Preliminary notices
Send a preliminary notice
The document that stops you needing the rest of this site — it goes out at the start of a job, not when the money is already stuck — $49, flat. Available in 34 states, and shaded below by what skipping it costs you there.
Required of every claimant Required of some claimants Worth sending — not a cliff
Required of every claimant 4
Whoever you are on the job, the notice is a condition of the lien. Miss it and there is no lien to file.
Required of some claimants 13
A condition of the lien for certain positions in the chain, or on certain kinds of project. Where it applies to you, missing it costs the lien — your state page says which.
Worth sending — not a cliff 17
No lien is lost for skipping it. What you lose is narrower: part of the claim, your priority against a lender, or the easy proof that you were on the job.
Not listed? Find your state’s deadlines and rules → · What everything costs →