<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0202</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2005-08-08</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>1</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001118361</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>RENOVIS INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>RNVS</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001198321</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>CHAMPSI FARAH</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>ONE EMBARCADERO CENTER</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>SUITE 4050</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>SAN FRANCISCO</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>94132</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>1</isOther>
            <otherText>No longer a Director</otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2005-08-08</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>J</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F2"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>482259</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0.00</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>665976</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>See footnote</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2005-08-08</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>J</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F5"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>17741</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F5"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0.00</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>24499</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>See footnote</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F5"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2005-08-08</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>J</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>2385</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0.00</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>45087</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">n/a</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Alta BioPharma Partners II, L.P. (&quot;ABPII&quot;) distributed 482,259 shares to its general and limited partners based on their respective capital interests in ABPII in accordance with the Partnership Agreement without receipt of additional consideration from such partners.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">Farah Champsi resigned as a director on 6/16/2004. She is a managing director of Alta BioPharma Management Partners II, LLC (which is the general partner of Alta BioPharma Partners II, L.P. (&quot;ABPII&quot;)), and a manager of Alta Embarcadero BioPharma Partners II, LLC (&quot;AEPII&quot;). As a managing director and manager of such funds, she may be deemed to share voting and investment powers over the shares held by the funds. She disclaims beneficial ownership of all such shares held by ABPII and AEPII, except to the extent of her proportionate pecuniary interests therein. As a result of the 8/8/05 Stock Distribution, the 1999 Farah Hyder Champsi Trust received 2,385 shares of Common Stock.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">Alta Partners II, Inc.(&quot;APII&quot;) provides investment advisory services to several venture capital funds including, Alta BioPharma Partners II, L.P. (&quot;ABPII&quot;) &amp; Alta Embarcadero BioPharma Partners II, LLC (&quot;AEBP&quot;). As a result of the Stock Distribution on 8/8/2005, ABPII now benefically owns 665,976 shares &amp; AEPII now owns 24,499 shares. The respective general partners and managing members of ABPII and AEBPII exercise sole voting and investment power with respect to the shares owned by such funds. Certain principals of APII are managing directors of Alta BioPharma Management II, LLC (which is the general partner of ABPII) &amp; managers of AEBPII (respectively). As managing directors and managers of such funds, they may be deemed to share voting and investment powers for the shares held by the foregoing funds. The principals of APII disclaim beneficial ownership of all such shares held by the foregoing funds, except to the extent of their proportionate pecuniary interests therein.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F5">Alta Embarcadero BioPharma Partners II, LLC (&quot;AEPII&quot;) distributed 17,741 shares to its members based on their respective capital interests in AEBPII in accordance with the Operating Agreement without receipt of additional consideration from such partners.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks>Cross-reference with the Form 4 filed by Alta Partners II, Inc. on 8/9/2005</remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Farah Champsi</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2005-08-09</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
