What Is a Deferred Submittal?
A deferred submittal is a portion of the construction documents — like structural steel shop drawings or fire sprinkler plans — that the building department allows to be submitted and approved after the main building permit is issued. It lets construction start while specialty systems are still being finalized.
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Why deferrals exist
Some building components can't be fully designed until the main structure is settled — custom steel connections, fire protection layouts, prefabricated trusses, curtain wall systems. Rather than holding up the entire permit, the building department approves the core drawings and lists specific items as deferred, to be reviewed separately before those portions are built.
How it works in practice
The deferred items are noted on the approved plans, and each deferred package gets its own submittal, review, and approval — typically with its own engineering and stamping. Construction can proceed on the approved portions, but the deferred work can't be installed until its submittal clears. Coordinating this sequencing is part of the project team's job.
What to watch for
Deferred doesn't mean optional or unreviewed — every deferred item still goes through full plan check. The risk is schedule: if a deferred package stalls in review, it can hold up the trades waiting on it. Identify likely deferred items early and get those engineers engaged before the main permit issues, not after.
The bottom line
Deferred submittals let specialty systems be approved after the main permit — useful, but every item still gets fully reviewed. Line up those engineers early so deferrals don't become delays.