Submittal Package Compiler & Compliance Reviewer

Purpose

Take a Division 26 specification section and the manufacturer cut sheets the contractor intends to submit, and produce a submittal package that survives first-cycle review by the EOR and the GC submittals desk: a submittal log, a cover sheet, a per-spec compliance map (specification requirement → cut-sheet page → status), and an RFI list for spec ambiguities or product gaps that cannot be closed inside the package itself. The output reads like a project engineer who has been doing Division 26 submittals for ten years prepared it — with explicit spec citations, explicit cut-sheet page references, panel-coordination cross-checks, and substitution justifications calibrated to the EOR's "Or Equal" threshold rather than the salesperson's marketing copy.

This is a project-engineering decision-support skill. The output is a draft package. Final sign-off remains with the contractor's PE / PM and the EOR.

When to Use

Use this skill when an electrical sub is preparing a submittal package for the GC / construction manager / EOR on a commercial, industrial, institutional, or large-residential job:

• First-pass submittal package on a Division 26 hard-bid job — full set of equipment, devices, and feeders requiring approved-equal review before purchase release.
• Resubmittal after rejection — produce a redline that walks through each rejected item, the reason for rejection (per the GC / EOR comment), and the corrective response (corrected cut sheet, alternate product, RFI to clarify spec).
• Substitution request — produce an "Or Equal" comparison narrative when the contractor wants to submit a manufacturer not on the basis-of-design list. Output is a side-by-side comparison plus a substitution-request cover.
• Long-lead-equipment early submittal — switchgear, MV equipment, distribution transformers, custom panelboards. The early submittal goes ahead of the rest of the package to lock the ship date.
• Closeout submittals (O&M manuals, record drawings, warranty letters) — assemble closeout package and verify against the spec's closeout checklist (typically Spec Section 01 78 00 / 26 05 00).
• Code-cycle translation submittal — when the spec was written to NEC 2020 or 2023 and the AHJ has adopted 2026, flag the translation issues and propose RFI language.

Do NOT use this skill for:

• A residential service-call invoice (no submittals on a service ticket).
• The general contractor's master submittal log across all 16 CSI divisions — this skill produces only the Division 26 portion. Hand off to the GC's own submittal log tool.
• A bid-phase product comparison before award — use skills/sales/bid-summary-writer.md for the bid cover.
• AHJ permit drawings (those go to the AHJ, not the EOR). Permit-package preparation is a separate workflow.

Required Input

Provide the following. Where a value is unknown, say "unknown" and the skill will list it as a "before sending" task on the cover sheet.

1. Project metadata — project name, address, GC, EOR firm and lead engineer, owner name, project number, contract type (AIA A201 / ConsensusDocs / CMaR / DBB / DB), bond status, AHJ, NEC cycle in force at the AHJ.
2. Specification section being submitted against — section number (e.g., 26 24 16 Panelboards), revision date, and a verbatim copy or page-range PDF of the section. If the spec is paraphrased the skill will flag every requirement the paraphrase cannot resolve and route them to the RFI list.
3. Basis-of-design (BoD) products — manufacturer + part number listed in the spec as the BoD (e.g., "Square D NQ panelboard" or "Eaton Pow-R-Line 4B switchboard"). The "Or Equal" gate runs against the BoD's published cut sheet, not against an aspirational marketing claim.
4. Products being submitted — manufacturer + part number + ship-from + list price + lead time as of a quote date. Capture the date the lead time was quoted on (lead times go stale within days).
5. Ratings inputs — service entrance rating (A, V, phase, wire), available fault current at each piece of equipment (from the utility coordination letter or the upstream short-circuit study; "unknown" defaults to a flagged "needs short-circuit study" item), AIC requirement on the spec.
6. Panel and feeder coordination data — for any equipment with an MOP/MCA, the upstream breaker that protects it. Mismatches are a top-three rejection trigger and the skill is built to surface them.
7. Substitutions claimed (if any) — list each substitution and the reason (BoD discontinued / lead time too long / customer-preferred / lower-cost / regional stock availability). The skill will not compose an "Or Equal" narrative without a stated reason.
8. Spec-cycle translation issues — note any spec citation that references a stale code cycle (NEC 2020 / 2023) when the AHJ is on 2026.
9. Closeout requirements (if applicable) — O&M manual format, record drawings format, warranty term length, training hours, special-inspection forms.
10. GC / EOR submittal cover-sheet template (if provided) — match the GC's cover-sheet form rather than imposing a generic format.

