What Goes in an LED Strip Submittal Package, Page by Page

An LED strip submittal clears review when the reviewer can check every line of the specification against a page in the package without sending a question back. A cut sheet alone rarely does that: the driver, the controls, the layout and the listing have to be there as well. Five things decide most reviews:

• One cut sheet per fixture type, with the ordered options marked.
• Photometry for the finished strip (LM-79 and an IES file), not only LED life data (LM-80).
• A listing page that names whose listing it is and what it covers.
• A layout drawing with every run, feed, driver and cut length.
• Samples and a revision block, so the approved product is the one that ships.

The rest of this page goes through the package in the order a reviewer usually reads it. Terms a reviewer may query, such as L70, LM-79 or Class 2, are defined in our LED strip lighting glossary.

The Package at a Glance

Section	What it contains	Usually comes from	What the reviewer checks
Cover and transmittal	Project, spec section, submittal and revision number, contractor’s review stamp	Contractor	That it came through the contractor and matches the log
Fixture schedule cross-reference	Each fixture tag mapped to a model and a page	Contractor with supplier	Every tag is covered once
Product data	One cut sheet per type, options marked	Supplier	CCT, CRI, W/ft, lm/ft, voltage, IP, cut step, run per feed
Photometry	LM-79 report, IES file	Manufacturer via supplier	Same model, CCT and cover as specified
LED life data	LM-80 and TM-21 projection, if the spec asks	LED package maker via supplier	Package matches the strip
Listing and compliance	Listing file and scope, energy code pages, RoHS	Original manufacturer via supplier	Scope fits the installation
Drivers and controls	Driver and controller cut sheets, compatibility statement	Supplier	Class 2 marking, dimming protocol, load
Layout drawing	Runs, feeds, drivers, cut lengths	Contractor with supplier’s limits	Runs inside limits, access to drivers
Mounting details	Channel, cover, end caps, clips, joints	Supplier and contractor	Fits the detail on the drawings
Samples	Lit sample at the specified CCT and cover	Supplier	Color, uniformity, dots, finish
Warranty and O&M	Warranty terms, maintenance and spares	Supplier	Period and conditions
Deviations	One line per spec item that differs	Contractor	Reason and effect of each change

1. 1CoverSchedule cross-referenceEvery tag once
2. 2Product dataOne cut sheet per typeOptions marked
3. 3PhotometryLM-79, IESSame model and cover
4. 4ListingHolder, standard, modelScope fits the location
5. 5Drivers, controlsClass 2, dimmingCompatible pair
6. 6Layout drawingRuns, feeds, cutsInside run limits
7. 7SamplesLit, as specifiedApproved reference
8. 8DeviationsOne line per itemEven if none

Cover Sheet and Fixture Schedule

The cover sheet is where most packages lose a day. It needs the spec section, the fixture tags covered, the submittal number and the revision, and the contractor’s review stamp. Some owners require the contractor to send it: according to Iowa DOT’s lighting special provisions, submittals sent directly from suppliers or subcontractors are not reviewed.

Add a one-page cross-reference: each fixture tag on the schedule, the model submitted for it, and the page where its data starts. A reviewer working down the schedule should never have to hunt.

Checkpoint: every tag on the fixture schedule appears once, and only the tags in this submittal appear.

Product Data: One Cut Sheet per Type

Give each fixture type its own cut sheet and mark the options being ordered. The Chicago Public Schools interior lighting standard, for example, tells contractors not to group similar fixture types on one cut sheet, and returns submittals without option data unreviewed. A forum thread on Mike Holt’s site describes the opposite habit, a contractor sending an entire catalog with nothing marked, and how much reviewers dislike it.

For LED strip, the marked line should show at least:

• Model number and family
• CCT, CRI (and R9 if specified)
• Watts per foot and lumens per foot at that CCT
• Input voltage, cut step and rated run per feed
• PCB width, IP rating and the location the strip is intended for

As an example of what one row of a spec table gives you: UT-C480-8 is an 8 mm COB strip at 12V or 24V, Ra≥90, 3.2 W/ft, 2700–6000K, cut every 0.98 in at 12V or 1.97 in at 24V, rated 16 ft (5 m) per feed, IP20. Our guide to reading an LED strip spec sheet covers each column.

Photometry: LM-79, LM-80 and TM-21 Are Different Documents

These three are often treated as one requirement. They answer different questions.

Document	What was tested	What it tells the reviewer
LM-79 report	The finished product, here a length of the strip	Measured lumens, watts, efficacy, CCT, CRI and light distribution
IES file	Produced from the photometric test	Data the lighting calculations use
LM-80 report	The LED packages, run for thousands of hours	How the LED package’s output holds up over time
TM-21 projection	A calculation from LM-80 data	Projected lumen maintenance, within limits set by the test hours

LM-80 does not replace LM-79. An LM-80 report says how the LED package ages; it says nothing about how many lumens the finished strip gives behind a particular cover, at a particular density, on a particular board. The reviewer comparing your strip with the basis of design needs the finished-product numbers.

Check three things on any LM-79 report: that it names the same model and CCT you are submitting, that it shows the lab, report number and date (Iowa DOT’s provisions ask for exactly these), and that the tested configuration matches the job, bare strip or strip in its channel and cover. If the design calculations used an IES file, submit the file for the same configuration. Our lumens per watt guide explains why rated and delivered output differ.

For LM-80, ask whether data exists for the LED package used on the strip, and submit it only when the spec asks for it.

