<?xml version="1.0"?>

<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0201</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2003-12-09</periodOfReport>


    <notSubjectToSection16>1</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000929428</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>OFFICEMAX INC /OH/</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>OMX</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001220226</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>WOODS JACQUELINE F</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1></rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity></rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState></rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode></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>2003-12-09</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>D</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>13491</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>0</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>

    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <derivativeTable>

        <derivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Stock Options (right to buy)</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>4.25</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2003-12-09</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>M</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>25000</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>5.39</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <exerciseDate>
                <value>2003-12-09</value>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2012-08-30</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common Stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>25000</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>0</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeTransaction>

    </derivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of July 13, 2003, (the &quot;Merger Agreement&quot;), among Boise Cascade Corporation, a Delaware corporation (&quot;Boise&quot;), Challis Corporation, an Ohio corporation and a direct wholly owned subsidiary of Boise, and OfficeMax, Inc. (&quot;OfficeMax&quot;), shares of OfficeMax common stock have been exchanged pursuant to an exchange ratio.  The reporting person will receive cash, Boise common stock or a combination of the two valued pursuant to the Merger Agreement at $9.00 per OfficeMax share, subject to increase or decrease as described in the Merger Agreement.  The consideration received will depend on both the election of the reporting person and on elections made by other shareholders of OfficeMax.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, on December 9, 2003, options to purchase shares of OfficeMax common stock exercisable at prices above $9.00 were terminated and all options to purchase shares of OfficeMax common stock exercisable at prices below $9.00 were cancelled in exchange for a lump sum cash payment equal to the product of (i) the excess, if any, of $9.00 over the exercise price for that stock option, and (ii) the number of shares of OfficeMax common stock subject to the stock option.  In addition, holders of unvested options of OfficeMax common stock who agreed to permit OfficeMax to cancel unvested options will receive a lump sum cash payment equal to the product of (i) the excess, if any, of the closing share price for OfficeMax common stock on the date immediately prior to the date such OfficeMax common stock was cancelled over the exercise price for that unvested stock option and (ii) the number of shares of OfficeMax common stock subject to the unvested stock option.</footnote>
    </footnotes>


    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Ross H. Pollock, Attorney-in-fact for Jacqueline F. Woods</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2003-12-10</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

</ownershipDocument>

