Shelby County Preliminary Notice to Owner and Original Contractor Form

Last validated April 8, 2026 by our Forms Development Team

Shelby County Preliminary Notice to Owner and Original Contractor Form

Shelby County Preliminary Notice to Owner and Original Contractor Form

Fill in the blank Preliminary Notice to Owner and Original Contractor form formatted to comply with all Texas recording and content requirements.

Document Last Validated 2/5/2026
Shelby County Preliminary Notice to Owner and Original Contractor Guide

Shelby County Preliminary Notice to Owner and Original Contractor Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the Preliminary Notice to Owner and Original Contractor form.

Document Last Validated 4/8/2026
Shelby County Completed Example of the Preliminary Notice to Owner and Original Contractor Document

Shelby County Completed Example of the Preliminary Notice to Owner and Original Contractor Document

Example of a properly completed Texas Preliminary Notice to Owner and Original Contractor document for reference.

Document Last Validated 3/6/2026

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

Immediate Download • Secure Checkout

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

Where to Record Your Documents

Shelby County Clerk

Address:
124 Austin St / PO Box 1987
Center, Texas 75935

Hours: 8:00 to 4:30 Monday through Friday

Phone: (936) 598-6361

Recording Tips for Shelby County:
  • Check that your notary's commission hasn't expired
  • Recording fees may differ from what's posted online - verify current rates
  • Recorded documents become public record - avoid including SSNs
  • Ask about their eRecording option for future transactions
  • Mornings typically have shorter wait times than afternoons

Cities and Jurisdictions in Shelby County

Properties in any of these areas use Shelby County forms:

  • Center
  • Joaquin
  • Shelbyville
  • Tenaha
  • Timpson

View Complete Recorder Office Guide

Hours, fees, requirements, and more for Shelby County

How do I get my forms?

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

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

Recording fees in Shelby County vary. Contact the recorder's office at (936) 598-6361 for current fees.

Questions answered? Let's get started!

Texas Third Month Notice

Under 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(a).

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.

Texas requires prelien notice to be served on the owner and other interested parties before filing and recording a mechanic's lien. The type of project (whether residential or commercial) determines what kind of prelien notice must be served. 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.

If the lien claim arises from a debt incurred by the original contractor, the claimant must give notice to the owner or reputed owner, with a copy to the original contractor, in accordance with 53.056(b). TEX. PROP. CODE 53.056(c). The document identifies the parties, the project, date and type of service/materials, amount billed, and balance due. Attach an invoice to clarify more specific details.

Deliver the notice to the original contractor must be given 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 notice is also known as a "Second Month Notice." The claimant must give the same notice to the owner or reputed owner and the original contractor NO LATER than the 15th day of the third month following each month in which all or part of the claimant's labor was performed or material or specially fabricated material was delivered. Id. This notice is called a "Third Month Notice."

The notice must be sent by registered or certified mail and must be 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, with specific questions the required preliminary notice, or any other issue related to mechanic's liens.

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

This Preliminary Notice to Owner and Original Contractor meets all recording requirements specific to Shelby County.

Our Promise

The documents you receive here are guaranteed to meet or exceed the applicable Shelby 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 Shelby County Preliminary Notice to Owner and Original Contractor 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 - ( 4693 Reviews )

Paula V.

April 15th, 2025

Fast, easy, helpful instructions. I’ll use them again!

Reply from Staff

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

Sterling H.

September 17th, 2024

I liked being able to drill down to state and county. Just simply the search for all property records

Reply from Staff

We welcome your positive feedback and are thrilled to have met your expectations. Thank you for choosing our services.

Kyle E.

November 8th, 2023

Works great thank you for saving us driving time!!

Reply from Staff

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

Marlene B.

February 21st, 2024

I appreciated the fact that the forms were by Texas County and I knew I had the right form. The form were fairly easy to complete. I had trouble completing the form because the property description was long and kept disappearing and I had to re-type. It would also have helped it I could have saved and not had to start over every time.

Reply from Staff

Your satisfaction with our services is of utmost importance to us. Thank you for letting us know how we did!

Joyce M.

July 28th, 2019

Great website, but not helpful in locating my deed dated 1747.

Reply from Staff

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

Donald C.

August 7th, 2020

As promised, my forms were immediately ready for download. The forms were exactly what i wanted. I couldnt be happier and i cant even guess how much money i saved. They were even formatted to the exact font, spacing and margin used by my county. It is obvious a lot of time and effort was put into the preparation of these documents. They are absolutely perfect. Check it out, you wont be disappointed and the price is much less than i expected. Don caldwell

Reply from Staff

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

Martha R.

March 16th, 2023

Provided all the info that I needed.

Reply from Staff

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

KRISSA O.

January 2nd, 2025

Smooth process, no issues.

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Stephen D.

July 18th, 2023

Excellent service!

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Guido d.

November 17th, 2020

Excellent service. Easy to use, easy to upload, and very cost effective!

Reply from Staff

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

Angela M.

November 14th, 2024

Great communication and always on timely manner unless issue appears with the document. I like their customer service, very helpful and assisting when necessary.

Reply from Staff

We are sincerely grateful for your feedback and are committed to providing the highest quality service. Thank you for your trust in us.

Maricarol F.

March 6th, 2019

Found the site very easy to use. My fault I did not answer back right away. What was found is almost what I needed... Thanks.

Reply from Staff

Thank you for the feedback Maricarol, we really appreciate it.

Bruce H.

May 10th, 2019

The forms were easy to download, no problem great site

Reply from Staff

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

Valerie R.

October 7th, 2020

My expereince with Deeds.com was easy and efficent. Great way to efile documents during these trying times.

Reply from Staff

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

edward d.

March 19th, 2023

used before awesome forms

Reply from Staff

Thank you!