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What Are Submittal Rejections Really Costing Your Projects?

What Are Submittal Rejections Really Costing Your Projects?

What Are Submittal Rejections Really Costing Your Projects?

Based on research with 6,000+ construction professionals, each rejected submittal costs an average of $805. Use our calculator below to discover your annual impact.

Based on research with 6,000+ construction professionals, each rejected submittal costs an average of $805. Use our calculator below to discover your annual impact.

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How We Calculated This

How We Calculated This

How We Calculated This

35%

Average Industry Rejection Rate

$805

Cost Per Rejection (Research-Backed)

<5%

BuildSync Customer Rejection Rate

Total submittals per year

Rejection rate

35%

35%

Outcome scenarios

Outcome scenarios

Outcome scenarios

Average cost of resubmittal

$0

Total annual resubmittal cost

$0

Reset values

How We Calculated the Hidden Costs of Submittal Rejections

How We Calculated the Hidden Costs of Submittal Rejections

How We Calculated the Hidden Costs of Submittal Rejections

Nearly every General Contractor and Subcontractor we speak to faces the same costly bottleneck: 30–40% of their submittals are rejected on the first pass.


At BuildSync, we suspected these rejections were more than just a minor inconvenience—they were eating into project margins. With margins tighter than ever, we set out to answer one critical question:

What does a single rejected submittal actually cost a project?

Nearly every General Contractor and Subcontractor we speak to faces the same costly bottleneck: 30–40% of their submittals are rejected on the first pass.


At BuildSync, we suspected these rejections were more than just a minor inconvenience—they were eating into project margins. With margins tighter than ever, we set out to answer one critical question:

What does a single rejected submittal actually cost a project?

Nearly every General Contractor and Subcontractor we speak to faces the same costly bottleneck: 30–40% of their submittals are rejected on the first pass.


At BuildSync, we suspected these rejections were more than just a minor inconvenience—they were eating into project margins. With margins tighter than ever, we set out to answer one critical question:

What does a single rejected submittal actually cost a project?

Our Research Methodology

Our Research Methodology

Our Research Methodology

To find out, we connected with over 6,000 construction professionals and ran comprehensive surveys with more than 200 of them. We asked about rejection rates, downstream effects, and cost implications across different project types and company sizes.


Our survey included:

  • General contractors ranging from $50M to $2B+ in annual revenue

  • Subcontractors across MEP, structural, and finish trades

  • Operations Managers, project managers, and engineers

  • Projects spanning commercial, healthcare, education, and industrial sectors

To find out, we connected with over 6,000 construction professionals and ran comprehensive surveys with more than 200 of them. We asked about rejection rates, downstream effects, and cost implications across different project types and company sizes.


Our survey included:

  • General contractors ranging from $50M to $2B+ in annual revenue

  • Subcontractors across MEP, structural, and finish trades

  • Operations Managers, project managers, and engineers

  • Projects spanning commercial, healthcare, education, and industrial sectors

To find out, we connected with over 6,000 construction professionals and ran comprehensive surveys with more than 200 of them. We asked about rejection rates, downstream effects, and cost implications across different project types and company sizes.


Our survey included:

  • General contractors ranging from $50M to $2B+ in annual revenue

  • Subcontractors across MEP, structural, and finish trades

  • Operations Managers, project managers, and engineers

  • Projects spanning commercial, healthcare, education, and industrial sectors

Breaking Down the $805 Average Cost

Breaking Down the $805 Average Cost

Breaking Down the $805 Average Cost

Here's what we uncovered about the real impact of submittal rejections:

Here's what we uncovered about the real impact of submittal rejections:

Here's what we uncovered about the real impact of submittal rejections:

25% of rejections have little to no impact

25% of rejections have little to no impact

  • Typically submitted early in the process

  • May need some revisions but cause no downstream issues

  • Cost is minimal, mainly administrative time to resubmit

  • Cost impact: ~$0 per rejection

65% of rejections cause operational friction

65% of rejections cause operational friction

  • Project Managers, Superintendents, Foremen, and Engineers pulled into conversations

