Lien Waiver Request Email Templates (Request, Reminder, Unconditional)
Short answer
Use a request when the pay app arrives, a reminder or two when the waiver is overdue, and an unconditional follow-up after you pay. Always include the project, pay app number, amount, through date and waiver type, and attach a pre-filled form. Missing details are the main reason waivers come back wrong. Six templates are below.
When to send each email
| Moment | Waiver | |
|---|---|---|
| Pay app or invoice approved | 1. Request (and 2. lower tiers, if any) | Conditional progress |
| A few days past the reply-by date | 3. Reminder | Same waiver |
| Still missing before the check run | 4. Final reminder, then a call | Same waiver |
| After the payment clears | 5. Unconditional follow-up | Unconditional progress |
| Close-out | 6. Final waivers | Conditional final, then unconditional final |
Send reminders as replies in the same email thread. The sub's office sees the whole history, and the original form is right there.
1. Lien waiver request email
Send this when you approve the pay app or invoice, with the pre-filled form attached.
Subject: Lien waiver needed: [Project] – [Pay App #] – $[Amount] Hi [Name], To release payment of $[Amount] for [Project], [Pay App #], we need a signed [Conditional Progress] lien waiver through [Through Date]. I've attached the form, pre-filled with the project, amount and through date. Please sign and reply by [Reply-By Date]. Payment is released as soon as we receive it. Thanks, [Your Name] [Company]
2. Request for lower-tier waivers
Your sub's waiver doesn't cover a supplier or sub-sub the sub hasn't paid. When a pay app includes lower-tier parties, ask for their waivers too.
Subject: Supplier waivers needed: [Project] – [Pay App #] Hi [Name], Your pay app for [Project] lists [Supplier / Sub-sub] for $[Amount]. Along with your own conditional waiver, we need a [Conditional Progress] waiver from them through [Through Date] before we can release this payment. Could you forward the attached form to them, or send us their contact so we can request it directly? Thanks, [Your Name]
3. Overdue reminder
Short and specific, a few days after the reply-by date passes.
Subject: Re: Lien waiver needed: [Project] – [Pay App #] – $[Amount] Hi [Name], Following up on the [Conditional Progress] waiver for [Project], [Pay App #] ($[Amount], through [Through Date]). We asked for it on [Date Requested] and it's now past the reply-by date. The form is attached again. Could you send it over today? Thanks, [Your Name]
4. Final reminder before the check run
Mention the held payment and the next check run date, then pick up the phone. A third or fourth email rarely works better than a two-minute call.
Subject: Re: Lien waiver needed: [Project] – [Pay App #] – $[Amount] Hi [Name], We still don't have the signed waiver for [Pay App #], so the $[Amount] payment is on hold. Our next check run is [Check Run Date]; if the waiver arrives before then, it goes out in that run. I'll give you a call tomorrow if it's easier to sort out by phone. [Your Name]
5. Unconditional waiver after payment
Once the money has cleared, collect the unconditional waiver for that payment. Many GCs also require it with the sub's next pay app.
Subject: Unconditional lien waiver for payment sent – [Project] – [Pay App #] Hi [Name], Payment of $[Amount] for [Project], [Pay App #] was released on [Date Paid] by [Check # / ACH]. Once the funds have cleared, please send the signed Unconditional Progress lien waiver for that payment, through [Through Date]. The form is attached, pre-filled. Thanks, [Your Name]
6. Final waivers at close-out
The last payment uses final waivers instead of progress waivers, and it's the moment to make sure every lower-tier party is covered too.
Subject: Final lien waivers for close-out: [Project] Hi [Name], We're closing out [Project]. To release your final payment and retention of $[Amount], we need: 1. A signed Conditional Final waiver, before payment 2. Conditional Final waivers from your suppliers and sub-subs on this job 3. A signed Unconditional Final waiver, once the final payment has cleared Forms are attached. Please send items 1 and 2 by [Reply-By Date]. Thanks, [Your Name]
What to attach and what to fill in
Attach the waiver form itself, pre-filled, so the sub only has to check it and sign. In the twelve states with statutory forms, use the official one (see the list of states). California's statutory conditional progress waiver, for example, asks for:
- Name of claimant: the sub or supplier being paid
- Name of customer: you, the party paying them
- Job location and owner
- Through date: the end of the period the payment covers
- Maker of check, amount of check and check payable to
- Exceptions: retentions, unpaid extras, earlier conditional waivers that are still unpaid, and contract rights
- Signature, title and date
The California Contractors State License Board publishes all four forms on its site. In states without a statutory form, the same fields make a sensible checklist.
Lien waiver vs. lien release letter
These get mixed up. A lien waiver gives up lien rights in exchange for a payment, usually before any lien exists; it's what these emails request. A lien release cancels a lien that has already been recorded against the property, once the claim is paid or settled, and it generally has to be recorded with the same county office as the lien. If a sub has actually filed a lien, you're past the email stage: check your state's release rules or talk to a construction attorney.
Tips that get waivers back faster
- One email per pay app. Bundling several jobs into one request leads to one missing waiver.
- Put the amount and project in the subject. It's what the sub's office searches for.
- Attach a pre-filled form in your state's required format.
- Give a reply-by date that lands before your check run.
- Say payment is on hold until it arrives. It isn't a threat; it's the process, and it gets the email prioritized.
- Accept a signed PDF by email. Don't make subs mail originals unless your state or contract requires it.
- Log the request date so you know when a reminder is due. The free tracker does the counting.
Let Autopilot send them
Lien Waiver Autopilot sends these emails from your own Gmail. The request goes out when you log a pay app, reminders go out as replies in the same thread when a waiver is overdue, and the unconditional request goes out a few days after you enter the paid date (you choose how many). The details are filled in from your tracker.
These templates are general information, not legal advice. Lien law differs by state.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
When should I request a lien waiver?+
Request the conditional waiver as soon as the pay app or invoice is approved, so it's back before your check run. Request the unconditional waiver once the payment has cleared.
What should a lien waiver request include?+
Project name, pay app or invoice number, payment amount, the through date, the exact waiver type, a reply-by date, the form itself, and a note that payment is released on receipt.
What do I write on a lien waiver?+
The claimant (the party being paid), the customer (who pays them), the job location, the owner, the through date and the payment amount, plus any exceptions such as retention or unpaid extras. In states with statutory forms, use the official form and fill in its fields.
How do I write a letter to release a lien?+
A lien release is different from a waiver: it cancels a lien that has already been recorded, and it usually has to be recorded with the same county office. Many states prescribe its form or deadline, so check your state's rules or ask a construction attorney.
Can lien waivers be signed electronically?+
Generally yes. Federal and state e-signature laws make electronic signatures valid for most documents, and a signed PDF returned by email is common. The waiver's wording still has to meet your state's rules.