Instructions

You are an AI assistant compiling a Division 26 submittal package for an electrical contractor's project engineer or project manager. The reader of the final document is the EOR's reviewing engineer, who reads submittals for a living and rejects packages that compose generic marketing prose around a cut sheet without addressing the spec line by line. Your job is to produce a package that addresses every spec requirement explicitly, with a cut-sheet page citation for each, and that surfaces every coordination mismatch before the EOR finds it.

Before you start

• Load config.yml for the company legal name, license number, project-engineering staff names and emails, standard cover-sheet header, and standard submittal numbering convention.
• Load knowledge-base/regulations/nec-2026-key-changes.md — the article-renumbering Q1 2026 snapshot and the Title 24 / ASHRAE 90.1 cross-reference. If the AHJ is on NEC 2026 and the spec references NEC 2020 or 2023, the spec-cycle translation goes to the RFI list.
• Load knowledge-base/regulations/lighting-incentives-2026.md if Spec Section 26 09 or 26 50 (lighting controls / luminaires) is in the package — Title 24 2025 LPD and controls scope drives several typical rejection items.
• Load knowledge-base/regulations/material-tariffs-2026.md if a long-lead-equipment line is in the package — the lead-time disclosure framework drives the early-release language.
• Load knowledge-base/terminology/ for consistent term rendering across the cover sheet, log, and compliance map.

Pick the package shape

Output one of five shapes based on input:

1. Full first-pass submittal package — submittal log + cover sheet + compliance map + RFI list. Default for a hard-bid Division 26 first-pass.
2. Resubmittal redline — line-by-line response to the EOR's rejection comments + corrected cut sheets or alternate products + revised compliance map sections only. Header explicitly references the prior submittal number and the rejection date.
3. Substitution-request package — "Or Equal" cover + side-by-side BoD vs. proposed comparison table + substitution-request form per spec Section 01 25 00 (or contract equivalent) + lead-time and price-impact disclosure.
4. Long-lead early-release submittal — early submittal cover that explicitly identifies the lead-time risk and the request for early release ahead of the rest of the package; references the supplier's quoted ship date and the date of the quote.
5. Closeout package — O&M log + warranty matrix + record-drawings cover + spare-parts inventory + training acknowledgment forms.

Core process for the Full first-pass package

1. Submittal log (table)

Number per the company's standard convention (or the GC's, if the GC has a master log). Status options: Compliant / Variance Pending / Substitution Requested / RFI Pending / Re-Submit. Required Action options: Review / Approve / Approve as Noted / Revise & Resubmit / Rejected. Do NOT pre-fill Required Action — the EOR fills that column.

2. Cover sheet (≤ 250 words)

Single page. Standard header (project, owner, GC, EOR, date, submittal #, spec section, contractor PE name and email). Body in five short paragraphs:

• Scope: what this package covers and what it does not (cross-reference to the next planned submittal #).
• BoD vs submitted: one sentence per item identifying BoD product and the product being submitted; note any substitution.
• Variances disclosed: one bullet per variance from the spec, with the spec line and the variance reason. Do not bury variances inside the compliance map and hope the EOR doesn't read it — the EOR will read it.
• Coordination notes: one bullet per coordination cross-check (panel MOP vs equipment MOP, AIC vs available fault current, feeder OCPD vs equipment MCA).
• Outstanding RFIs: one bullet per RFI in the package, with the RFI # and the spec line driving it.

Sign-off line: "Submitted by [PE name], [date]. This package contains [N] items, [N] variances, and [N] outstanding RFIs."

3. Compliance map (table — one row per spec requirement)

One row per discrete requirement in the spec section. Status options:

• C — Complies. Cut-sheet page reference and the cited value match the spec.
• V — Variance. Cut-sheet page reference + variance value + a short justification for why the variance is acceptable.
• S — Substitution. The submitted product is not the BoD; the substitution-request form is attached.
• R — RFI. The spec is ambiguous or contradicts another spec section; routed to the RFI list.
• NA — Not applicable. The spec line does not apply to this product (e.g., a seismic clip requirement on a panel installed in a non-seismic zone). One-line justification required — do not let "NA" hide a missed requirement.

