Philadelphia County Notice of Commencement Form

Last validated July 30, 2026 by our Forms Development Team

Philadelphia County Notice of Commencement Form

Philadelphia County Notice of Commencement Form

Fill in the blank Notice of Commencement form formatted to comply with all Pennsylvania recording and content requirements.

Document Last Validated 7/21/2026
Philadelphia County Notice of Commencement Guide

Philadelphia County Notice of Commencement Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.

Document Last Validated 7/24/2026
Philadelphia County Completed Example of the Notice of Commencement Document

Philadelphia County Completed Example of the Notice of Commencement Document

Example of a properly completed form for reference.

Document Last Validated 7/30/2026

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

Immediate Download • Secure Checkout

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

Where to Record Your Documents

Records Dept - Recording Div

Address:
City Hall 1400 JFK Blvd., Rm 111
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19129

Hours: 8:00 to 2:00 M-F

Phone: (215) 686-2260

Recording Tips for Philadelphia County:
  • Double-check legal descriptions match your existing deed
  • White-out or correction fluid may cause rejection
  • Avoid the last business day of the month when possible
  • Ask about their eRecording option for future transactions

Cities and Jurisdictions in Philadelphia County

Properties in any of these areas use Philadelphia County forms:

  • Philadelphia

View Complete Recorder Office Guide

Hours, fees, requirements, and more for Philadelphia County

How do I get my forms?

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

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

Recording fees in Philadelphia County vary. Contact the recorder's office at (215) 686-2260 for current fees.

Questions answered? Let's get started!

As a Pennsylvania property owner, should I file a Notice of Commencement?

Mechanic's Liens are governed by Title 49 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes.

In Pennsylvania, an owner may file an OPTIONAL Notice of Commencement with the Directory of General Services (DGS) registry. The purpose of filing the Notice of Commencement is to provide all the relevant information necessary for a subcontractor or supplier to file a Notice of Furnishing. 501.3.

Prior to the commencement of labor or the furnishing of materials for a searchable project that may give rise to a mechanics' lien under the mechanic's lien code, the searchable project owner or agent of the searchable project owner may file a Notice of Commencement with the directory. 501.3(a)(1). The contractor can also act as the owner's agent and file the Notice of Commencement if the contract provides. 501.3(a)(2).

Filing a Notice of Commencement triggers the requirement for a subcontractor or supplier on the job to serve you with a Notice of Furnishing within 45 days. 501.3(b)(1).

Section 501.3(a)(3) states that the Notice of Commencement must include the following information:
1) Name, street address, and e-mail address of the general contractor.
2) Name and location of the project.
3) County in which the project is located.
4) Legal description of the property, including all its tax-parcel identifying numbers.
5) Name, address, and e-mail address of the owner of the property and (if different) of the project.
6) If applicable, the name, address, and e-mail address of a surety for performance and payment bonds.

Upon receipt of a Notice of Commencement, the Directory will assign a unique identifying notice to it. 501.1(e)(1). Additionally, the Notice must be posted at the worksite and the owner must take reasonable steps during construction to ensure the notice remains posted and available for view. 501.3(a)(4). The project owner and contractor must also make reasonable efforts to ensure that a copy of the Notice of Commencement is included in all contract documents that are provided to subcontractors who awarded work on the project. 501.3(a)(5).

This article is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to substitute for the advice of an attorney. If you have any questions about filing a Notice of Commencement or any other issue with Pennsylvania mechanic's liens, contact an attorney familiar with construction or lien law.

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

This Notice of Commencement meets all recording requirements specific to Philadelphia County.

Our Promise

The documents you receive here are guaranteed to meet or exceed the applicable Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia County Notice of Commencement 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.

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June 17th, 2019

I needed to add my husband to my deed. an attorney would charge me $275.00. I decided to file myself. This makes it easy. Not done w/the process yet. But so far so good! :)

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July 13th, 2020

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December 28th, 2021

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February 22nd, 2024

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April 1st, 2021

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October 30th, 2019

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April 7th, 2020

I love how quick the turnaround is, my only request would be for an email notification be sent once an invoice is ready and then once a document is recorded and ready to download (only because I have a large caseload and it's very easy to forget things sometimes).

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November 7th, 2024

I was introduced to Deeds.com from my title company. I wanted the title company to do a courtesy recording for me and they suggested Deeds.com. Best suggestion in a while. The interface to use the website was seemlessly easy. The communication with the service staff was thorough and prompt. After the initial verification process (which the photo app was a little tricky), everything was easy. Will use them again.

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Brenda B.

January 6th, 2019

Excellent transaction.

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Georgana T.

May 28th, 2019

Not clear information on ownership, which is what I wanted.

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Christine A.

December 28th, 2018

So far do good. Don't understand the billing procedure yet and have just sent a request for information. Awaiting reply. Thank you, Christine Alvarez

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Thanks for the feedback. Looks like your E-recording invoice is available. It takes a few minutes for our staff to prepare documents for recording and generate the invoice.