Notice of commencement

Why it matters

Subcontractors and suppliers read it to learn whom to send their lien notices to. Owners file it because, in the states that use it, getting it wrong can leave them exposed to mechanics liens they thought they'd paid off.

Two states, as examples

• Florida (§ 713.13): the owner records it in the clerk's office before work begins and posts a certified copy, or a notarized statement that it was filed, at the site. It's void if work doesn't start within 90 days, and expires one year after recording unless it says otherwise. The statutory form warns that payments after it expires can mean paying twice.
• Ohio (R.C. 1311.04): recorded with the county recorder in affidavit form before work starts, kept posted on the property, and good for four years unless it states another date. It doesn't apply to home construction contracts as Ohio's lien law defines them.

Many states have no notice of commencement at all, so check yours before assuming you need one.

An example

A Florida homeowner signs a re-roof contract, records the notice and posts a copy by the front door. The shingle supplier reads it and sends its notice to owner to the owner and anyone the owner designated.

The notice is a sworn county filing, so record it the way your clerk requires; SignMaster doesn't notarize or record documents. The roofing contract that comes before it can be signed in SignMaster.