BAS controls submittal checklist
By Bassirou Thiam, building automation engineer · Updated
A BAS controls submittal is the package the controls contractor sends for approval before construction: control schematics, wiring diagrams, network riser, points list per controller, written sequences of operation, valve and damper schedules, product data and BACnet PICS. After installation, the same drawings come back as record (as-built) documents.
What goes in the submittal?
Every spec has its own list, but they share a core. This checklist follows a typical Division 23 09 00 guide specification; tick each item against your own spec before sending.
| Item | What reviewers look for |
|---|---|
| Control schematics | Flow diagrams showing fans, pumps, coils, dampers, valves and control devices |
| Wiring diagrams | Power, signal and control wiring, point to point from field device to panel, with numbered terminals |
| Panel details | Control panel faces: sizes, instruments and labeling |
| Damper and valve schedules | Sizes, leakage and flow characteristics; actuator sizing if dampers are by others |
| Sequence of operations | A written description, referring to the system point names |
| Network riser diagram | Wiring types, protocols, floor penetrations, panels labeled with address and device instance, all routers and switches |
| Points list | Per system controller: inputs and outputs, point numbers, controlled device, device location |
| Motor control details | Starter and VFD wiring for every automatically controlled motor |
| Floor plans | Locations of control panels, thermostats and devices in occupied space |
| Product data | Manufacturer literature for each device, with settings and ranges |
| BACnet PICS | Protocol Implementation Conformance Statement for each DDC controller |
| Front-end software | Description and revision level of the operator workstation software |
| Variance letter | Every item that differs from the spec or the sequences |
What comes after approval?
- Sample graphics. Many specs ask for typical operator graphics before programming starts.
- Checkout and commissioning forms. Blank test reports per panel or system, filled in at startup.
- Record documents. At closeout, as-built versions of the shop drawings and product data, test reports and trend logs, and the O&M manual.
Why do submittals get rejected?
- an item of the spec list is missing (the PICS and the variance letter are often forgotten);
- the riser, the points list and the sequences disagree on a point name or a controller;
- addresses or device instances are duplicated or missing on the riser;
- the drawings describe a generic system instead of this job.
Most of these come from retyping the same information in several documents. Keeping the riser and the points list in one source is the simplest fix: see how to make a riser and what goes in a points list.