A lien waiver trades lien rights for payment — you sign away rights for work or money covered by the waiver, usually as a condition of getting a progress check. They're normal and unavoidable; the danger is in the details: conditional vs. unconditional, and partial vs. final.
The working rule: give a conditional waiver when a check is promised (it only takes effect if the check clears) and an unconditional one only after funds have actually cleared. Read the covered-through date, watch for language waiving claims beyond the payment amount (retention, change orders, delay claims), and never sign a final waiver for a progress payment.
General education, not legal advice — lien law is state-specific and changes. For your state's exact windows, use the free deadline calculator; for anything contested, talk to a construction attorney.
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