Law & Business · Lesson 5 of 8

The Preliminary Notice and Mechanics Lien Calendar

"The Preliminary Notice and Mechanics Lien Calendar" is lesson 5 of 8 in the Law & Business Learning Hub. It opens with "A Lien Is a Claim on Property; a Stop Notice Is a Claim on Funds" and works through 5 short steps, then a worked example you can check yourself against.

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Steps in this lesson

  1. A Lien Is a Claim on Property; a Stop Notice Is a Claim on Funds
  2. Step One: The 20-Day Preliminary Notice
  3. Step Two: The Subcontractor’s Clock After Completion
  4. Step Three: The Prime Contractor’s Clock
  5. Step Four: Enforce the Lien or Lose It

The worked example in the course applies this lesson to a realistic job in 5 steps, from "Preliminary Notice" through "If the owner had recorded nothing".

What you'll be able to do

  • Explain the main idea of "The Preliminary Notice and Mechanics Lien Calendar" in plain language you can use on the exam.
  • Apply this step with confidence: "Step Two: The Subcontractor’s Clock After Completion".
  • Apply this step with confidence: "Step Three: The Prime Contractor’s Clock".
  • Apply this step with confidence: "Step Four: Enforce the Lien or Lose It".
  • Test yourself on the worked example and the quick-check quiz inside the classroom.
PRELIMINARY NOTICE AND LIEN CALENDARSUBCONTRACTOR CALENDAR (NOTICE OF COMPLETION RECORDED)Mar 2First labor ormaterials furnishedMay 20Owner recordsNotice of CompletionSep 8Foreclosure suit +lis pendens dueMar 22Preliminary 20-dayNotice deadlineJun 10Delta recordsits Claim of LienJun 1930-day deadline torecord the lienPRIME CONTRACTOR (same Notice of Completion)Claim of Lien: 60 days = Jul 19Then foreclose within 90 days of recordingSubcontractor gets 30 days; prime gets 60NO NOTICE RECORDEDOwner accepts work May 4: 90 daysMay 4 + 90 days = Aug 2 to record the lienThen 90 days from recording to forecloseDeadlines: Mar 22 (notice), Jun 19 (lien), Sep 8 (foreclose)A missed deadline can forfeit the lien; keep every certified-mail receiptSource: CSLB Reference Book 2026, Sec. III (Mechanics Lien and Stop Notice Checklist, Glossary); B&P 7159(e)(4)CC
The diagram for this lesson, exactly as it appears in the Learning Hub.

The first steps of this lesson

Step 1: A Lien Is a Claim on Property; a Stop Notice Is a Claim on Funds

The California Constitution (Art. XIV, Section 3, quoted in the Reference Book, Section III) gives mechanics, material suppliers, artisans, and laborers a lien on the property they improved. A mechanics lien is a lien on property; a stop notice is a lien on funds, and you may use one or both. On public works you cannot file a mechanics lien, so a stop notice may be your only remedy. To perfect a lien the work or materials must be incorporated into the structure (installed), and a material supplier's own supplier has no statutory lien. The Reference Book warns that the time limits are short and the requirements strict.

Step 2: Step One: The 20-Day Preliminary Notice

Per the Reference Book's Mechanics Lien and Stop Notice Checklist, a subcontractor or material supplier must serve a Preliminary 20-day Notice on the owner, the original contractor, and the construction lender within 20 days from first furnishing labor or materials. Only one notice is required no matter how many deliveries are made. Serve it by first class certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, or by personal delivery, and keep the post office receipts to prove service. The notice may also be filed with the county recorder, who then reports a Notice of Completion or Cessation. Prime contractors and laborers do not send one; B&P Code 7159(e)(4) tells owners the law assumes they already know those people improve the property.

The remaining 3 steps, the worked example and the quiz are in the course. This is a preview. The full lesson, with the step-by-step explanations, a worked example and a quick-check quiz, is inside the classroom.

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