Put your lien deadlines where you'll see them
Enter your first day on the job and download a calendar with your day-15 warning, day-18 final warning, and the day-20 California preliminary notice deadline, plus your mechanics lien window if the job is done. Works with Google, Apple, and Outlook.
Enter your first day on the job and we'll build calendar events for every deadline, ready to add to Google, Apple, or Outlook.
Not legal advice. Dates are computed from your inputs under California Civil Code §§8204 and 8412–8414 (calendar days). The lien window shortens if a Notice of Completion or Cessation records, so verify critical dates with counsel.
Why a calendar beats a sticky note for lien deadlines
The single most common way California subcontractors and suppliers lose money is missing the 20-day preliminary notice window. It's not because the rule is complicated, it's because 20 days slips by while you're actually working. Putting the deadline, with early warnings, directly into the calendar you already check every day turns a date you have to remember into an alert that finds you.
Day 15, day 18, day 20
The calendar stages three reminders instead of one. Day 15 tells you five days remain to serve with full day-one protection. Day 18 is the 48-hour final warning. Day 20 is the deadline itself, the last day a notice served by certified mail relates back to your first day on the job. Serve after that and you only protect the most recent 20 days of work.
The mechanics lien window
If you add a completion date, the calendar also marks the roughly 90-day window to record a mechanics lien, with a separate caution near day 30 because a recorded Notice of Completion can shorten a subcontractor's deadline. Both events tell you to check the county recorder rather than assume, since the exact date depends on filings the calendar can't see.
Pair it with the rest of the workflow
Confirm the exact dates with the 20-day deadline calculator, then file your preliminary notice by certified mail. When the deadline event fires, the work is already done.
Frequently asked questions
What deadlines does the calendar include?
It adds a day-15 warning, a day-18 final warning, and the day-20 preliminary notice deadline, all counted from the date you first furnished labor or materials. If you enter a project completion date, it also adds the roughly 90-day mechanics lien recording window and a 30-day Notice of Completion caution.
Does the .ics file work with Google Calendar and Apple Calendar?
Yes. The download is a standard iCalendar (.ics) file, the same format Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, and Microsoft Outlook all import. Each event includes a display reminder set 15 hours ahead so you get an alert the day before.
How are the dates calculated?
The 20-day preliminary notice deadline runs on calendar days from first furnishing under Civil Code §8204. The mechanics lien window is calculated as roughly 90 days after completion under §§8412–8414, with a caution that the deadline can shorten to about 30 days if the owner records a Notice of Completion or Cessation.
Is this legal advice?
No. The calendar computes general scheduling dates from the inputs you provide and is a self-service aid, not a substitute for an attorney. Deadlines can shift based on facts the tool can't see, such as a recorded Notice of Completion or a public-entity project, so verify critical dates with qualified counsel.