<SUBMISSION>
<ACCESSION-NUMBER>0001209191-07-000750
<TYPE>4
<PUBLIC-DOCUMENT-COUNT>1
<PERIOD>20070102
<FILING-DATE>20070103
<DATE-OF-FILING-DATE-CHANGE>20070103
<ISSUER>
<COMPANY-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>SJW CORP
<CIK>0000766829
<ASSIGNED-SIC>4941
<IRS-NUMBER>770066628
<STATE-OF-INCORPORATION>CA
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>1231
</COMPANY-DATA>
<BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>374 WEST SANTA CLARA STREET
<CITY>SAN JOSE
<STATE>CA
<ZIP>95113
<PHONE>4082797800
</BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<MAIL-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>374 WEST SANTA CLARA STREET
<CITY>SAN JOSE
<STATE>CA
<ZIP>95113
</MAIL-ADDRESS>
</ISSUER>
<REPORTING-OWNER>
<OWNER-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>DINAPOLI J PHILIP
<CIK>0001198781
</OWNER-DATA>
<FILING-VALUES>
<FORM-TYPE>4
<ACT>34
<FILE-NUMBER>001-08966
<FILM-NUMBER>07505902
</FILING-VALUES>
<BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>11906 EAST DESERT TRAIL
<CITY>SCOTTSDALE
<STATE>AZ
<ZIP>85259
<PHONE>4089982460
</BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<MAIL-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>99 ALMADEN BLVD. SUITE 565
<CITY>SAN JOSE
<STATE>CA
<ZIP>95113
</MAIL-ADDRESS>
</REPORTING-OWNER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>4
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>doc4.xml
<DESCRIPTION>FORM 4 SUBMISSION
<TEXT>
<XML>
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0202</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2007-01-02</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000766829</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>SJW CORP</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>SJW</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001198781</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>DINAPOLI J PHILIP</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>374 W. SANTA CLARA STREET</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>SAN JOSE</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>95113</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2007-01-02</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>500</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>28.79</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>28986</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2007-01-02</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>1265</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>38.76</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>30251</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>600</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>By reporting person's and wife's revocable trust</value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">The securities represent deferred shares of the issuer?s common stock credited to the reporting person?s deferred compensation account pursuant to dividend equivalent rights.  Those rights resulted initially in the addition of cash sums to the account equal to the dividends which would have been paid  during the 2006 calendar year on the deferred stock credited to such account had that stock actually been issued and outstanding on each dividend payment date, and the accumulated sums were then converted into additional shares of deferred stock on the first business day of the following year based on the average of the closing selling prices of the issuer?s common stock on each of the dates during the 2006 calendar year on which actual dividends on the common stock were paid. The resulting shares of deferred stock will be distributed as actual shares of the issuer?s common stock following the reporting person?s cessation of service as a member of the issuer?s board of directors.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Includes 3,000 shares of Common Stock held under a Keogh Plan and 25,986 shares of deferred stock which may be subject in whole or in part to a vesting schedule tied to the reporting person?s continued service as a member of the issuer?s board of directors which will be distributed as actual shares of the issuer?s common stock following the reporting person?s cessation of such board service.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">The securities are attributable to the reporting person?s election to receive part of his non-employee director fees in the form of deferred shares of the issuer?s common stock.  The deferred stock will vest incrementally over the reporting person?s period of board service during the 2007 calendar year, and the deferred stock which so vests will be distributed as actual shares of the issuer?s common stock following the reporting person?s cessation of board service.  This award also includes certain dividend equivalent rights.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">Includes 3,000 shares of Common Stock held under a Keogh Plan and 27,251shares of deferred stock which may be subject in whole or in part to a vesting schedule tied to the reporting person?s continued service as a member of the issuer?s board of directors which will be distributed as actual shares of the issuer?s common stock following the reporting person?s cessation of such board service.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks></remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Suzy Papazian
Attorney-in-Fact for Philip DiNapoli</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2007-01-03</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
</XML>
</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
</SUBMISSION>
