Washington Forms

Whatcom County Notice of Right to Claim of Lien Form

Whatcom County Notice of Right to Claim of Lien Form
Professional Form

Whatcom County Notice of Right to Claim of Lien Form

Fill in the blank Notice of Right to Claim of Lien form formatted to comply with all Washington recording and content requirements.

Document Last Validated 7/10/2025
Whatcom County Notice of Right to Claim of Lien Guide
Professional Form

Whatcom County Notice of Right to Claim of Lien Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.

Document Last Validated 5/16/2025
Whatcom County Completed Example of the Notice of Right to Claim of Lien Document
Professional Form

Whatcom County Completed Example of the Notice of Right to Claim of Lien Document

Example of a properly completed form for reference.

Document Last Validated 7/22/2025

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

Immediate Download • Secure Checkout

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

Where to Record Your Documents

Whatcom County Auditor: Recording
Address:
311 Grand Ave, Suite 103
Bellingham, Washington 98225

Hours: 8:30 to 4:30 M-F

Phone: (360) 778-5100

Recording Tips for Whatcom County:
  • Ensure all signatures are in blue or black ink
  • Recorded documents become public record - avoid including SSNs
  • Avoid the last business day of the month when possible

Cities and Jurisdictions in Whatcom County

Properties in any of these areas use Whatcom County forms:

  • Acme
  • Bellingham
  • Blaine
  • Custer
  • Deming
  • Everson
  • Ferndale
  • Lummi Island
  • Lynden
  • Maple Falls
  • Nooksack
  • Point Roberts
  • Sumas

View Complete Recorder Office Guide

Hours, fees, requirements, and more for Whatcom County

How do I get my forms?

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

Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed all formatting requirements set forth by Whatcom County including margin requirements, content requirements, font and font size requirements.

Can I reuse these forms?

Yes. You can reuse the forms for your personal use. For example, if you have multiple properties in Whatcom 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 Whatcom County?

Recording fees in Whatcom County vary. Contact the recorder's office at (360) 778-5100 for current fees.

Questions answered? Let's get started!

Mechanic's Lien Preliminary Notices in Washington

Most states require some form of preliminary notice to be served on a property owner as part of the mechanic's lien process. This lets the owner know who is working on the job and protect him or herself from "hidden liens." Therefore, contractors who anticipate needing to file liens should follow the proper procedure. The Notice of Right to Claim of Lien is the required form of preliminary notice used in Washington. R.C.W. 60.04.031.

Subject to a few exceptions, every person furnishing professional services, materials, or equipment used for the improvement of real property must give the owner (or reputed owner) notice in writing of the right to claim a lien. See R.C.W. 60.04.031(1). This notice shall also be given to the prime contractor unless the potential lien claimant has contracted directly with the prime contractor. Id.

The notice may be given at any time but only protects the right to claim a lien for professional services, materials, or equipment supplied after the date which is sixty (60) days before:

(a) Mailing the notice by certified or registered mail to the owner or reputed owner; or

(b) Delivering or serving the notice personally upon the owner or reputed owner and obtaining evidence of delivery in the form of a receipt or other acknowledgment signed by the owner or reputed owner or an affidavit of service. See Id.

In the case of new construction of a single-family residence, the notice of a right to claim a lien may be given at any time but only protects the right to claim a lien for professional services, materials, or equipment supplied after a date which is ten (10) days before the notice is given. Id.

There are some instances when the notice of a right to claim of lien will not be required. Notices of a right to claim a lien shall not be required of:

(a) Persons who contract directly with the owner or the owner's common law agent;

(b) Laborers whose claim of lien is based solely on performing labor; or

(c) Subcontractors who contract for the improvement of real property directly with the prime contractor. See R.C.W. 60.04.031(2).

Additionally, persons who furnish professional services, materials, or equipment in connection with the repair, alteration, or remodel of an existing owner-occupied single-family residence or garage who contracted directly with the owner-occupier or their common-law agent are not required to send a written notice of the right to claim a lien and will have a lien for the full amount due under their contract. See R.C.W. 60.04.031(3)(a).

