Approved as Noted: Can You Start Millwork Fabrication?

Yes, if your project’s submittal procedure allows it and the work you’re about to fabricate satisfies the review notes and any remaining conditions. Before cutting, check that the notes are reflected in the current production package, that later instructions and field conditions have been reconciled, and that any required fabrication release covers the work you plan to start.

Start with the returned markup. The submittal log records the disposition. The marked sheets and transmittal show which revision was reviewed, what needs to change, and whether any part of the work is still on hold.

What do the shop drawing stamps mean?

Read the stamp legend, the returned comments, and the project’s submittal requirements together. Check Division 01 and the applicable millwork specification for instructions on corrections, final copies, and resubmittals.

Review disposition	What to do before fabrication
Approved	Confirm that the current production package matches the reviewed scope and that any other requirements for starting work have been met.
Approved as Noted	Incorporate the required corrections and follow the project’s instructions for issuing the corrected set. Resolve unclear or conflicting notes and any outstanding conditions before starting the affected work.
Revise and Resubmit	Correct the affected submission, return it for review, and hold the affected work until the required approval is received.
Rejected	Hold the affected work, determine what needs to change, and resubmit through the project’s procedure.

AWI 100 lists proceeding with production as the action for both Approved and Approved as Noted and describes the return of a marked set and request for final copies. Revise and Resubmit calls for approval of the revised submission before production. The federal guide specification UFGS 01 33 00 provides a separate example. In its Contracting Officer review procedure, Approved as Noted permits the covered work to proceed if the contractor takes no exception to the corrections. AWI 100 is an industry standard, and UFGS is a guide specification that can be tailored for a project. The requirements and stamp instructions adopted for your job govern the actual review. AWI 100 §3.2.3(f) · UFGS 01 33 00, August 2026, §1.12.1

What can still be open after approval?

Under AIA A201–2017, where incorporated into the contract, the architect’s submittal review checks conformance with the information and design concept in the contract documents. The contractor retains its coordination and field-verification responsibilities. A reviewed elevation can show the intended cabinet layout while the finished opening still needs to be measured. Before sizing the casework, check where the measurement was taken, what surfaces it references, and whether finish buildup changes the usable opening. AIA A201–2017, §§3.12.5–3.12.7 and 4.2.7

Material substitutions and design changes also deserve a specific check. AWI 100 calls for identifying proposed material or design changes and formally requesting approval. AIA A201–2017 §3.12.8 addresses deviations from the contract documents through specific written notice at submittal and the applicable written approval or change instrument. If a different core or hardware configuration appears on the current drawing, find the record that addresses that specific change. AWI 100 §3.2(b)–(c) · AIA A201–2017, §3.12.8

How to handle an RFI or revision issued after approval

1. Compare the returned set with the current production set. Find the exact sheet, detail, and revision the reviewer saw. Trace each applicable note to the current drawing, schedule, or cut list. Record where the note was incorporated, which documented decision superseded it, or who owns the open question.

2. Check what the later record actually authorizes. An RFI response may clarify a requirement or come with supplemental drawings or specifications. When it appears to change the contract requirements or conflicts with a review note, send both references and the affected detail through the project’s established channel. Ask which requirement governs, what documentation is needed, and whether the revised detail must be resubmitted. AIA A201–2017, §§3.12.8–3.12.9, 4.2.14 and Article 7

3. Carry the decision through to production. Update the affected drawings, cut lists, machining files, and purchase information. Pull superseded files from active use. If your project or shop requires a separate release, confirm who can issue it and which revision, items, and operations it covers. Hold affected work while a required decision, field check, or release is outstanding. If partial release is permitted, check whether the work proposed for release shares dimensions or interfaces with anything still on hold.

Worked example: An RFI changes a reception cabinet

This example uses fictional project records.

The architect returns MW-12 Rev B as Approved as Noted, with a note requiring a 600 mm clear equipment bay. Three days later, the GC forwards RFI 42, whose response identifies a new equipment model and calls for 650 mm clear between finished cabinet faces. The Rev C cutting package still shows 600 mm, and the field report gives only the width between unfinished alcove walls.

The later date alone does not establish that RFI 42 supersedes the review note or authorizes fabrication. The PM holds the affected cabinet and asks through the GC which dimension governs and whether the layout needs another review. The PM also arranges verification of the finished alcove width so the drafter can check the impact on the adjacent drawers and fillers.

The architect confirms in writing that 650 mm replaces the earlier note and requests a resubmittal because the drawer bank changes. With the finished opening verified, the drafter issues Rev D for review. After approval, the shop updates the cut list and machining files. Under this shop’s procedure, the PM then issues a written release identifying the cabinet and Rev D before cutting starts.

Before releasing an Approved as Noted package

• Match the returned stamp and markups to the exact reviewed sheets and revisions.
• Trace every applicable note to the current package or a documented disposition.
• Check later RFIs, supplemental instructions, and revisions for changes to the affected work.
• Verify field dimensions against the correct finished or rough reference surfaces and check affected supplier clearances.
• Obtain any required clarification, change documentation, or resubmittal approval.
• Verify that production drawings, cut lists, and machining files agree. Communicate any remaining holds.
• Confirm that any required release covers the exact revision, items, and operations about to start.

For a broader package review, use the millwork pre-fabrication review checklist. For an example that traces a supplier decision and a changed cutout through six project records, see Checking Millwork Shop Drawings Before Fabrication. Printable worksheets are available in Guides.

Alderspec is developing software to help teams compare drawings, revisions, approvals, RFIs, and correspondence so they can investigate conflicts and missing decisions. Design, field verification, and release decisions stay with the people responsible for the work. Explore Alderspec · Join early access