<SUBMISSION>
<ACCESSION-NUMBER>0001209191-07-022067
<TYPE>4
<PUBLIC-DOCUMENT-COUNT>1
<PERIOD>20070402
<FILING-DATE>20070403
<DATE-OF-FILING-DATE-CHANGE>20070403
<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>ROTH W RICHARD
<CIK>0001245289
</OWNER-DATA>
<FILING-VALUES>
<FORM-TYPE>4
<ACT>34
<FILE-NUMBER>001-08966
<FILM-NUMBER>07746560
</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>
<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>2007-04-02</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>2007-04-02</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate>
                <value>2007-04-02</value>
            </deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>206</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>36.25</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>134067</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </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 initally in the addition of a cash sum to the account equal to the dividends which would have been paid during the first quarter of 2007 on shares covered by the reporting person's April 2003 Stock Option and the deferred stock credited thereunder pursuant to dividend equivalent rights had all such stock actually been issued and outstanding on March 1, 2007, the dividend payment date. The accumulated sum was then converted into additional shares of deferred stock on the first business day following the end of the 2007 first quarter based on the closing selling price of the issuer's common stock on March 1, 2007, on which date actual dividends on the common stock were paid during the first quarter of 2007.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Includes 2,249 shares of Common Stock of the Company.
Also includes 31,500 shares underlying restricted stock units and 100,318 shares of deferred restricted stock. These shares may be subject in whole or in part to vesting schedules tied to Mr. Roth?s continued service with the Company or his performance and will be distributed as actual shares of Common Stock of the Company 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>2007-04-03</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
</XML>
</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
</SUBMISSION>
