A notice of completion is a document the owner records with the county once work on a private project is finished. In states that use it, recording the notice changes the lien deadline. California is the common example: without a recorded notice, claimants generally have 90 days after completion to record a lien; once the owner records a valid notice of completion, the deadline drops to 60 days for direct contractors and 30 days for everyone else. Other states have similar mechanisms, sometimes called a notice of cessation or an affidavit of completion. Deadlines and triggers vary, so check the project’s state.
The owner’s goal is to close the lien window faster so title is clear and final payment, including retainage, can go out with less risk.
Why it matters
Subs and suppliers who miss a recorded notice can lose their lien rights on a shortened clock. GCs need to track it too, because their own lien deadline and the timing of their subs’ final waivers both depend on it.
Common mistakes
- Assuming the longer, unrecorded deadline applies when the owner quietly recorded a notice.
- Treating substantial completion as the trigger when the statute uses actual completion or the recording date.
- Paying out final retainage before the shortened lien window closes and final unconditional waivers are in hand.
- Not checking county records for a notice during closeout.
How os.construction handles it
We’re building closeout tracking that puts the recorded notice date next to final lien waivers and retainage release, so deadlines are visible on the job record. It’s in development.