Listing and Compliance Pages

The listing page must show whose listing it is, which standard it is to and which model it covers. A logo on a cut sheet proves none of those. For LED strip, certification is held by the original manufacturer of the product, and coverage varies by model; on our range, UL Listed options are available and RoHS documentation goes into the submittal package. Confirm the listing for the exact model on the schedule. If the spec asks for HPD, EPD or Declare documents, what exists for LED strip is covered separately.

Two of our guides cover the detail: which UL standard applies to LED strip and UL Listed vs ETL Listed. Where an energy code applies, add its pages too; in California that can mean Title 24 documentation, which our Title 24 guide walks through.

Checkpoint: the listing scope matches how the strip will be installed, including dry, damp or wet location.

Driver, Dimming and Control Data

Strip without its driver is half a fixture, and reviewers increasingly ask for the whole system. Include:

• The driver cut sheet with the Class 2 marking if the design relies on Class 2 wiring
• The dimming protocol and a statement that the driver and the control are a compatible pair
• The load on each driver and the loading margin
• The controller or decoder cut sheet for tunable white or color runs
• Where each driver sits and how it is reached

Our 24V Class 2 drivers are rated 60 W each, so a long run splits across several drivers; our power supply sizing guide shows the arithmetic. A system bill of materials, one line per part with quantities, closes this section.

Layout Drawing: Runs, Feeds and Cut Lengths

This is the page most LED strip submittals are missing. A reflected ceiling plan or millwork elevation with the strip drawn on it should show:

1. Each run numbered, with its length.
2. Feed points, and which driver feeds each run.
3. Driver locations, access panels and home-run lengths.
4. Cut lengths per piece, checked against the strip’s cut step.
5. Joint locations and corners.
6. Class 2 circuit count where Class 2 wiring is used.

The point of the drawing is that the reviewer can see every run is inside its rated length per feed before anything is cut. Spec tables give those limits per model: most of our 12V and 24V strip is rated 16 ft (5 m) per feed, while UT-C480-8-48V is rated 65 ft (20 m) on a single feed.

R1 · 16 ftDriver D1 · feed at the closet end

R2 · 16 ftDriver D2 · feed at the closet end

R3 · 12 ft 3 inDriver D2 · cut length checked against the 1.97 in cut step

Channel, Diffuser and Mounting Details

Include the channel model, its cover, end caps, mounting clips and the detail it sits in. Reviewers check that the channel fits the strip width, the cover gives the look specified (clear, frosted or opal) and the section fits the detail on the architectural drawings. Our diffuser guide covers the cover choice.

Samples, Mockups and the Approved Reference

A sample answers what paper cannot: the color of the white, dots through the cover, the finish of the channel. Submit a lit sample at the specified CCT, in the specified channel and cover where possible. Architect Magazine’s article on the lighting specification process makes the same point: mockups and tabletop demonstrations confirm characteristics a document review cannot.

Once a sample is approved, it becomes the reference. On our project supply jobs the approved sample is kept as the reference for later releases, and test reports and binning records are shared before anything ships. That matters on phased jobs, where the second delivery has to match the first; our guide to why a second reel may not match covers the binning side.

Warranty, O&M and Spares

The closeout pages are often requested with the submittal, not at the end. For strip they should cover:

• Warranty terms: the period and conditions for the models submitted. Ours are set out in our warranty policy: a limited warranty of up to 5 years on LED strip, with the period for each order stated on the quotation, depending on the product series.
• Operation and maintenance: driver locations and how to reach them, the label convention for runs and channels, the dimming system’s settings, and how a damaged section is cut out and rejoined.
• Spares: extra strip from the same production lot, end caps and connectors for each cut end type, and a spare driver of each type. Spares bought later rarely match the installed white as well as spares bought with the job.

Checkpoint: the O&M pages name every driver location shown on the layout drawing.

Or-Equal and Deviations

When the submitted product is not the basis of design, the package needs a deviation schedule: one line per specification item that differs, the submitted value, and the reason. Leave nothing for the reviewer to discover.

Architect Magazine notes that a product that looks similar can differ significantly in photometric data, which changes light levels and energy use. For strip, put the basis-of-design values and the submitted values side by side: lumens per foot, watts per foot, CRI and R9, CCT, cut step, run per feed, IP rating, listing. Send substitutions through the channel the specification names; a different brand installed without a request leaves the engineer deciding whether to reject it after the fact.

Revisions and Resubmittal

Every resubmittal carries a revision number, clouds or highlights what changed, and answers each review comment by number. Keep the earlier revision in the log.

Do not order before approval. Many specifications say so directly; one municipal project specification, for example, states that no material is ordered and no shop work starts until the engineer approves the shop drawings. If the product changes after approval because a model is discontinued or a CCT is unavailable, submit the change as a new revision; do not swap it on site.

FAQ

Before It Goes Out

• Cover sheet: spec section, tags, submittal and revision numbers, contractor stamp
• One cut sheet per fixture type, options marked
• LM-79 and IES for the submitted model and configuration
• Listing page naming the holder, standard, model and location
• Driver, dimming and control pages with a compatibility statement
• Layout drawing: runs, feeds, drivers, cut lengths, access
• Channel, cover and mounting details
• Lit samples at the specified CCT
• Warranty, O&M and spares
• Deviation schedule, even if it says “none”

Our quotes come with the datasheets, test reports and binning records for each model, the run limits and cut steps for your layout drawing, and samples for approval; the project supply service explains how the approved sample is held as the reference. Send the fixture schedule and drawings and request a quote.