Contra Costa County Preliminary Notice Form

Last validated July 29, 2026 by our Forms Development Team

Contra Costa County Preliminary Notice Form

Contra Costa County Preliminary Notice Form

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

Document Last Validated 7/20/2026
Contra Costa County Preliminary Notice Guide

Contra Costa County Preliminary Notice Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.

Document Last Validated 7/16/2026
Contra Costa County Completed Example of the Preliminary Notice Document

Contra Costa County Completed Example of the Preliminary Notice Document

Example of a properly completed form for reference.

Document Last Validated 7/29/2026

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

Immediate Download • Secure Checkout

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

Where to Record Your Documents

Contra Costa Clerk-Recorder

Address:
555 Escobar St / PO Box 350
Martinez, California 94553

Hours: 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM Monday through Friday

Phone: (925) 335-7910

Recording Tips for Contra Costa County:
  • Ask if they accept credit cards - many offices are cash/check only
  • Double-check legal descriptions match your existing deed
  • Check margin requirements - usually 1-2 inches at top
  • Make copies of your documents before recording - keep originals safe

Cities and Jurisdictions in Contra Costa County

Properties in any of these areas use Contra Costa County forms:

  • Alamo
  • Antioch
  • Bethel Island
  • Brentwood
  • Byron
  • Canyon
  • Clayton
  • Concord
  • Crockett
  • Danville
  • Diablo
  • Discovery Bay
  • El Cerrito
  • El Sobrante
  • Hercules
  • Knightsen
  • Lafayette
  • Martinez
  • Moraga
  • Oakley
  • Orinda
  • Pinole
  • Pittsburg
  • Pleasant Hill
  • Port Costa
  • Richmond
  • Rodeo
  • San Pablo
  • San Ramon
  • Walnut Creek

View Complete Recorder Office Guide

Hours, fees, requirements, and more for Contra Costa County

How do I get my forms?

Forms are available for immediate download after payment. The Contra Costa 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 Contra Costa County?

Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed the applicable formatting requirements used for recording in Contra Costa 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 Contra Costa 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 Contra Costa County?

Recording fees in Contra Costa County vary. Contact the recorder's office at (925) 335-7910 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 Contra Costa County to use these forms. Documents should be recorded at the office below.

This Preliminary Notice meets all recording requirements specific to Contra Costa County.

Our Promise

The documents you receive here are guaranteed to meet or exceed the applicable Contra Costa 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

Get your Contra Costa County Preliminary Notice form done right the first time with Deeds.com Uniform Conveyancing Blanks. At Deeds.com, we understand that your time and money are valuable resources, and we don't want you to face a penalty fee or rejection imposed by a county recorder for submitting nonstandard documents. We constantly review and update our forms to meet rapidly changing state and county recording requirements for roughly 3,500 counties and local jurisdictions.

4.8 out of 5 - ( 4765 Reviews )

Katherine M.

June 26th, 2019

Very helpful!

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

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Reply from Staff

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June 7th, 2025

This is an extremely helpful and very fast way to file with property recorders. It saved me time away from work and provided a receipt for the filing

Reply from Staff

Thank you, Michael! We're glad to hear the process was fast and efficient for you—and that it saved you time from work. Appreciate you sharing your experience!

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December 16th, 2021

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Reply from Staff

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February 9th, 2021

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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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April 3rd, 2019

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Reply from Staff

Thank you!

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May 9th, 2019

My rating is not a 5. Although it had good instructions, it would NOT print the whole document no matter how many times I inputted the names. I ended up writing it in to complete. I also recommend putting it on one page. I had to pay an additional fees per page and if I had to notarize it, why did I have to find 2 witnesses as well. I deserve a discount for the time I spent repeatedly putting the same data. I was trying to save money since Im on social security only. It didnt. Get it to work correctly

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback Lynnellen. Sorry to hear of your struggle with our document. We've gone ahead and refunded your payment. Hope you have a wonderful day.

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April 28th, 2020

I was able to print the deed and follow the instructions and sample deed quite easily. Thank you

Reply from Staff

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

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November 8th, 2021

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Reply from Staff

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February 26th, 2020

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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 26th, 2020

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Reply from Staff

Glad to hear you sought the assistance of a legal professional familiar with your specific situation, we always recommend that to anyone who is not completely sure of what they are doing. Have a wonderful day.

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June 2nd, 2021

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Reply from Staff

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