You won the bid, but the preconstruction work isn’t done yet. Before, a submittal meant going off to vendor sites and catalog PDFs to screenshot your way through it for hours.
Now, you can let Bobyard submittals do the heavy lifting to turn your takeoff into a GC-ready product data submittal package. Materials come straight from your takeoff, our AI finds the matching product data, and you export one polished PDF to send to your GC in half the time.
It rounds out our latest preconstruction updates across takeoffs, estimates and proposals work.
Table of contents
- What you can do with Bobyard submittals
- How to build a submittal package in Bobyard
- Why submittals are better in Bobyard
- Get a demo of submittals
- Bobyard submittals FAQ
What is a submittal, and why is it so time consuming?
A submittal is a formal document a contractor sends for review after winning the bid to confirm that the planned materials are in scope and budget for the project.
In a survey with beta feedback participants, most said any given submittal took them 2-5 hours to prepare, with some at 10 hours or more. That’s because submittals before Bobyard meant searching catalogs, screenshotting information, marking it up in a PDF editor, and formatting a cover page by hand. Now, Bobyard can automate much of the process to get it done in half the time.
“For irrigation and soil submittals, it was roughly twice as fast as the way we did it before."
— Landscaping Contractor, Bobyard submittal beta feedback program
What you can do with Bobyard submittals
- Bob GPT hunts cut sheets for you. Our AI searches your library and the web to find the right product data for every item on your list, then highlights the model numbers for you.
- From takeoff straight to submittal. Chose the takeoff materials you’ve already counted and measured and they’ll go straight into your submittal.
- Easy to build a product library. Upload a catalog once, and our AI extracts key details like manufacturer, model, and size so everything is searchable.
- Sharable company-wide. Reuse the same data sheets on any project across your organization.
- Export a GC-ready document. Get a branded cover page and table of contents automatically, and export to PDF in one click.
- Cut your submittal prep time in half.
How to build a submittal package in Bobyard
- Upload your catalogs to your product data library, once.
- Create a submittal in your project and import your materials from your takeoff.
- Search all with our AI assistant, Bob GPT, review the matches, and box the exact product on each page.
- For anything missing, search online, or generate product data for plants.
- Build a branded, sleek cover page from a template and preview the package.
- Export one PDF and send it to your GC.
- Keep track of your submittal status and details as it moves through the process or needs revisions.
Why submittals in Bobyard are better
We built our submittals feature to follow the way you already work, while cutting out the tedious steps that leave you screenshotting and cross-referencing documents for hours.
Just like a takeoff, every item shows ranked matches with confidence scores, so you stay in control of what goes to your GC, while keeping your focus where it’s most important. You end up with a more accurate, polished document in less time and effort.
"Search accuracy on our irrigation catalogs was flawless, and setting up the package and items was straightforward.”
— Landscaping Contractor, Bobyard submittal beta feedback program
Try your next submittal with Bobyard
Get a demo and we'll walk you through building a submittal from your takeoff, from catalog upload to exported PDF. Get a demo of Bobyard Submittal →
Already a Bobyard customer? Reach out to your Customer Success Manager to add it to your plan to try it in Bobyard today →
Bobyard submittals FAQ
What is a submittal in construction? A submittal is a formal document a contractor sends for review and approval after winning the bid, confirming that planned materials and methods comply with project specifications. Product data, like manufacturer cut sheets, is the most common type and is required on almost every project.
How do Bobyard submittals work? Bobyard submittal builds your product data submittal package inside Bobyard. It pulls your material list from your takeoff, matches product data from your catalogs or the web, and exports one GC-ready PDF.
Who is Bobyard Submittal for? Any trade preparing submittals. It handles manufacturer product data across all trades, plus organic product data for landscaping.
Do I need to run a takeoff in Bobyard to use it? No, you can create submittal items in bulk from a list. If you've done your takeoff in Bobyard, however, your materials import directly.
How do I create a submittal package? Upload your catalogs, import your materials from your takeoff, and let AI match product data to each item. For anything missing, search online, or generate product data for landscaping.
Does Bob GPT AI choose the product for me? No. Bobyard suggests ranked matches with confidence scores, and you confirm which product and pages go in your package.
What if a product isn't in my library? Bobyard searches online from inside the submittal and finds public product PDFs you can review, box, and attach. For plants and other organic materials, you can generate product data or upload a screenshot from an official source.
Do I have to build and maintain a product library? The library builds as you upload catalogs. AI splits multi-product catalogs and tags each product, so there's no manual organizing.
Keep reading
- Better estimates: Build it once, use it every bid. The cost database, estimate table, and proposal generator that sit between takeoff and submittal.
- What's new in Bobyard: September 2026. Our latest product updates across the platform to make takeoff, estimates, and daily work in Bobyard faster and easier.
- Bobyard for landscaping. AI takeoff and estimating for planting, irrigation, and hardscape.
- Customer stories. How landscaping contractors use Bobyard.