  • Time spent reviewing rejection reasons

  • Rescheduling delivery dates and updating project timelines

  • Managing stakeholder communications

  • Cost impact: ~$500 per rejection

9% become more critical issues

9% become more critical issues

  • Can lead to project delays, field rework, or detailing changes

  • Require design team involvement for clarifications

  • Additional equipment or labor mobilization needed

  • Schedule compression costs and expedited shipping

  • Cost impact: ~$2,000 per rejection

1% of rejections result in significant project delays

1% of rejections result in significant project delays

  • Can delay substantial completion and trigger liquidated damages

  • Cascade effects on subsequent trades

  • Major client relationship impacts

  • Cost impact: ~$30,000 per occurrence

The Math: How We Calculated $805

The Math: How We Calculated $805

The Math: How We Calculated $805

Here's what we uncovered about the real impact of submittal rejections:

Here's what we uncovered about the real impact of submittal rejections:

Here's what we uncovered about the real impact of submittal rejections:

Using these averages and their frequency, the weighted average cost per rejected submittal breaks down to:

  • 25% × $0 = $0

  • 65% × $500 = $325

  • 9% × $2,000 = $180

  • 1% × $30,000 = $300


Total average cost per rejected submittal: $805

Using these averages and their frequency, the weighted average cost per rejected submittal breaks down to:

  • 25% × $0 = $0

  • 65% × $500 = $325

  • 9% × $2,000 = $180

  • 1% × $30,000 = $300


Total average cost per rejected submittal: $805

Using these averages and their frequency, the weighted average cost per rejected submittal breaks down to:

  • 25% × $0 = $0

  • 65% × $500 = $325

  • 9% × $2,000 = $180

  • 1% × $30,000 = $300


Total average cost per rejected submittal: $805

Hidden Costs Beyond the Numbers

Hidden Costs Beyond the Numbers

Hidden Costs Beyond the Numbers

Client Relationships

Client Relationships

Frequent rejections strain relationships with owners and architects, potentially affecting future project opportunities.

Team Morale

Team Morale

Project teams dealing with constant submittal issues experience higher stress and lower job satisfaction.

Competitive Positioning

Companies with smoother submittal processes can offer more competitive pricing and faster delivery times.

Cash Flow Impact

Cash Flow Impact

Delayed approvals mean delayed deliveries, creating cash flow challenges throughout the project lifecycle.

How BuildSync Changes The Equation

How BuildSync Changes The Equation

How BuildSync Changes The Equation

Intelligent Compliance Verification

  • Automated comparison against project plans and specifications

  • Real-time identification of specification conflicts


Consistent Review Standards

  • Standardized criteria eliminate reviewer inconsistency

  • Clear documentation accelerates approval processes

  • Automated routing to appropriate stakeholders


Seamless Integration

  • Works within your existing Procore workflows

  • No disruption to established processes

  • Maintains all audit trails and documentation


Proven Results Across the Industry
BuildSync customers consistently achieve:

  • <5% rejection rate (vs. 30-40% industry average)

  • $400,000+ annual savings for mid-size contractors

  • ROI within weeks of implementation

  • 85% faster submittal review cycles

Intelligent Compliance Verification

  • Automated comparison against project plans and specifications

  • Real-time identification of specification conflicts


Consistent Review Standards

  • Standardized criteria eliminate reviewer inconsistency

  • Clear documentation accelerates approval processes

  • Automated routing to appropriate stakeholders


Seamless Integration

  • Works within your existing Procore workflows

  • No disruption to established processes

  • Maintains all audit trails and documentation


Proven Results Across the Industry
BuildSync customers consistently achieve:

  • <5% rejection rate (vs. 30-40% industry average)

  • $400,000+ annual savings for mid-size contractors

  • ROI within weeks of implementation

  • 85% faster submittal review cycles

Intelligent Compliance Verification

  • Automated comparison against project plans and specifications

  • Real-time identification of specification conflicts


Consistent Review Standards

  • Standardized criteria eliminate reviewer inconsistency

  • Clear documentation accelerates approval processes

  • Automated routing to appropriate stakeholders


Seamless Integration

  • Works within your existing Procore workflows

  • No disruption to established processes

  • Maintains all audit trails and documentation


Proven Results Across the Industry
BuildSync customers consistently achieve:

  • <5% rejection rate (vs. 30-40% industry average)

  • $400,000+ annual savings for mid-size contractors

  • ROI within weeks of implementation

  • 85% faster submittal review cycles

Submittal calculator

Enter your project details below to see your current annual losses and potential savings with BuildSync.

