Philadelphia County Notice of Commencement Form

Last validated April 15, 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 4/15/2026
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 4/15/2026
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 3/27/2026

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

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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:
  • Documents must be on 8.5 x 11 inch white paper
  • Request a receipt showing your recording numbers
  • Consider using eRecording to avoid trips to the office

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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March 11th, 2021

I saved 225.00 with this purchase.Make sure you have an updated property description from your county tax collectors' office.In Bay county,Florida the tax office will email you an updated property description.I attached the email to the the deed.I had to change the date and they accepted a white out and ink correction on your form.

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August 23rd, 2019

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April 23rd, 2021

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February 28th, 2019

I had an issue due to the fact that I had many beneficiaries. I was and still am not sure how to handle this. We do have Adobe Pro and can modify the form, if needed. But I would like to talk to your organization for more information.

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While we are unable to assist you specifically with completing the document we can note that this is addressed in the guide. Information that does not fit in the available space should be included in an exhibit page.

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October 22nd, 2021

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