<?xml version="1.0"?>

<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0201</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2003-10-03</periodOfReport>


    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000851249</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>FORTUNE DIVERSIFIED INDUSTRIES INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>FDVI</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001121265</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>FISBECK JOHN F</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>111 MONUMENT CIRCLE</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>STE 4600</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>INDIANAPOLIS</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>IN</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>46204</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>

        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2003-10-01</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>P</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>13100000</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>75404332</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>See Note (1)</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>

    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Note (1): As a member of a control group, the Reporting Person (direct holding:
18,207,023 shares) may be deemed to be an indirect beneficial owner of the
shares owned by the other members of the control group, Carter M. Fortune
(42,016,793 shares), Robert J. Kingston (7,900,000 shares), Norman G. Wolcott,
Jr. (7,266,084 shares), Norman G. Wolcott, Jr. and Norman G. Wolcott, Sr., as
co-trustees of the Norman G. Wolcott, Sr. and Lucile H. Wolcott Revocable Trust
of 1995 (5,125,160 shares), and Harlan M. Schafir (13,100,000 shares). Neither
the fact of this filing nor anything contained herein shall be deemed to be an
admission that the Reporting Person is, for purposes of Section 16 of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or otherwise, the beneficial owner of any equity
securities covered by this statement.</footnote>
    </footnotes>


    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>John F. Fisbeck</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2003-10-03</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

</ownershipDocument>