However, those without a direct contract with the owner-occupier or their common-law agent must notify the owner of the right to claim a lien. See R.C.W. 60.04.031(3)(b). Lien claims of suppliers without a direct contract with the owner are paid separately from the prime contractor when the notice is received. Id.

The notice of right to claim a lien must include the following information:

(1) the property owner's name and address, (2) the date the notice was sent,

(3) a subject or identifying line, (4) the name and address of the party sending the notice, (5) the name of the party that requested the work, and

(6) a brief description of professional services, materials, or equipment provided or to be provided. See R.C.W. 60.04.031(4).

Ensure that the notice is completed properly and sent before the required deadline approaches. It's usually a good idea to institute a reliable calendar system with a backup redundancy, such as electronic alerts on a phone or computer.

This article is provided for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Please consult with a Washington attorney with questions about the notice of right to claim of lien, or any other issues related to mechanic's liens.

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

This Notice of Right to Claim of Lien meets all recording requirements specific to Whatcom County.

Our Promise

The documents you receive here will meet, or exceed, the Whatcom County recording requirements for formatting. If there's an issue caused by our formatting, we'll make it right and refund your payment.

Save Time and Money

Get your Whatcom County Notice of Right to Claim of Lien 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 - ( 4573 Reviews )

KELLY S.

May 31st, 2022

Thank you for being here. very easy to understand and your site is great. I will always use you.

Reply from Staff

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

Kenny H.

January 14th, 2020

The forms are extremely helpful. They could use some updating. Promissory note "...in the form of cash, check or money order." is a bit outdated. My note is with my son and we have an automatic bank transfer set up for payments. He could Venmo me. There are many other options and likely to be more changes in the future, so I know this is difficult to maintain.

Reply from Staff

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

Carl T.

October 1st, 2020

Awesome! Quick service and well worth the very minimal fee for the convenience of being able to quickly record my mothers will without having to leave the house. Also, our court is currently closed due to Covid. So happy to have found Deeds.com

Reply from Staff

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

Leonard D.

May 2nd, 2019

I'm still working on it. I'm surprised that it appears so much information has to be included about beneficiaries.

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

David C.

April 21st, 2021

This has been a lifesaver for me. Exactly what I needed. Forma are easy to fill in. Thank you for offering this instead of going thru a lawyer. faster and no wait time.

Reply from Staff

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

Scott S.

June 18th, 2021

Awesome service. I'm impressed.

Reply from Staff

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

Mohamed ali H.

December 21st, 2020

My experience on this website has been amazing and the process was very easy to understand and I was able to get my document filed within 3-4 hours. I plan to use this service in the future if I need to. Thank you for your excellent service!

Reply from Staff

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

CECIL E C.

June 27th, 2019

You made it easy to attain the documents I needed. The cost was very reasonable...thanks

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback Cecil, we really appreciate it.

Alan K.

May 14th, 2019

The instructions and example for filling out the form were very clear and detailed making the whole process fairly easy. An attorney I talked to wanted $200 to fill out this simple form. I haven't tried to file it yet but I will let you know if there are any issues. Really a great deal. $20 vs $200.

Reply from Staff

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

Anita L.

January 22nd, 2020

Found this site very easy to navigate and customer service very supportive and quickly answers any questions you have regarding forms. Best of all you can get the forms you need and only pay for those forms, not tied to some ongoing fee that you must cancel if you have no further need beyond forms you've already purchased.

Reply from Staff

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

Joyce S.

September 30th, 2020

So happy, great forms made everything a breeze.

Reply from Staff

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

Georgette S.

March 12th, 2020

Very easy form to us. Instructions very good.

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Ronney O.

December 16th, 2021

Great Experience

Reply from Staff

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

CYNTHIA W.

April 12th, 2023

My deed has now been recorded. Thank you so very much. I saved about $120.00 by doing this with your document service. Thankfully, I heard about you from a friend and did not go with my Title Company that wanted a fee that seems outrageous because of how simple it was to do. I will definitely "advertise" this service to others.

Reply from Staff

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

Melody P.

February 23rd, 2021

Thanks again for such excellent service, and always a pleasure!

Reply from Staff

Thank you!