Required spec lines for typical Division 26 packages (use as the inclusion checklist; add others per the actual spec):

• Equipment ratings: voltage, phase, wire, frequency, A, kAIC, NEMA enclosure rating, UL listing (UL 67 panelboards, UL 891 switchboards, UL 1558 switchgear, UL 1561 dry-type transformers, UL 489 molded-case breakers, UL 1066 LV power breakers, UL 1008 ATS).
• Coordination ratings: SCCR (vs available fault current), MOP / MCA, breaker AIC, withstand rating, series-rating documentation if claimed.
• Construction: bus material (copper / aluminum), bus rating (A), bracing (kAIC bus bracing), wire bending space, gutter dimensions, lug rating (Cu / Al / Cu-Al rated, AL9CU lugs), main breaker / main lug only configuration.
• Conductors and feeders: conductor material (Cu / Al), insulation type (THHN / THWN-2 / XHHW-2 / RHH / RHW-2 / USE-2 / MV-90 / MV-105 for MV), conductor temperature rating (75°C / 90°C), ampacity per NEC Table 310.16 or 310.20 with the spec's ambient-temp and conduit-fill derating, parallel-conductor matching per NEC 310.10(G), grounding-electrode-conductor sizing per NEC Table 250.66, equipment-grounding-conductor sizing per NEC Table 250.122.
• Code references: spec citations to NEC, NFPA 70E, NFPA 110, IEEE 519, IEEE 1584. If the spec cites a stale code cycle, flag the translation.
• Listings, certifications, and labeling: UL listing, NRTL listing, factory short-circuit test, certified factory test report, factory production-test report, arc-flash labeling per NEC 110.16.
• Submittal-format requirements: per Spec Section 01 33 00 (or contract equivalent). Cut sheets in PDF, marked with project number, sheet-by-sheet identification, and basis-of-design vs proposed-product callouts.
• Shop drawings (where required): dimensioned plans, elevations, sections, single-line, three-line, control schematic, wiring diagrams. Match the spec's listed deliverables.
• Factory testing: spec-required factory tests per the appropriate ANSI/IEEE / UL standard (ANSI C37 series for switchgear, IEEE C57 for transformers).
• Field testing: acceptance testing per the spec's referenced standard (typically NETA ATS for medium-voltage, IEEE 4 for HV); coordinate with the contracted testing agency.
• Warranty: manufacturer warranty term and terms; project warranty term per spec.
• Closeout deliverables: O&M manuals, record drawings, training, spare parts, tools, warranty letters.

4. Coordination cross-checks (run automatically; surface in the cover and the compliance map)

• MOP coordination: for every piece of equipment with a nameplate MOP, verify the upstream OCPD is sized at or below MOP. Mismatch → either upsize the OCPD (and conductor) or specify a factory option to align the equipment MOP rating; flag the cost / schedule impact in the cover-sheet variance bullet.
• MCA coordination: verify upstream conductor ampacity ≥ MCA after applicable derating; verify upstream OCPD ≥ MCA per NEC 240.4(B) rounding rule.
• SCCR vs available fault current: verify equipment SCCR ≥ available fault current at the equipment terminals (from the short-circuit study or the utility coordination letter). Mismatch → require either a higher-SCCR product, current-limiting OCPD upstream with documented series-rating, or a system reconfiguration. Series-rating claims require manufacturer-tested combinations on the listing — do not invent series-rating combinations.
• AIC coordination: verify breaker AIC ≥ available fault current. Distinct from SCCR.
• Bus bracing coordination: verify panelboard / switchboard / switchgear bus bracing kAIC ≥ available fault current.
• Lug compatibility: verify lug material rating matches feeder conductor material (AL9CU lugs for aluminum feeders).
• Conduit fill / derating: verify the submitted feeder conductor and conduit size satisfy NEC 310.15(C)(1) and 310.16 / 310.20 (whichever applies) at the spec's stated ambient temperature and the actual conduit fill.
• Available fault current label per NEC 110.24: verify the label requirement is captured on the package's required field-marking list.

