Preliminary notice
A preliminary notice is a written notice a subcontractor or supplier serves early in a job on the property owner, the contractor who hired the job and any construction lender, saying who they are and what they're providing. In many states it's the first step to keeping the right to file a mechanics lien.
Updated November 9, 2026 · 1 min read
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Why it matters
Owners only see the general contractor. The notice tells them who else could claim against the property if they go unpaid, so they can ask for lien waivers as money moves down the chain. Skip it, and the lien right can be gone before you need it.
Two states, as examples
- California (Civil Code §§ 8200 and 8204): serve the owner, the direct contractor and the lender within 20 days of first furnishing work. A late notice still counts, but only for work done in the 20 days before it and after. Laborers are exempt.
- Arizona (A.R.S. § 33-992.01): the "preliminary twenty day notice" goes to the owner, the original contractor, the lender and whoever hired you within 20 days of first furnishing labor or materials to the jobsite, with an estimate of your total price and a bold statement that it is not a lien.
Florida calls its version a notice to owner, and some states have no such step. Deadlines and recipients differ, so read your own state's lien statute.
An example
A drywall supplier first delivers to a California house on March 3 and serves notice on March 18: every delivery is covered. If it waits until April 15, only deliveries from March 26 on are protected.
A preliminary notice is served, not signed by the owner, so it isn't something to send for signature. The conditional lien waivers that follow each payment are.
General information, not legal advice
Lien notice rules are strict and change. Check the statute or ask a construction attorney before relying on a deadline.
Sources
- California Civil Code § 8200, who must give preliminary notice · leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
- California Civil Code § 8204, the 20-day deadline for preliminary notice · leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
- Arizona Revised Statutes § 33-992.01, preliminary twenty day notice · azleg.gov
- Florida Statutes § 713.06, notice to owner · leg.state.fl.us