Short answer: ask for product data, shop drawings, finish and hardware schedules, physical samples, any test evidence the jurisdiction requires, a written warranty, pre-shipment photos and video, and installation and handover documents. Approve them before production, because a custom door is built from the approved drawing. Test requirements differ by country and building type, so check the local code first.
What goes into an entrance door submittal package?
A submittal package is the set of documents and samples the manufacturer provides, usually through the contractor, so the architect can check the door against the design before it is made. For a custom imported entrance door it usually has nine parts:
| Document | What it shows | Who signs it off |
|---|---|---|
| Product data | Construction, materials, hinge, lock, coating, size limits | Architect, against the specification |
| Shop drawings | Sizes, sections, opening direction, pivot, fixings, threshold | Contractor checks site dimensions; architect reviews |
| Finish schedule | Coating, colour, sheen and texture of every surface | Architect and client, against a sample |
| Hardware schedule | Each item: quantity, maker, model, finish | Architect; client confirms lock functions |
| Samples | The real face and finish | Architect and client |
| Test evidence | Reports or certificates the jurisdiction requires | Architect, with the certifier or building official |
| Warranty | What is covered, for how long, from when | Client or contractor |
| Pre-shipment record | Photos and video of the finished door and crate | Contractor, client or their inspector |
| Installation and handover | Installation drawings, care and lock instructions | Installer; client at handover |
In AIA A201 terms, shop drawings are prepared specially for the project, product data illustrates materials or equipment, and samples establish the standards by which the work will be judged. Submittals are generally not contract documents, and the architect reviews them only for conformance with the design concept.
What should the shop drawings show?
Most problems are caught on the shop drawings, so check them line by line. Ask for drawings in millimetres, or in both units if your set is in inches, with a revision number and date on every sheet. They should show:
- the structural opening, frame, leaf and clear opening sizes, each labelled;
- the opening direction and the pivot or hinge side, seen from outside;
- the pivot position, the floor plate and the finished floor levels inside and out;
- sections at the head, jambs, threshold and through the leaf, with seals and the bottom gap;
- the fixing points and what they fix into;
- handle height, lock position and the smart lock cable route;
- glazing type and thickness, if any;
- the leaf weight, for the hinge choice and site handling.
See also what to send a door manufacturer and preparing the floor for a pivot door.
How is a door finish schedule set out?
A finish schedule gives one line to each surface: outside face, inside face, frame, edges and trims. Each line names the material, coating system, colour reference, sheen or texture, and the approved sample it must match. A schedule that only says “black” leaves too much open.
An example for a carved pivot door:
| Ref | Surface | Material | Finish | Colour | Sheen or texture | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Outside face | 8 mm carved aluminium | Fluorocarbon (PVDF) paint | RAL or NCS reference | Matt | F1, signed and dated |
| F2 | Inside face, frame and edges | Aluminium | As F1 | As F1 | Matt | F1 |
If the specification names a coating standard or a salt-spray test, put it on the schedule; see our guide to finishes for coastal and high-sun sites. Most of our doors are finished in fluorocarbon paint; each door page lists its finish.
How is a hardware schedule set out?
Hardware is grouped into sets. Each set covers doors with identical hardware and lists every item with its quantity, maker, model, finish and remarks, against door numbers on the drawings. In the US, many specifications ask for the Door and Hardware Institute’s sequence, which lists hinging items first, then securing, controlling and protecting items.
In North America, item finishes are often written as BHMA codes, such as 626 (satin chromium plated) or 630 (satin stainless steel). A set for a pivot entrance door might read:
- Pivot hinge: FritsJurgens, system chosen for the leaf size and weight.
- Smart lock: maker, model and every function. We fit locks from KFV, G-U and Wintech; see our locks page.
- Back-up access: emergency key or cylinder, and the lock’s power supply.
- Pull handles: length, material and finish, outside and inside.
- Seals and threshold: perimeter seals, drop-down bottom seal, floor plate finish.
- Remarks: the cable route through the top pivot.
Which samples should you ask for?
Ask for a sample of the real face and finish, not a photo, and approve the colour in daylight. We can post a 20 × 20 cm carved and painted aluminium sample, or make a scaled sample door with the actual construction, or a full-size one. Sign and date the approved sample and note its reference on the finish schedule.
