Guide

Approved as Noted vs. Revise and Resubmit: what each stamp means and what to do next

From a GC project engineer who reviews them every week · Updated Nov 2, 2026

The stamp on a returned submittal decides what happens to your schedule. One stamp lets you release fabrication today. Another sends your package back to the start of the line. The wording changes from firm to firm, but the stamps fall into a few groups, and each one calls for a different next move.

The stamps, in plain English

Stamp (common wording)	What it means	Release fabrication?	Resubmit?
No Exceptions Taken / Reviewed / Approved	The reviewer found nothing to change.	Yes, once your GC releases it.	No
Make Corrections Noted / Approved as Noted / Reviewed as Noted	Acceptable if you make every correction marked on it.	Yes, with every note built in.	Usually no, unless the stamp or a note asks for it.
Amend and Resubmit / Approved as Noted, Resubmit	Mostly acceptable, but the reviewer wants to see the corrections.	Only the parts the reviewer releases, in writing.	Yes
Revise and Resubmit	Not acceptable as submitted. The review clock starts over.	No	Yes, the full package
Rejected / Not Approved / Submit Specified Item	The product or approach doesn't meet the contract, or needs a substitution request first.	No	Yes, with a compliant product or a proper substitution request
For Record Only / Received	Informational submittal filed, with no action taken.	Not a release by itself; check your spec.	No

Your spec's Division 01 submittal section (usually 01 33 00) defines the exact stamp language and review period on your job. It governs over this table.

After "Approved as Noted": build every note in

Treat each note as a requirement. Put every note on your shop drawings or fabrication tickets, not just in an email. Your shop builds from the drawings.
Check each note for cost or schedule. If a note adds scope, changes a material or contradicts the contract, tell your GC in writing before you fabricate. A review comment isn't a change order.
Ask before you guess. If a note is unclear, ask through the GC. Guessing wrong turns an easy stamp into rework in the field.
Resubmit only if asked. Many stamps in this group don't require a resubmittal. Check the stamp and the notes for "resubmit" or "furnish as corrected."

After "Revise and Resubmit": make round two the last

Answer every comment. Send a response letter or comment log: each comment, what you changed, and the sheet where it shows. Reviewers shouldn't have to hunt.
Resubmit the complete package. Send the accepted items plus the revised ones, under the same submittal number with the next revision. Pulling pages out breaks the record.
Cloud every change and tag it with the revision number.
Call out anything you changed that the reviewer didn't ask for. Unrequested changes reopen review, and the AIA A201 general conditions expect you to point them out (§3.12.9).
Don't fabricate yet. Nothing is released until the resubmittal comes back acceptable.

After "Rejected": find out why before you redraw

Wrong or unlisted product: resubmit a specified product, or submit the substitution request your spec requires. A different product sent without one is a common rejection.
Missing the basics: wrong project, no spec section, a whole catalog with nothing marked. Fix the package, not just the sheets.

Why every round costs real time

Every spec sets its own review period. The federal guide spec, UFGS 01 33 00, defaults to 30 calendar days for government review, and gives each resubmittal "the same" period as the first. It makes the contractor responsible for the extra review time that resubmittals cause, and says no time extensions will be allowed for time lost in late submittals. Check your own spec, but the pattern holds on most jobs: a kickback costs you a full review cycle, not a few days.

Avoid the stamp you don't want

Many Revise and Resubmit returns come from things you can check before you send: a finish that doesn't match the spec, a missing calc or certificate, unmarked options on a cut sheet, a "by others" note on your own scope, or a deviation that isn't declared up front. Under the AIA A201 general conditions, the architect's approval doesn't relieve you of a deviation unless you specifically pointed it out when you submitted and it was approved in writing as a minor change, or by Change Order or Construction Change Directive (§3.12.8). The UFGS warns that unflagged variations can mean rejection and removal of the work. Declare deviations on the cover sheet, and the reviewer can accept them on purpose.

Sources

UFGS 01 33 00, Submittal Procedures (Unified Facilities Guide Specifications, August 2026 edition), sections on scheduling and review periods (1.11) and considering variations (1.10.1). wbdg.org
AIA Document A201-2017, General Conditions of the Contract for Construction, §3.12.8 and §3.12.9 (paraphrased). AIA preview

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Your contract and specification govern. AIA and A201 are trademarks of The American Institute of Architects.

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