Lien waiver — generate one free (all four standard types)

The four standard releases — conditional and unconditional, on progress and final payment — each generated with the parties, amount, through-date, exceptions carve-out, and the when-to-sign safety rule printed right on the document.

Donnie generates this document from your real project data — computed, not a blank form. Free with an Ask Donnie watermark; your logo on paid plans.

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What it is

A lien waiver releases lien rights in exchange for payment. The four standard types differ on two axes: WHEN (a progress payment vs the final payment) and WHETHER the release depends on the payment actually clearing (conditional) or takes effect the moment you sign (unconditional). Signing the wrong type at the wrong moment is how contractors give away lien rights for checks that bounce — so Donnie prints the cycle rule on every waiver.

The four types and their signing rules

Conditional — progress payment

Safe to sign and submit WITH the payment application: it takes effect only once the payment actually clears.

Unconditional — progress payment

Sign ONLY AFTER the payment has cleared — it is effective immediately on signing, paid or not.

Conditional — final payment

The final-payment release, effective only when the payment clears.

Unconditional — final payment

The strongest release there is: all lien rights, effective on signature. Sign only with cleared funds.

Heads up: Lien waivers are legal releases with real consequences, and several states mandate exact statutory language (CA, TX, AZ, NV, FL, MS, UT, WY). This generator produces generic, compliant-style language with the signing rules made explicit — it is not legal advice; confirm requirements for your state and contract with a construction attorney.

Common questions

Which states require a specific statutory form?

Eight states prescribe the exact waiver language by statute: California, Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Florida, Mississippi, Utah, and Wyoming. In those states use the state's exact statutory form — Donnie's waivers note this on the document itself when a statutory-form state is detected.

What does a progress waiver actually release?

Only work through the stated through-date — and never the carve-outs in the exceptions section (disputed claims, unbilled change orders or extra work, plus anything you add). Work after the through-date isn't released at all. Donnie states the real through-date rather than an open-ended release.