California payment rights, explained.

Free California-specific guides for subs. On a deadline? Start with the calculator.

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Enter your first day on the job and get your 20-day preliminary notice deadline plus your mechanics lien window.

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Preliminary Notices

California preliminary notice: the complete guide
Preliminary notice deadline + free calculator
The 20-day preliminary notice, explained
How to serve a preliminary notice
Preliminary notice vs. notice of intent
Can you file a lien without a preliminary notice?

Mechanics Liens

How to file a mechanics lien
Mechanics lien deadlines
Mechanics lien requirements
How to release a mechanics lien
Mechanics lien vs. stop payment notice
Notice of intent to lien: the guide
Intent to lien letter template
Notice of Completion: the 30-day trap
What happens after you record a lien

Lien Waivers

California lien waivers: the 4 statutory forms
Conditional vs. unconditional lien waivers

Public Works

Public vs. private jobs: which remedy applies?
California stop payment notice
California payment bond claims
Miller Act claims on federal jobs

Getting Paid

How to collect payment from a GC
What to do when a GC won't pay
California Prompt Payment Act
Retention payment rules
Pay-if-paid clauses are unenforceable
Unlicensed contractors have no lien rights

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Notice Harbor prepares and mails your California preliminary notice by Certified Mail, then tracks every deadline. Your first notice is free.

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This page is general information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney–client relationship. California lien and notice deadlines are strict and fact-specific — “completion” alone can be triggered by actual completion, the owner’s occupancy or use, or a 60-day cessation of labor. Notice Harbor is not a law firm. Confirm any deadline that matters to your claim with a licensed California construction attorney.