What counts as long-lead equipment
Long-lead equipment is anything that takes long enough to arrive that it can delay the job if it isn’t ordered early. On electrical projects, that usually includes:
- Switchgear and switchboards
- Transformers
- Generators and automatic transfer switches
- UPS systems
- Large or custom panelboards
- Lighting control systems and specialty fixtures
- Medium-voltage equipment
Lead times vary by product, manufacturer and market conditions, and they change over time. The only reliable number is a current one from your distributor or manufacturer.
Step 1: Identify long-lead items at the bid stage
Go through the drawings, schedules and specifications while you estimate, and list every item likely to be long-lead. Don’t wait until the job is awarded — by then, weeks may already be gone.
Step 2: Get current lead times before you commit
Ask your distributors for current lead times on each long-lead item as part of their quote, not just prices. Where lead times affect the schedule, note your assumptions in your bid so everyone starts with the same expectations.
Step 3: Work backwards from the need-on-site date
For each item, start with the date it must be on site and work backwards:
- Need-on-site date — from the project schedule
- Ship date — allowing time for transit and delivery
- Release for production — allowing for the manufacturer’s current lead time
- Submittal approval — allowing time for review, and for a possible resubmittal
- Submittal due date — the date your package must go in
If the math doesn’t work, raise it with the general contractor now, not when the equipment is late.
Step 4: Submit long-lead items first
- Put long-lead submittals at the front of the queue.
- Make them complete and clearly marked, so they aren’t returned for missing information.
- Ask the general contractor and design team to prioritize their review.
Step 5: Release and confirm the order
- Release for production as soon as the submittal is approved.
- Get a written order acknowledgment confirming what was ordered and the promised ship date.
- Check that catalog numbers match the approved submittal exactly.
Step 6: Track and expedite
- Check in regularly with your distributor or the manufacturer’s rep on each long-lead order.
- Record every change to a ship date, with the date you were told and who told you.
- Watch for slips early. A change of a week or two on a promised date is often the first sign of a bigger delay.
- Keep the general contractor informed whenever a date moves.
Step 7: Have a backup plan
If a critical item slips, options may include:
- An approved alternative from another manufacturer — which will need its own submittal and approval
- Temporary or rental equipment, such as a rental generator for temporary power
- Resequencing work so crews stay productive while you wait
Step 8: Prepare for delivery
- Confirm delivery details — address, access, delivery window and who will receive it.
- Arrange offloading and rigging for heavy equipment in advance.
- Plan storage that protects the equipment until it’s installed.
- Inspect on arrival and report any damage or missing parts immediately.
Common mistakes
- Identifying long-lead items only after award
- Pricing equipment without asking for lead times
- Letting long-lead submittals wait behind routine ones
- Accepting a verbal ship date without written confirmation
- Not noticing a slipping ship date until it’s too late
- Forgetting to plan the delivery itself