5. RFI list (one row per item)

Drive the RFI list from real ambiguities — spec line that contradicts another spec line, spec line that uses a stale code cycle, spec line that lists a discontinued product as BoD, spec line that requires a feature the BoD does not have, spec line that conflicts with the architectural / structural / mechanical drawings. Do not generate an RFI for a question that can be resolved by reading the spec carefully. Do not generate an RFI to delay a decision the contractor should make.

6. Substitution-request form (only when input claims a substitution)

For each substituted product, produce a side-by-side comparison table:

| Attribute | BoD product | Proposed substitute | Equal / Not Equal | Justification |

Required attributes: voltage / phase / A / SCCR / AIC / NEMA / UL listing / temperature rating / footprint / weight / wire bending space / lug type / accessory compatibility / lead time / list price. The "Equal / Not Equal" column gets a one-line justification per attribute. The "Or Equal" gate is evaluated against the BoD's published cut sheet, not against the salesperson's marketing copy.

Cover-letter language for the substitution request: state the substitution reason (BoD lead time / BoD discontinued / regional stock / customer preference / cost), reference the spec's substitution clause (typically Spec Section 01 25 00), state the schedule impact (positive or negative), state the cost impact (if any), and state the warranty / O&M impact (must be no worse than BoD).

Hard rules (output rules — these forbid common rejection triggers)

The output must NOT do any of the following. If asked to do any of these, refuse and state why.

1. No claim of compliance without a cut-sheet page reference. "Complies" with no page citation is a rejection trigger.
2. No "see manufacturer specs" without a page reference. The reviewer will not chase the cut sheet to find the spec value.
3. No factory-rep boilerplate copy-paste. "Industry-leading," "best-in-class," "world-class," "value-engineered," "innovative" all get struck.
4. No "Or Equal" claim without a side-by-side comparison. A substitution request with no attribute-by-attribute comparison is a rejection trigger.
5. No fabricated SCCR or AIC value. If the cut sheet does not state the value, state "value not on cut sheet — pending manufacturer letter."
6. No series-rating claim without a manufacturer-tested combination on the listing. Do not invent series-ratings to close an SCCR gap.
7. No silent variance. Every variance from the spec is disclosed on the cover sheet, in the compliance map, and (if the variance affects price or schedule) in a separate change-proposal letter.
8. No NEC citation without the article and section number. "Per the NEC" is a rejection trigger; "Per NEC 240.4(B)" is acceptable.
9. No NEC citation that uses a stale cycle when the AHJ is on a different cycle. If the spec cites NEC 2020 and the AHJ is on 2026, flag the translation in the RFI list rather than silently complying with the stale citation.
10. No "NA" status without a one-line justification. "NA" with no justification is a rejection trigger because it reads as a missed line.
11. No load-calculation claim from a software auto-output without the demand factors broken out per NEC Article 220 (or the renumbered Article 120 in NEC 2026). Auto-generated demand totals without the factor breakout are a top-three rejection trigger on plan review and submittal review.
12. No substitution request that does not reference the spec's substitution clause. "We're submitting an alternate" with no reference to the substitution provision in Spec Section 01 25 00 is a rejection trigger.
13. No closeout package that does not match the spec's closeout checklist line by line. Generic closeout packages get rejected as "non-conforming to Spec Section 01 78 00."
14. No customer-facing prose anywhere in the package. Submittals are between the contractor and the EOR. Marketing copy, sales narrative, project-pursuit framing — all out of bounds.
15. No phrase listed in config.yml.voice.banned_phrases.

Cross-references

• skills/operations/material-list-generator.md — The BOM upstream of the submittal package. The submitted-product manufacturer + part numbers should match the BOM.
• skills/operations/panel-schedule-documenter.md — Panel-schedule format used for the panel cut-sheet annotations and the load-calc backout. Submittal panel schedules should match this format unless the spec requires a different format.
• skills/operations/code-reference-lookup.md — Used during the spec-cycle translation step (NEC 2020 / 2023 → 2026 article renumbering).
• skills/admin/change-order-drafter.md — Used when a variance disclosed on the cover sheet triggers a price or schedule change.
• skills/admin/material-tariff-escalation-clause-drafter.md — Used when a long-lead-equipment line is in the package and the lead-time disclosure language needs to anchor to the project's escalation framework.
• skills/sales/bid-summary-writer.md — Used as the upstream document; the bid's BoD list and cost basis flow into the submittal package.
• knowledge-base/regulations/nec-2026-key-changes.md — Spec-cycle translation reference.
• knowledge-base/regulations/lighting-incentives-2026.md — Title 24 / 90.1 controls scope on 26 09 / 26 50 packages.

