We are an electrical subcontractor and have contracted with a GC on a tenant improvement job. We will be sending a preliminary notice to the owner of the property but do we need to send a copy to the GC as well? Thank you!
For subcontractors who were hired directly by the general contractor, a Washington Notice to Owner is only required to be sent to the property owner to secure lien rights.
And, just to cover the basics here, it should be sent by registered or certified mail within 60 days of first furnishing labor and/or materials to the project (10 days if the project is a new construction of an owner-occupied single-family residence). Sending this notice late isn't fatal to lien rights, but it will limit the amount of lien protection on the project.
One last thing to note, although it's not required to be sent to the GC for lien purposes, sending one anyways has its benefits. It helps show that you are informed of your rights, serious about payment, and tends to get contractors paid faster.
Thank you!