be used before consultant submission.
Shop drawing review checklist
Before submitting a shop drawing, confirm the following:
- Correct specification section and equipment tag
- Approved manufacturer
- Correct model and configuration
- Scheduled performance
- Materials and construction
- Required accessories
- Electrical characteristics
- Controls and BAS requirements
- Dimensions and connection sizes
- Service and maintenance clearances
- Installation and mounting requirements
- Deviations from the contract documents
- Required certifications and testing
- Clearly marked selections
- Overall package completeness
The checklist below explains each item in more detail.
1. Confirm the correct specification section and equipment tag
Start by confirming that the shop drawing is being reviewed against the correct contract requirements.
Check:
- Specification section
- Equipment tag
- Drawing schedule
- Drawing detail
- Associated notes
- Addenda or revisions
This sounds simple, but reviewing the right product against the wrong specification section or outdated schedule can invalidate the entire review.
Ask:
- Is this the correct equipment tag?
- Is the specification section current?
- Has the design been revised since tender?
- Are there related drawing notes that affect the submittal?
2. Verify the manufacturer is acceptable
Confirm whether the submitted manufacturer is:
- Specifically named in the specification
- Listed as an acceptable manufacturer
- Previously approved as an alternate
- Being proposed as a substitution
If the manufacturer is not listed, the package may require a formal substitution process rather than a standard shop drawing review.
Do not assume that similar performance automatically makes an alternate manufacturer acceptable.
3. Confirm the exact model and configuration
The selected model should be clearly identified.
Check:
- Model number
- Size
- Configuration
- Orientation
- Options
- Arrangement
- Selected accessories
A catalog page containing several models is not the same as a clearly identified selection.
The reviewer should not have to guess which product is being submitted.
4. Compare scheduled performance
Compare the submitted performance data directly against the project schedule and specification.
Depending on the equipment, this may include:
- Airflow
- Water flow
- Heating capacity
- Cooling capacity
- External static pressure
- Pump head
- Pressure drop
- Motor horsepower
- Efficiency
- Sound performance
- Leaving temperatures
- Fan speed
Example
If the design schedule requires:
- 10,000 CFM
- 4.0 in. w.g. external static pressure
- 15 HP motor
and the shop drawing shows:
- 10,000 CFM
- 3.2 in. w.g.
- 15 HP motor
the airflow and motor match, but the static pressure does not.
That discrepancy should be resolved before submission.
5. Check materials and construction
Specifications often contain important requirements beyond equipment performance.
Review items such as:
- Casing material
- Insulation thickness
- Drain pan material
- Coil construction
- Cabinet construction
- Coatings
- Corrosion resistance
- Pressure class
- Leakage class
- Filter construction
- Pipe or duct materials
A product can meet the scheduled performance while still failing a material requirement in the specification.
6. Verify all required accessories
Accessories are one of the most common areas for omissions.
Depending on the equipment, required accessories may include:
- VFD
- Disconnect switch
- Vibration isolators
- Filters
- Actuators
- Sensors
- Drain pans
- Smoke detectors
- Freeze protection
- Control valves
- Factory controls
- BACnet interface
- Weather hoods
- Roof curbs
- Guards
- Access doors
Compare the specification accessory requirements against the actual submitted selection.
Do not assume an accessory is included just because it is available from the manufacturer.
7. Check electrical characteristics
Verify the shop drawing against the electrical design.
Typical checks include:
- Voltage
- Phase
- Frequency
- Motor horsepower
- Full-load amperage
- MCA
- MOCP
- Disconnect requirements
- VFD requirements
- Heater capacity
- Number of power connections
Electrical mismatches can become expensive if they are discovered after equipment is ordered.
8. Review controls and BAS requirements
Controls requirements are often distributed across several specification sections and drawings.
Check for:
- BACnet communication
- Factory-mounted controls
- Control panels
- Sensors
- Alarms
- Interlocks
- Start/stop signals
- Remote monitoring
- Actuators
- Control valves
- Damper operators
- Sequence requirements
Make sure the submitted package clearly identifies what is factory-provided and what must be provided by the controls contractor.
9. Check dimensions and connection sizes
Review physical information such as:
- Overall dimensions
- Duct connection sizes
- Pipe connection sizes
- Drain connections
- Electrical connection locations
- Access door locations
- Weight
- Mounting dimensions
Compare these against the design drawings and available installation space.
A technically compliant product may still create a major construction issue if it does not physically fit.
10. Review service and maintenance clearances
Check manufacturer-required service clearances.
Examples include:
- Filter removal
- Coil pull space
- Motor removal
- Tube pull space
- Electrical panel access
- Door swing
- Valve maintenance access
These requirements are frequently overlooked during product selection.
The contractor should confirm that required clearances can actually be maintained in the field.
11. Confirm installation and mounting requirements
Review requirements such as:
- Housekeeping pads
- Roof curbs
- Supports
- Hangers
- Vibration isolation
- Seismic restraints
- Flexible connections
- Anchoring
- Drainage
- Weather protection
Some of these items may be provided under another trade, but they still need to be coordinated.
12. Identify all deviations from the contract documents
Do not hide deviations inside a large package.
If the proposed product differs from the contract documents, identify the difference clearly.
Examples:
- Alternate manufacturer
- Different material
- Different capacity
- Different dimensions
- Different electrical characteristics
- Missing accessory
- Alternate control arrangement
A consultant should not have to discover a substitution by comparing dozens of pages manually.