Which test reports and certificates will the project need?
That depends on the country, the building type and sometimes where the door sits in the building. The architect has to check the local code and ask the authority or certifier what evidence it accepts. A test report covers the assembly that was tested, so check that its size, glazing, hardware and fixing match your door.
| Where | What is often asked for | Check with |
|---|---|---|
| England, new dwellings | Approved Document Q: PAS 24 is one way to show that accessible doorsets meet requirement Q1 | Building control |
| European Union | EN 14351-1 for external pedestrian doorsets, with a declaration of performance and CE marking | The local authority |
| Australia | AS 2047 for external glazed doors, with an accredited test report or certificate; bushfire evidence (AS 3959 or AS 1530.8.1) where needed | The building certifier |
| Saudi Arabia | Product registration and conformity certificates on SASO’s SABER platform | The importer |
For security classes, see door security ratings explained. If the door must be fire-rated, settle that before choosing a supplier.
Our position, also on our testing and documents page: we do not hold an EN 1627 burglar-resistance rating, and we do not make fire-rated doors. If a project needs a test, we can arrange it with a test lab; the buyer usually pays the fee. For Saudi importers we supply the product documents needed for SABER registration. If your project needs more, say so at enquiry, not at submittal.
What about US projects?
An imported door is judged against the same building code as any other door, as the state, county or city has adopted and amended it, plus any product approval the jurisdiction requires. Check with the building department before you specify.
For example, section R609.3 of the 2025 California Residential Code requires exterior side-hinged doors to be tested and labelled to AAMA/WDMA/CSA 101/I.S.2/A440 or ANSI WMA 100, or to comply with R609.5 (testing to ASTM E330). In Florida, exterior doors fall under the state’s product approval rule, 61G20-3. We claim no US label or approval for our doors.
What should the warranty, packing and handover cover?
Get the warranty in writing: what it covers, for how long, and from which date. Ours covers the whole door for two years from shipment. Transit and site storage count, so on a long programme plan delivery close to installation.
Before shipment we send photos and video of the finished door, and you or your inspector are welcome at the factory. The door is protected with blankets and foam and packed in a wooden crate. Ask for the door number on each crate. See also crating and shipping damage.
At handover, the client should receive:
- the installation drawings (we send them with every order);
- hinge adjustment instructions from the hinge maker;
- the lock manual, admin codes or cards, and what to do if power fails;
- care instructions for the finish;
- the warranty statement with the shipment date;
- hardware makers and models, for spares;
- the final approved drawing revision.
How does this work when you order from Dooream?
Send the opening sizes and your design idea through our architects page or contact page. The first design direction is free, usually within one working day. We draw in millimetres and convert inch drawings for you to check. Production takes 35–45 days from drawing approval and deposit. Before paying any factory a deposit, see checking a Chinese door factory.
Sources, checked November 2026: AIA Contract Documents, What is a submittal in construction; iDigHardware, sequencing of hardware sets; dormakaba BEST, BHMA certificate of compliance, A156.18 materials and finishes; GOV.UK, Approved Document Q; BSI, PAS 24 and Approved Document Q; BM TRADA, CE marking for external pedestrian doorsets; QBCC, imported glazing and windows fact sheet; Saudipedia, Saber platform; SASO, importers to register products on Saber; GoCodeBook, 2025 California Residential Code, section R609; Palm Beach County, Florida product approval.
Quick answers
What should a submittal package for a custom entrance door include?
Product data, shop drawings, a finish schedule, a hardware schedule, physical samples, any test evidence the jurisdiction or client requires, a written warranty, pre-shipment photos and video, and installation drawings with handover notes. Approve them before production starts.
How is a door finish schedule set out?
One line for each surface of the door, such as the outside face, the inside face, the frame and the edges. Each line gives the material, the coating system, the colour reference, the sheen or texture, and the approved sample it must match. Hardware finishes go on the hardware schedule, item by item.
Do Dooream doors come with test reports or certificates?
We do not hold an EN 1627 rating and we do not make fire-rated doors. If a project needs a test, we can arrange it with a test lab, usually at the buyer's cost. For Saudi Arabia we supply the product documents needed for SABER registration. Requirements differ by country and building type, so check the local code first.