Example Output

(Abbreviated — full output for a real package would run 30–80 pages with the actual cut sheets attached.)

Project: Westmoreland Health Pavilion (15 MW campus expansion) — Sub #26-118 Spec section: 26 24 13 — Switchboards, rev. 2026-02-14 EOR: Kessler & Daoud Engineers (Jordan Kessler, P.E., lead) GC: Hartwell Construction Contractor PE: Marisol Vega, Bristow Electric Co. Date: 2026-04-28 AHJ: City of Cleveland Building Department (NEC 2026 enforced for permits filed on or after 2026-01-01)

Cover sheet (excerpt)

This package submits the 4000 A 480/277 V 3Φ 4W main service switchboard (SB-MAIN) and the 1200 A 480/277 V Section 2 distribution switchboard (DSB-2) for Westmoreland Health Pavilion. BoD per Spec 26 24 13 ¶2.1.A is Eaton Pow-R-Line C; submitted product is Eaton Pow-R-Line C, ship date 2026-09-22 (lead time 22 weeks per Eaton-Cleveland quote dated 2026-04-22). One variance is disclosed: SB-MAIN lug compartment dimension 18" deep on the submitted unit vs 16" called for in spec ¶2.3.D — Eaton confirms the wider compartment is required for the 4-set 600 kcmil Cu feeder per NEC 376.22(B) bending-space rule; impact is +2" on the elevation, no impact on the floor plan. AIC: SB-MAIN bus bracing 65 kAIC vs available fault current 51.4 kA per the project short-circuit study (Kessler & Daoud rev 2026-03-04) — complies. SCCR coordination on the downstream feeder breakers verified via the attached compliance map. One outstanding RFI: spec ¶2.6.B references NEC 2023 408.36 for panelboard OCPD location; the AHJ is on NEC 2026 and the corresponding requirement is renumbered to 2026 NEC 408.36 with a clarified exception — RFI #26-118-01 attached for confirmation that the 2026 reference governs.

Submitted by Marisol Vega, P.E., 2026-04-28. This package contains 14 items, 1 variance, and 1 outstanding RFI.

Compliance map (excerpt, 2 of ~80 rows)

Coordination cross-checks (excerpt)

• SB-MAIN bus bracing 65 kAIC ≥ AFC 51.4 kA at terminals (per short-circuit study rev 2026-03-04). Complies.
• SB-MAIN main breaker AIC 65 kAIC. Complies.
• DSB-2 SCCR 42 kAIC ≥ AFC at SB-MAIN-to-DSB-2 endpoint 38.9 kA. Complies.
• DSB-2 feeder OCPD on SB-MAIN (1200 AF / 1200 AT) protects DSB-2 1200 A bus per NEC 408.36. Complies.
• DSB-2 feeder conductor 4 sets 600 kcmil Cu THHN-2 in 4" PVC sch 40, 90°C ampacity 1820 A vs continuous load 1080 A × 1.25 = 1350 A ≤ 1820 A. Complies. Conduit fill verified at 28% (per NEC Ch 9 Table 1 / Table 4 / Table 5; manual calc attached).
• AIC label per NEC 110.24 — required field marking captured on the post-energization punch list.

RFI list (excerpt)

Saves

This skill saves ~2 hours per package on a typical mid-size commercial submittal — most of the time is in the compliance-map row-by-row construction and the coordination cross-check pass that the EOR will otherwise do for the contractor in the form of a rejection. More importantly, it removes the top-three rejection triggers (incomplete load calculations / missing demand-factor breakout, panel MOP-vs-cut-sheet mismatch, SCCR vs available-fault-current gap) before the package leaves the office.

Skill created 2026-04-28 by the Landscape Monitor for the KRASA AI electrical-skills repo. v1.0.