Clear deviations make the review faster and reduce misunderstandings.
13. Confirm required certifications and testing
Depending on the equipment and specification, check for required:
- UL or ULC listings
- CSA certification
- AMCA certification
- AHRI certification
- NSF certification
- Factory testing
- Performance testing
- Pressure testing
- Leakage testing
Not every submittal requires certification documents, but where the specification does require them, they should be clearly included.
14. Make sure selections are clearly marked
Supplier data often includes multiple:
- Models
- Sizes
- Options
- Accessories
- Materials
- Ratings
Clearly mark the exact selection being submitted.
Use:
- Highlighting
- Arrows
- Checkmarks
- Selected-option boxes
- Equipment tags
Avoid sending unmarked catalogs and expecting the reviewer to identify the selected product.
15. Review the complete package before submitting
Before sending the package to the consultant, perform one final completeness check.
Confirm:
- Correct equipment is being submitted
- Current project requirements were used
- Required selections are clearly marked
- All major performance criteria have been checked
- Required accessories are shown
- Electrical information is included
- Controls information is included
- Deviations are identified
- Required certifications are included
- Contractor review stamp is complete where required
At this point, the objective is simple:
Can the consultant understand exactly what is being proposed and compare it against the contract documents without searching for missing information?
If the answer is no, the submittal probably needs more work.
What should not be treated as an automatic rejection?
Not every missing item means the shop drawing should be rejected.
It helps to distinguish between:
Confirmed non-compliance
The submitted information clearly conflicts with a contract requirement.
Example:
Specified: 600 V motor
Submitted: 208 V motor
This is a genuine discrepancy.
Missing information
The contract requires something, but the shop drawing does not provide enough information to confirm compliance.
Example:
The specification requires a stainless-steel drain pan, but the shop drawing does not identify the drain pan material.
This may require clarification rather than an immediate conclusion that the product is non-compliant.
Coordination item
The product may be acceptable, but coordination must still be confirmed.
Example:
The submitted AHU is larger than the scheduled dimensions and may affect service clearances.
Minor comment
The item does not materially affect compliance but should still be corrected or clarified.
Keeping these categories separate leads to a more practical review.
Shop drawing review checklist by responsibility
| Review item | Supplier | Contractor | Consultant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product selection | ✓ | ✓ | Review |
| Model number | ✓ | ✓ | Review |
| Performance | ✓ | ✓ | Review |
| Accessories | ✓ | ✓ | Review |
| Field dimensions | ✓ | ||
| Trade coordination | ✓ | ||
| Installation conditions | ✓ | ||
| Compliance with design intent | ✓ | ||
| Professional acceptance | ✓ |
The exact responsibilities depend on the contract, but contractor review should occur before consultant review.
Why use a checklist before consultant submission?
A structured pre-submission review can help reduce avoidable comments related to:
- Missing information
- Incorrect equipment selections
- Unconfirmed accessories
- Electrical mismatches
- Specification deviations
- Incomplete controls information
- Unmarked selections
- Poor package organization
It also creates a more consistent process between project coordinators, project managers and subcontractors.
Instead of relying on experience alone, the team can follow the same review sequence for every submittal.
Can AI help perform this checklist?
Yes.
Many of the most repetitive steps in this checklist involve searching contract documents and comparing information.
AI can assist with:
- Finding relevant specification sections
- Finding equipment schedules
- Comparing performance values
- Identifying required accessories
- Checking electrical characteristics
- Searching controls requirements
- Flagging missing information
- Identifying potential deviations
The contractor still needs to verify field conditions, quantities, trade coordination and installation requirements.
The most effective use of AI is as an additional first-pass review—not as a replacement for contractor or consultant responsibility.
Try the checklist on your next shop drawing
If you already have a shop drawing and the project contract documents, ShopDrawing.AI can perform a structured first-pass review against the project's specifications and drawings.
The review identifies potential discrepancies, missing information and relevant contract requirements so you can investigate them before consultant submission.
Run a shop drawing review before your next submittal goes out.
FAQ
What should I check when reviewing a shop drawing?
Check the submitted manufacturer and model, scheduled performance, materials, accessories, electrical data, controls, dimensions, installation requirements, certifications, deviations and overall package completeness against the project specifications and drawings.
Who should review a shop drawing before it is submitted to the consultant?
The contractor should perform a pre-submission review before forwarding the shop drawing to the consultant. Suppliers and subcontractors typically confirm their product selections first, while the contractor is responsible for coordination, field conditions and package completeness.
What are the most common shop drawing review mistakes?
Common mistakes include using the wrong specification section, submitting an incorrect model, overlooking required accessories, failing to check electrical data, missing controls requirements, submitting unmarked catalog pages and failing to identify deviations from the contract documents.
Does a missing item mean the shop drawing should be rejected?
Not always. A missing item may mean compliance cannot be confirmed, while a clear conflict with the contract documents is a confirmed discrepancy. Missing information, coordination issues and actual non-compliance should be treated separately.
Can AI perform a shop drawing review checklist?
AI can assist with many checklist items by searching project specifications and drawings, comparing performance values, identifying required accessories and flagging missing information or potential discrepancies. Contractor coordination and professional consultant review are still required.
Related guides
Requirements vary by project, jurisdiction, consultant and authority having jurisdiction. Always verify against the current project specifications, drawings, addenda, change documents and applicable codes.