Alameda County Preliminary Notice Form

Last validated May 20, 2026 by our Forms Development Team

Alameda County Preliminary Notice Form

Alameda County Preliminary Notice Form

Fill in the blank Preliminary Notice form formatted to comply with all California recording and content requirements.

Document Last Validated 5/19/2026
Alameda County Preliminary Notice Guide

Alameda County Preliminary Notice Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.

Document Last Validated 5/20/2026
Alameda County Completed Example of the Preliminary Notice Document

Alameda County Completed Example of the Preliminary Notice Document

Example of a properly completed form for reference.

Document Last Validated 4/27/2026

All 3 documents above included • One-time purchase • No recurring fees

Immediate Download • Secure Checkout

Important: Your property must be located in Alameda County to use these forms. Documents should be recorded at the office below.

Where to Record Your Documents

Alameda County Clerk-Recorder

Address:
1106 Madison St
Oakland, California 94607

Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30 to 4:30 (avoid 12:00 to 2:00)

Phone: 510-272-6362 or 888-280-7708

Dublin Office

Address:
7600 Dublin Blvd, Suite 160 (enter through courtyard)
Dublin, California 94568

Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30 to 4:30

Phone: as above

Recording Tips for Alameda County:
  • Verify all names are spelled correctly before recording
  • Leave recording info boxes blank - the office fills these
  • Avoid the last business day of the month when possible

Cities and Jurisdictions in Alameda County

Properties in any of these areas use Alameda County forms:

  • Alameda
  • Albany
  • Berkeley
  • Castro Valley
  • Dublin
  • Emeryville
  • Fremont
  • Hayward
  • Livermore
  • Newark
  • Oakland
  • Piedmont
  • Pleasanton
  • San Leandro
  • San Lorenzo
  • Sunol
  • Union City

View Complete Recorder Office Guide

Hours, fees, requirements, and more for Alameda County

How do I get my forms?

Forms are available for immediate download after payment. The Alameda County forms will be in your account ready to download to your computer. An account is created for you during checkout if you don't have one. Forms are NOT emailed.

Are these forms guaranteed to be recordable in Alameda County?

Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed the applicable formatting requirements used for recording in Alameda County, including margin requirements, font requirements, and other layout standards. This guarantee applies to formatting, not to the legal sufficiency of information entered by the user or the suitability of a form for a particular transaction.

Can I reuse these forms?

Yes. You can reuse the forms for your personal use. For example, if you have multiple properties in Alameda County you only need to order once.

What do I need to use these forms?

The forms are PDFs that you fill out on your computer. You'll need Adobe Reader (free software that most computers already have). You do NOT enter your property information online - you download the blank forms and complete them privately on your own computer.

Are there any recurring fees?

No. This is a one-time purchase. Nothing to cancel, no memberships, no recurring fees.

How much does it cost to record in Alameda County?

Recording fees in Alameda County vary. Contact the recorder's office at 510-272-6362 or 888-280-7708 for current fees.

Questions answered? Let's get started!

A claimant other than a laborer or direct contractor must serve preliminary notice under Civ. Code 8200 in order reserve the right to to claim a future mechanic's lien on a property. The notice must be served to the owner, direct contractor, and construction lender, if any.

California law requires notice to be served within 20 days of first furnishing labor, materials, services, or equipment in a work of improvement. A claimant may give late notice, but this limits the claimant's lien to only work performed within 20 days prior to giving the late notice, and work from that point forward (Civ. Code 8204).

Notices in relation to mechanic's liens must follow requirements under Civ. Code 8102, which include the names and addresses of the owners, direct contractor, and construction lender, if any, a description of the job site and job site address, and the name, address, and relationship to the parties of the claimant providing notice.

In addition to these requirements, the preliminary notice under Civ. Code 8200 requires a general description of the work provided by the potential claimant, an estimate of the total price of the work, and a verbatim notice to the property owner established by statute. If a preliminary notice is given by a subcontractor who has not paid all compensation due to a laborer, the notice also requires the name and address of all laborers to whom payment is due (Civ. Code 8202).

Pursuant to Civ. Code 8106, notice can be served by personal delivery, mail (as provided by Civ. Code 8110), or leaving a notice and mailing a copy according to the Code of Civil Procedure for service of summons in a civil action.

While this notice is typically not recorded, it may be filed with the county recorder for the limited purpose of facilitating the recorder's mailing of notices. When recorded, the preliminary notice does not constitute a recorded document and is maintained in a separate index. It does not function to provide constructive notice to third parties (Cal Civ. Code 8214).

Consult a lawyer with questions about preliminary notices, mechanic's lien laws, or any other issues related to real property in the State of California.

Important: Your property must be located in Alameda County to use these forms. Documents should be recorded at the office below.

This Preliminary Notice meets all recording requirements specific to Alameda County.

Our Promise

The documents you receive here are guaranteed to meet or exceed the applicable Alameda County recording format requirements. If there is a rejection caused by our formatting, we will correct the issue or refund your payment. This guarantee applies to document formatting only and does not extend to information entered by the user, the selection of the form, or the legal effect of the completed document.

Save Time and Money

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4.8 out of 5 - ( 4734 Reviews )

Cathy W.

December 18th, 2021

Easy to use and fee is reasonable.

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

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August 20th, 2020

1) I was very pleased when the staff mentioned your service since the three referenced on the Recorder's website all wanted HUGE Account set-up and maintenance fees AND BIG fees per recording, and yours has no set-up fee AND nominal per-recording fee; 2) My (few) recordings will be NON-LAND Related, summary or entire record(s) of Administrative (Procedures Act) records, Other than the Border width and Cover Sheet, do you anticipate any other special requirements for such recording(s)? NOTE: I just sent one by Snail Mail, and they just informed me that due to the GERMIPHOBIA 'Pandemic' the ONLY open and record Snail Mail ONCE A MONTH On the first of each chmonth!

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

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May 22nd, 2026

You form was good the only thing that did not work was the download to fill it out !!! I use a Mac system and maybe that's what the issue was. I filled it out by hand and it worked for the purpose .

Reply from Staff

Thanks for the kind words, Roman. Glad the form worked for you. For the fillable fields, the PDF opens best in a dedicated reader like Preview or Adobe Acrobat rather than inside a browser window, which can sometimes flatten them out. We appreciate your business.

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Reply from Staff

We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!

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May 23rd, 2022

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Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!

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Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback Pamela. Have a fantastic day!

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Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!

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August 1st, 2025

I can't recommend working with Deeds.com enough. I had been given incorrect information from another document service. The helpful staff member at Deeds.com that assisted in the submission of the recording was exceptionally helpful in making sure what I was submitting included the necessary elements required by the county. I am very thankful I chose Deeds.com for my eRecording service. Thank you!!

Reply from Staff

Thank you, Linda! We’re so glad our team could assist in making sure your submission met the county’s requirements. It means a lot that you chose Deeds.com after a frustrating experience elsewhere. We appreciate your trust and kind words!

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February 16th, 2019

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Reply from Staff

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Reply from Staff

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Reply from Staff

Thank you!

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Reply from Staff

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Reply from Staff

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Reply from Staff

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Reply from Staff

We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!