Total submittals per year

Rejection rate

35%

35%

Outcome scenarios

Average cost of resubmittal

$0

Total annual resubmittal cost

$0

Reset values

Calculator Input Fields:

  1. How many submittals do you process annually? [Input field placeholder: "e.g., 2,000"] Include all submittals across all your projects

  2. What's your current rejection rate? [Slider: 10% to 50%, default at 30%] Industry average is 30-35%

  3. Company annual revenue (optional) [Dropdown: <$50M | $50M-$200M | $200M-$500M | $500M-$1B | $1B+] Helps us provide more accurate industry comparisons

Calculator Results Display:

Your Current Annual Impact: [X] rejections per year × $805 = $[XXX,XXX] annually lost to rejections

With BuildSync (5% rejection rate): [X] rejections per year × $805 = $[XX,XXX] annual rejection costs

Your Annual Savings Potential: $[XXX,XXX]

Additional Benefits Beyond Direct Cost Savings:

  • Time Savings: 20-40 hours per week per project team

  • Schedule Improvement: 2-4 weeks faster average project delivery

  • Team Productivity: 25% reduction in administrative overhead

  • Client Satisfaction: Improved relationships through consistent performance

Total submittals per year

Rejection rate

35%

35%

Outcome scenarios

Outcome scenarios

Average cost of resubmittal

$0

Total annual resubmittal cost

$0

Reset values

Total submittals per year

Rejection rate

35%

35%

Outcome scenarios

Outcome scenarios

Average cost of resubmittal

$0

Total annual resubmittal cost

$0

Reset values

Frequently Asked

Everything you need to know about automating your submittal process and integrating BuildSync.

Why do construction submittals get rejected frequently?

The 30-40% industry rejection rate comes down to three problems:

Time constraints. Your PMs and PEs are buried managing schedules, coordinating trades, and handling RFIs. They don't have time for deep technical reviews of 50-page MEP submittals. So they do a quick scan, hit Ctrl+F a few times, and hope they caught everything. They didn't.

Junior PEs lack technical expertise. You're asking someone who's been in the industry 18 months to verify refrigerant types, coil coating specs, fan belt requirements, and 25 other technical characteristics on a complex air handler. They're learning on the job, which means they're missing things.

Subs are rushing. They grab the closest spec match from their vendor's catalog, throw it together, and submit just to keep moving. They know there's a good chance it'll get rejected, but "submit now, fix later" has become accepted practice.

The common thread: Nobody has time for thorough technical reviews, so non-compliant items slip through to the design team. The architect catches them, sends them back, and you lose 2-4 weeks. Most of these rejections are preventable - they're objective technical mismatches, not judgment calls.

Why do construction submittals get rejected frequently?

The 30-40% industry rejection rate comes down to three problems:

Time constraints. Your PMs and PEs are buried managing schedules, coordinating trades, and handling RFIs. They don't have time for deep technical reviews of 50-page MEP submittals. So they do a quick scan, hit Ctrl+F a few times, and hope they caught everything. They didn't.

Junior PEs lack technical expertise. You're asking someone who's been in the industry 18 months to verify refrigerant types, coil coating specs, fan belt requirements, and 25 other technical characteristics on a complex air handler. They're learning on the job, which means they're missing things.

Subs are rushing. They grab the closest spec match from their vendor's catalog, throw it together, and submit just to keep moving. They know there's a good chance it'll get rejected, but "submit now, fix later" has become accepted practice.

The common thread: Nobody has time for thorough technical reviews, so non-compliant items slip through to the design team. The architect catches them, sends them back, and you lose 2-4 weeks. Most of these rejections are preventable - they're objective technical mismatches, not judgment calls.

Why do construction submittals get rejected frequently?

