Running the Business · Part 3
Template: the 20-day preliminary notice, with the proof-of-notice declaration
Lesson 16 of 19~6 minFree previewCurrent as of September 2026
The form to send on day one of every job where you did not contract with the owner: the statutory contents, the boldface notice to the owner word for word, and the proof-of-notice declaration to fill out the same day with the mailing receipts attached. A filled-in example for a subcontract on a restaurant buildout follows the blank.
What the full lesson covers
- Send to the owner, the direct contractor, and any construction lender, within 20 days of first furnishing labor or materials; as a direct contractor with the owner, only to the lender if there is one.
- Deliver by personal delivery, or by registered, certified, or express mail, or overnight carrier; never first-class mail or email.
- Fill in the proof-of-notice declaration the day you send it and staple the receipts and tracking to it; it is the evidence in the foreclosure suit.
- Estimate the total price honestly, including likely extras.
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