Preliminary Notice Deadline Calculator
A preliminary notice tells the owner and lender you are on the job and preserves your lien rights in states that require one. Find out when yours is due.
- Choose the state where the property is.
- Enter your first day of labor or materials on the project.
- Read the due date and the days you have left.
This is an estimate, not legal advice. Whether you must send a preliminary notice depends on your state, your role and the project type.
Save this project in LienWarden. LienWarden lists this notice with the rest of the project’s lien dates and drafts the notice in your business name. Your first project is free and you can start without an account.
How the due date is counted
The calculator adds the number of days LienWarden tracks for the state to your first day of labor or materials, counting calendar days. In those rules the shortest window is 8 days (Oregon) and the longest is 120 days (Maryland). For New York the rules list no general preliminary notice.
Many contractors send the notice on every job at mobilization, before the clock matters. It costs little, reads as routine paperwork to the owner, and keeps the lien option open if payment stalls. The preliminary notices guide covers who sends one and how.
Windows by state
The general window LienWarden tracks for each state, counted from first furnishing. Rules differ by role and project type; each state page cites its statute.
| State | Preliminary notice window |
|---|---|
| Alabama | 30 days |
| Alaska | 15 days |
| Arizona | 20 days |
| Arkansas | 75 days |
| California | 20 days |
| Colorado | 30 days |
| Connecticut | 30 days |
| Delaware | 20 days |
| Florida | 45 days |
| Georgia | 30 days |
| Hawaii | 30 days |
| Idaho | 30 days |
| Illinois | 60 days |
| Indiana | 30 days |
| Iowa | 30 days |
| Kansas | 21 days |
| Kentucky | 75 days |
| Louisiana | 30 days |
| Maine | 30 days |
| Maryland | 120 days |
| Massachusetts | 30 days |
| Michigan | 20 days |
| Minnesota | 45 days |
| Mississippi | 30 days |
| Missouri | 30 days |
| Montana | 20 days |
| Nebraska | 30 days |
| Nevada | 31 days |
| New Hampshire | 30 days |
| New Jersey | 30 days |
| New Mexico | 30 days |
| New York | none tracked |
| North Carolina | 30 days |
| North Dakota | 30 days |
| Ohio | 21 days |
| Oklahoma | 75 days |
| Oregon | 8 days |
| Pennsylvania | 30 days |
| Rhode Island | 30 days |
| South Carolina | 30 days |
| South Dakota | 60 days |
| Tennessee | 30 days |
| Texas | 45 days |
| Utah | 20 days |
| Vermont | 30 days |
| Virginia | 30 days |
| Washington | 60 days |
| West Virginia | 30 days |
| Wisconsin | 60 days |
| Wyoming | 30 days |
Questions
What is a preliminary notice in construction?
A written notice sent early in a project, usually by subcontractors and suppliers, telling the owner (and often the general contractor and lender) who you are and what you are supplying. In states that require one, skipping it can cost you the right to file a lien later.
Who has to send a preliminary notice?
It depends on the state and your role. Contractors hired directly by the owner are often exempt, while subcontractors and suppliers usually are not. Check your state’s rules on its state deadline page.
What if I missed the preliminary notice deadline?
Send it anyway as soon as you can. In some states a late notice still protects work furnished during a set period before it is served, and it protects everything you furnish afterward. Confirm the rule for your state.
How should a preliminary notice be delivered?
Most states that require one specify the method, often certified mail or personal delivery, and the recipients. Keep proof of mailing; it is your evidence if the notice is ever challenged.