<SUBMISSION>
<ACCESSION-NUMBER>0001209191-07-000538
<TYPE>4
<PUBLIC-DOCUMENT-COUNT>1
<PERIOD>20070102
<FILING-DATE>20070103
<DATE-OF-FILING-DATE-CHANGE>20070103
<REPORTING-OWNER>
<OWNER-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>ROTH W RICHARD
<CIK>0001245289
</OWNER-DATA>
<FILING-VALUES>
<FORM-TYPE>4
<ACT>34
<FILE-NUMBER>001-08966
<FILM-NUMBER>07504114
</FILING-VALUES>
<BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<PHONE>4082799761
</BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<MAIL-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>374 W SANTA CLARA STREET
<CITY>SAN JOSE
<STATE>CA
<ZIP>95113
</MAIL-ADDRESS>
</REPORTING-OWNER>
<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>
<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>0001245289</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>ROTH W RICHARD</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>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>President &amp; CEO</officerTitle>
        </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>4268</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>28.79</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>114112</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>18300</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>By separate property 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.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">The resulting shares of deferred stock may be subject in whole or in part to vesting schedules tied to the reporting person?s continued service with the issuer and will be distributed as actual shares of the issuer?s common stock either at the time of vesting or at a specified time thereafter (including termination of service with the issuer).</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">Includes 14,000 shares underlying restricted stock units and 100,112 shares of deferred stock. These shares may be subject in whole or in part to vesting schedules tied to the reporting person?s continued service with the issuer and will be distributed as actual shares of the issuer?s common stock either at the time of vesting or at a specified time thereafter (including termination of service with the issuer).</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks></remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Suzy Papazian
Attorney-in-Fact for W. Richard Roth</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2007-01-03</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
</XML>
</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
</SUBMISSION>
