Charlottesville City Mechanics Lien Preliminary Notice Form
Last validated June 8, 2026 by our Forms Development Team
Charlottesville City Preliminary Notice to Owner Form
Fill in the blank form formatted to comply with all recording and content requirements.

Charlottesville City Preliminary Notice to Owner Guide
Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.

Charlottesville City Completed Example of the Preliminary Notice to Owner 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 Virginia and Charlottesville City documents included at no extra charge:
Where to Record Your Documents
Circuit Court Clerk
Charlottesville, Virginia 22902
Hours: Monday - Friday 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Phone: 434-970-3768 /3773
Recording Tips for Charlottesville City:
- Make copies of your documents before recording - keep originals safe
- Bring extra funds - fees can vary by document type and page count
- Leave recording info boxes blank - the office fills these
- Recorded documents become public record - avoid including SSNs
- Check margin requirements - usually 1-2 inches at top
Cities and Jurisdictions in Charlottesville City
Properties in any of these areas use Charlottesville City forms:
- Charlottesville
Hours, fees, requirements, and more for Charlottesville City
How do I get my forms?
Forms are available for immediate download after payment. The Charlottesville City 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 Charlottesville City?
Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed the applicable formatting requirements used for recording in Charlottesville City, 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 Charlottesville City 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 Charlottesville City?
Recording fees in Charlottesville City vary. Contact the recorder's office at 434-970-3768 /3773 for current fees.
Questions answered? Let's get started!
Preliminary Notice in Virginia
Mechanic's liens require strict procedural compliance. To successfully claim a mechanic's lien, the claimant must first provide all entitled parties with the appropriate form of preliminary notice. This is because a mechanic's lien creates an encumbrance, or block on the owner's title, and therefore, the owner and other parties potentially affected by that must receive notice of the process. In Virginia, the form of required notice is served on a party known as a "Lien Agent" as well as on the property owner. A Lien Agent is an appointed individual, usually an attorney or title agent. This Notice to Lien Agent and/or Owner/Agent contains a separate form for notifying each party (or one and not the other).
To draft a Notice to Lien Agent or Owner/Agent, first you will need a copy of the building permit. The building permit for any one- or two-family residential dwelling unit issued pursuant to the Uniform Statewide Building Code must also be conspicuously and continuously posted on the property for which the permit is issued until all the work is completed on the property. Va. Code 43-4.01(A). Ensure that the permit is posted on the property before any labor is performed or any material furnished on the property. Id.
If the building permit contains the name, mailing address, and telephone number of the mechanics' lien agent, any person entitled to claim a lien may use that information to notify the agent named on the permit or amended permit that he seeks payment for labor performed or material furnished. Va. Code 43-4.01(B). This notice should be sent by registered or certified mail or by physical delivery. Id. The Notice must contain the following: (1) the name, mailing address, and telephone number of the person sending such notice, (2) the person's license or certificate number issued by the Board for Contractors, if any, and the date such license or certificate was issued and the date such license or certificate expires, (3) the building permit number on the building permit, (4) a description of the property as shown on the building permit, and (5) a statement that the person filing such notice seeks payment for labor performed or material furnished. Id.
Failure to serve the Notice on a residential project within the required time, can forfeit a claimant's right to a lien. No person other than a person claiming a lien may claim a lien under this title with respect to a one or two family residential dwelling unit if that person fails to notify any mechanics' lien agent identified on the building permit within 30 days of the first date labor was performed or materials furnished to or for the building or structure or within 30 days of the date such a permit is issued, if such labor or materials are first performed or furnished by such person prior to the issuance of a building permit. Va. Code 43-4.01(C).
To send notice to an Owner/Agent, any subcontractor or person who furnishes labor or material to the general contractor or subcontractor should direct their preliminary notice in writing to the owner or his agent or the general contractor, in a form that states the nature and character of his contract and the probable amount of his claim. Va. Code 43-11(1). The form is almost identical to the 43-4.01, but with some minor differences and is located on the same form after the notice to the lien agent portion.
This article is provided for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Please contact a Virginia lawyer with any questions about the notice to mechanic's lien agent.
Important: Your property must be located in Charlottesville City to use these forms. Documents should be recorded at the office below.
This Mechanics Lien Preliminary Notice meets all recording requirements specific to Charlottesville City.
Our Promise
The documents you receive here are guaranteed to meet or exceed the applicable Charlottesville City 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 Charlottesville City Mechanics Lien 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 - ( 4749 Reviews )
Daniel L.
April 27th, 2019
Very good. The right forms and instructions . Thanks
We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!
Ashley H.
September 21st, 2020
Thank you for the quick response time messaging back and forth to get this completed, and also the fairly speedy e-recording! Excellent customer service!!!
We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!
Michael S.
January 23rd, 2024
Great Price & Really Easy To Download
We are motivated by your feedback to continue delivering excellence. Thank you!
Eddie S.
May 19th, 2022
love the site very helpful and easy.
We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!
Andrew S.
October 14th, 2020
This is fast and easy.
We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!
Robert D L.
July 31st, 2023
Found the forms to be very easy to use, instructions very clear and helpful. Recording office was surprised the forms were exactly what they required. Thank you
We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!
Theresa M.
August 12th, 2023
Simple and quick service!!
Thank you!
Abigail Frances B.
December 28th, 2018
Thanks for the easy download, clear instructions, good price- I'm looking forward to filling them out.
Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!
Terry C.
July 29th, 2021
It is a difficult challenge -- trying to take the needless jargon out of legal transactions so ordinary citizens can manage their affairs. Deeds.com hasn't solved all the problems, but has made a super effort to help us achieve self-sufficiency.
We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!
Keli A.
June 3rd, 2021
Excellent site, super fast responses to messages, and great patience with a newbie user. Couldn't be more pleased. Thank you!
Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!
Bernardo M.
March 11th, 2022
You think you're purchasing 1 form for $25 but you are getting several which explains the $25. My printer ran out of black ink and I couldn't change the color of the text so that it would print. I couldn't copy and paste it to Word and work on it there. I'm going to purchase ink today so that it will at least print right. I will have to retype the text in Word; not good.
Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!
Linda C.
February 23rd, 2019
If I hadn't spent my career as an escrow officer (albeit in another state), I may have had a hard time figuring out exactly which deed I needed and how to prepare them, even with the back-up informational, how-to pdf documents, without an attorney. My experience speaks to how much the general public doesn't understand and how confusing it can be. Nonetheless, the access to so many documents at a fairly reasonable cost, the basic how-to docs made available along with the purchased doc makes all the difference. I appreciate having such things available to the public. Many thanks.
We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!
Sam A.
September 26th, 2022
User friendly website and deeds are very easy to maneuver. I'm very happy with everything Deeds.com has to offer. It truly helped me with the business that I had to take care of.
Thank you!
Scott P.
October 24th, 2020
So far so good
Thank you!
oscar r.
December 17th, 2021
VERY MUCH HELPFUL SAVED ME 600 on not having to hire attorney
Thank you!