The 30-40% industry rejection rate comes down to three problems:

Time constraints. Your PMs and PEs are buried managing schedules, coordinating trades, and handling RFIs. They don't have time for deep technical reviews of 50-page MEP submittals. So they do a quick scan, hit Ctrl+F a few times, and hope they caught everything. They didn't.

Junior PEs lack technical expertise. You're asking someone who's been in the industry 18 months to verify refrigerant types, coil coating specs, fan belt requirements, and 25 other technical characteristics on a complex air handler. They're learning on the job, which means they're missing things.

Subs are rushing. They grab the closest spec match from their vendor's catalog, throw it together, and submit just to keep moving. They know there's a good chance it'll get rejected, but "submit now, fix later" has become accepted practice.

The common thread: Nobody has time for thorough technical reviews, so non-compliant items slip through to the design team. The architect catches them, sends them back, and you lose 2-4 weeks. Most of these rejections are preventable - they're objective technical mismatches, not judgment calls.

What are the best practices to reduce submittal rejection costs?
What are the best practices to reduce submittal rejection costs?
What are the best practices to reduce submittal rejection costs?
How do submittal rejections impact a construction project owner's budget?
How do submittal rejections impact a construction project owner's budget?
How do submittal rejections impact a construction project owner's budget?
What are the financial consequences of rejected construction submittals?
What are the financial consequences of rejected construction submittals?
What are the financial consequences of rejected construction submittals?
What are the indirect costs of submittal rejections in construction?
What are the indirect costs of submittal rejections in construction?
What are the indirect costs of submittal rejections in construction?
What is the cost of preventative submittal review vs rework after rejection?
What is the cost of preventative submittal review vs rework after rejection?
What is the cost of preventative submittal review vs rework after rejection?

Resources & insights

Stay ahead with expert insights, guides, and strategies to optimize your submittal process.

Visit our blog

Visit our blog

Visit our blog

Construction Technology & Innovation

7 Ways To Improve Your Construction Submittal Review Process
7 Ways To Improve Your Construction Submittal Review Process

Tired of submittal rejections pushing your timeline out 2+ weeks? Learn 7 practical ways to improve your review process, reduce rejection rates, and free up your team's time.

Read more

Construction Technology & Innovation

7 Ways To Improve Your Construction Submittal Review Process
7 Ways To Improve Your Construction Submittal Review Process

Tired of submittal rejections pushing your timeline out 2+ weeks? Learn 7 practical ways to improve your review process, reduce rejection rates, and free up your team's time.

Read more

Construction Technology & Innovation

Construction Submittal Review Process: Complete Guide (2026)

Master the construction submittal review process with our comprehensive guide. Learn requirements, best practices, compliance checks, and how to avoid costly rejections.

Read more

Construction Technology & Innovation

Construction Submittal Review Process: Complete Guide (2026)

Master the construction submittal review process with our comprehensive guide. Learn requirements, best practices, compliance checks, and how to avoid costly rejections.

Read more

Industry Insights

The True Cost of a Rejected Submittal: $805 Each.

Our survey of 6,000+ construction professionals revealed each rejected submittal costs $805—here's how we calculated that number.

Read more

Industry Insights

The True Cost of a Rejected Submittal: $805 Each.

Our survey of 6,000+ construction professionals revealed each rejected submittal costs $805—here's how we calculated that number.

Read more

Construction Technology & Innovation

7 Ways To Improve Your Construction Submittal Review Process
7 Ways To Improve Your Construction Submittal Review Process

Tired of submittal rejections pushing your timeline out 2+ weeks? Learn 7 practical ways to improve your review process, reduce rejection rates, and free up your team's time.

Read more

Construction Technology & Innovation

Construction Submittal Review Process: Complete Guide (2026)

Master the construction submittal review process with our comprehensive guide. Learn requirements, best practices, compliance checks, and how to avoid costly rejections.

Read more

Ready to transform your submittal preparation process?

We help teams who are tired of:

We help teams who are tired of:

Getting their submittals rejected by GC's

Spending hours of time on manual reviews

Spending hours of time generating submittal packages

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