Cameron County Preliminary Notice to Original Contractor Form
Last validated August 12, 2026 by our Forms Development Team
Cameron County Preliminary Notice to Original Contractor Form
Fill in the blank Preliminary Notice to Original Contractor form formatted to comply with all Texas recording and content requirements.

Cameron County Preliminary Notice to Original Contractor Guide
Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.

Cameron County Completed Example of the Notice to Original Contractor Document
Example of a properly completed form for reference.
All 3 documents above included • One-time purchase • No recurring fees
Immediate Download • Secure Checkout
Additional Texas and Cameron County documents included at no extra charge:
Where to Record Your Documents
Cameron County Clerk
Brownsville, Texas 78520
Hours: 8:00 to 5:00 M-F
Phone: (956) 544-0815
Mail: Cameron County Clerk, Filing & Recording Dept
Brownsville, Texas 78522
Hours: N/A
Phone: use for mailing purposes
Branch Office
San Benito, Texas 78586
Hours: 8:00 - 5:00 M-F
Phone: 956-247-3509
Recording Tips for Cameron County:
- Ensure all signatures are in blue or black ink
- White-out or correction fluid may cause rejection
- Documents must be on 8.5 x 11 inch white paper
- Leave recording info boxes blank - the office fills these
- Make copies of your documents before recording - keep originals safe
Cities and Jurisdictions in Cameron County
Properties in any of these areas use Cameron County forms:
- Brownsville
- Combes
- Harlingen
- La Feria
- Los Fresnos
- Los Indios
- Lozano
- Olmito
- Port Isabel
- Rio Hondo
- San Benito
- Santa Maria
- Santa Rosa
- South Padre Island
Hours, fees, requirements, and more for Cameron County
How do I get my forms?
Forms are available for immediate download after payment. The Cameron 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 Cameron County?
Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed the applicable formatting requirements used for recording in Cameron 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 Cameron 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 Cameron County?
Recording fees in Cameron County vary. Contact the recorder's office at (956) 544-0815 for current fees.
Questions answered? Let's get started!
Texas Second Month Notice
According to Texas lien law, all claimants other than the original contractor must provide preliminary notice to establish a claim for a valid mechanic's lien. TEX. PROP. CODE 53.056. Use the preliminary notice form under 53.056(b) when lien claim arises from a debt incurred by a subcontractor.
A mechanic's lien is an encumbrance on an owner's title, used to guarantee payment to builders, contractors, and construction businesses which build or repair structures, by using the property where the work was completed as a form of collateral. Suppliers of materials and subcontractors may also claim a mechanic's lien. The lien ensures that the workmen are paid before anyone else if the property subject to the lien is eventually foreclosed upon.
The law states that before filing and recording a mechanic's lien, the claimant must give written notice of the unpaid balance to the original contractor. Texas requires prelien notice to be served on the owner and other interested parties. Prelien notices serve two purposes: to protect the interests of subcontractors and suppliers, and to give property owners a defense against having to pay twice for parts of the same project.
Deliver the notice to the original contractor no later than the 15th day of the second month following each month in which all or part of the claimant's labor was performed or material delivered. Id. This is also known as a "Second Month Notice." It identifies the parties, dates, materials/services, and amount due. For reference, include an invoice or statement to clarify billing details.
Send it by registered or certified mail, addressed to the original contractor at his or her last known business or residence address. TEX. PROP. CODE 53.056(e).
Remember that each case is unique and the mechanic's lien law in Texas can be complicated and unforgiving of mistakes. Therefore, contact an attorney for complex situations or with specific questions about the preliminary notice to the original contractor or about any other issues related to liens.
Important: Your property must be located in Cameron County to use these forms. Documents should be recorded at the office below.
This Preliminary Notice to Original Contractor meets all recording requirements specific to Cameron County.
Our Promise
The documents you receive here are guaranteed to meet or exceed the applicable Cameron 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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June 24th, 2021
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March 20th, 2022
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January 8th, 2022
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May 10th, 2021
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July 16th, 2019
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December 28th, 2020
A better or more simplified explanation of what some of the more common titles would be used for would help. You list 6-8 types of Trusts alone. An example of doing a Grant Deed to move a property into, out of, or from a Trust to a Trust would have been helpful.
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June 17th, 2021
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May 15th, 2022
Thank you for the prompt instructions on the download and installation. The only problem I had was trying to input data into the form once I renamed the form.and saved it. I was unable to change the size of the font and was very frustrated. In the end I finally had to redo the entire form through Word using your format.
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March 2nd, 2022
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April 15th, 2020
I am generally pleased with your products. However, I found it difficult to return to the package after accessing one selected document. One other comment: Your Trustee's Deed package should include a Certificate of Trust form.
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December 20th, 2021
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September 25th, 2020
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A. S.
February 27th, 2019
First, I am glad that you gave a blank copy, an example copy, and a 'guide'. It made it much easier to do. Overall I was very happy with your products and organization... however, things got pretty confusing and I have a pretty 'serious' law background in Real Estate and Civil law. With that said, I spent about 10+ hours getting my work done, using the Deed of Trust and Promissory note from you and there were a few problems: First, it would be FANTASTIC if you actually aligned your guide to actually match the Deed or Promissory Note. What I mean is that if the Deed says 'section (E)' then your guide shouldn't be 'randomly' numbered as 1,2,3, for advice/instructions, but should EXACTLY match 'section (E)'. Some places you have to 'hunt' for what you are looking for, and if you did it based on my suggestion, you wouldn't need to 'hunt' and it would avoid confusion. 2nd: This one really 'hurt'... you had something called the 'Deed of Trust Master Form' yet you had basically no information on what it was or how to use it. The only information you had was a small section at the top of the 'Short Form Deed of Trust Guide'. Holy Cow, was that 'section' super confusing. I still don't know if I did it correctly, but your guide says only put a return address on it and leave the rest of the 16 or so page Deed of Trust beneath it blank... and then include your 'Deed of Trust' (I had to assume the short form deed that I had just created) as part of it. I had to assume that I had to print off the entire 17 page or so title page and blank deed. I also had to assume that the promissory note was supposed to be EXHIBIT A or B on the Short Form Deed. It would be great if someone would take a serious look at that short section in your 'Short Form Deed of Trust Guide' and realize that those of us using your products are seriously turning this into a county clerk to file and that most of us, probably already have a property that has an existing Deed... or at least can find one in the county records if necessary... and make sure that you make a distinction between the Deed for the property that already exists, versus the Deed of Trust and Promissory note that we are trying to file. Thanks.
Thank you for your feedback. We'll have staff review the document for clarity. Have a great day!
Margaret L.
June 15th, 2026
I was not able to use the form after paying for it. The words in red would not let me type over them and I could not get a blank document. Useless.
Each forms package includes a blank form, a guide, and a completed example. The red text appears in the completed example to show how a finished document may look; the blank form is the editable document intended for customer use. Because our products are do-it-yourself legal forms, we canceled the order and payment when it was clear the customer was not able to identify and use the blank form included in the package.
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August 7th, 2020
This site was very easy to use. Great direction on how to complete the form.
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