California 20-day preliminary notice, dated from day one.
Enter your first day on the job. Get the date it has to go out, and to whom.
20-day preliminary notice by Sun, Oct 25, 2026
20-day preliminary notice: 20 days after your first day on the job. Send it to: owner, direct contractor, construction lender. Late notice still counts, but only for work done in the window before you send it and after.
Not legal advice. Check the statute or a construction lawyer before you count on a date.
California notice and lien rules by role
| Role | Preliminary notice | Record the lien |
|---|---|---|
| GC (contract with the owner) | None on a typical job | 90 days after the whole project is finished Cal. Civ. Code § 8412 |
| Subcontractor | 20-day preliminary notice: 20 days after your first day on the job | 90 days after the whole project is finished Cal. Civ. Code § 8414 |
| Supplier | 20-day preliminary notice: 20 days after your first day on the job | 90 days after the whole project is finished Cal. Civ. Code § 8414 |
Enforce it
Sue to enforce the lien: see the dates the tool works out above; (Cal. Civ. Code § 8460)
This is not legal advice. Lien deadlines are strict and they change with the contract, the type of project (a home vs. a commercial job), and what the owner records. Public jobs don't take liens at all: you make a bond claim instead. Check the statute we cite, or call a construction lawyer in that state, before you count on a date. Main statute: Cal. Civ. Code §§ 8000 to 8848.
Dozer counts the days from your first day on site.
Your gate camera already knows the day you started. Dozer counts the 45 days, fills the notice and reminds you before it's late. Then it tracks the lien deadline.
- First day taken from the site record
- Notice filled and ready to send
- Reminders at day 30 and day 40
- Lien and waiver deadlines on the same job
LIVE Day 38 of 45 · Notice to Owner Photo is an AI-generated stand-in, not a customer site.
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Questions crews ask
Who has to send a preliminary notice in California?
Subcontractor: 20-day preliminary notice, 20 days after your first day on the job to owner, direct contractor, construction lender. Supplier: 20-day preliminary notice, 20 days after your first day on the job to owner, direct contractor, construction lender.
What is the deadline to file a mechanics lien in California?
A GC records it 90 days after the whole project is finished. A subcontractor or supplier records it 90 days after the whole project is finished. It can be shorter if 30 days after the owner records a notice of completion or cessation. (Cal. Civ. Code § 8412).
Do I need a preliminary notice in California?
Subcontractor: 20-day preliminary notice: 20 days after your first day on the job. Supplier: 20-day preliminary notice: 20 days after your first day on the job.
How long do I have to enforce a lien in California?
90 days after you record the lien. (Cal. Civ. Code § 8460).
Can I put a lien on a public project in California?
No. Public property can't be liened. On a public job you make a claim on the contractor's payment bond instead, under the state's Little Miller Act (or the federal Miller Act on federal work), with its own notice deadlines.
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