Lien waiver review

Catch the bad lien waiver before you sign it

Upload any California lien waiver — conditional or unconditional, progress or final — and get a plain-English risk analysis in under 30 seconds. Civil Code §§8132–8138 statutory rules baked in.

Scan a document Read the California lien waivers — full guide

Why a lien waiver is the easiest place to lose your lien rights

  • ▲ A general contractor sends an "unconditional final" waiver before the check clears. You sign. The check bounces. Your lien rights are gone.
  • ▲ A non-statutory form mixes lien-waiver language with broad indemnity. You waive things California law doesn't require you to waive.
  • ▲ "Through-date" is left blank or pre-filled past your last invoice. You release work you haven't been paid for.

How PaidWrite reviews a California lien waiver

  • ✓ Confirms the form matches one of the four California Civil Code statutory templates (§8132 conditional progress, §8134 unconditional progress, §8136 conditional final, §8138 unconditional final).
  • ✓ Flags unconditional language when no payment date is present — the #1 risk for subcontractors.
  • ✓ Detects non-statutory clauses (broad indemnity, choice-of-law overrides, dispute-resolution waivers) that go beyond a lien waiver's legal scope.
  • ✓ Reads the through-date and warns if it covers work past the most recent invoice attached.

What you get

All four California statutory forms

Conditional progress, unconditional progress, conditional final, unconditional final — each scored against its own §§8132–8138 ruleset.

Pre-payment guard

When the form is unconditional and no payment-clear date is present, PaidWrite escalates to High risk and explains why.

Non-statutory clause detector

Surfaces indemnity, defense, and broad-release language a contractor might bury inside a waiver template.

Through-date check

Compares the waiver's through-date to invoice metadata you provide so you don't release future work.

Compared to the alternatives

Today With PaidWrite
Attorney review (~$300/document, 2–3 days) PaidWrite (~$2/page, 30 seconds)
Sign blind and hope Know the risks before you sign anything
Generic e-sign with no analysis Statutory rules + AI flagging for every clause

Frequently asked questions

Does PaidWrite work for unconditional waivers?
Yes. Unconditional waivers are where most subs lose their lien rights. PaidWrite escalates risk when an unconditional form is presented before a payment-clear date is documented.
What if my GC uses a custom non-statutory form?
PaidWrite analyzes any form, but flags High risk on any waiver that doesn't match a §§8132–8138 statutory template — California courts have ruled non-statutory waivers unenforceable.
Can I use PaidWrite outside California?
Lien waiver analysis is California-specific today. W-9, ACORD 25 COI, and SDS analyses work anywhere in the US. Other state lien rulesets are on the roadmap.
Do I need to scan every page?
Just the waiver itself. A typical California lien waiver is one or two pages — analysis runs about $2–4.

Educational reference. PaidWrite cites California statutes but is not a substitute for a licensed attorney on binding matters. See Disclaimer.