Michigan Preliminary Notice FAQs

About Michigan Preliminary Notices

Michigan requires most project participants to provide a preliminary notice, but the notice and the deadline can change depending on the project type, and the role of the particular participant furnishing the notice. And, in fact, while not a “preliminary notice” in the usual sense, some notice requirements even extend to the property owner him/herself. Michigan is one of the few states that specifically requires the filing of a notice of commencement, and provides consequences for the failure to do so.

On most projects, parties who contract directly with the property owner are not required to deliver a preliminary notice, although if requested to do so a direct contractor must provide a list of subs and suppliers on the project. On residential projects, however, providing notice is specifically required of direct contractors. Prior to receiving any progress or final payment, the contractor must provide the property owner with a sworn statement listing all sub-tier parties with whom the contractor has contracted and the amounts unpaid to them, if any. This sworn statement notice is to allow the property owner to keep track of liabilities down the payment chain, to gain project visibility, and to serve as a check for the receipt of lien waivers from sub-tier parties. Likewise, the sworn statement is also required of subcontractors on residential projects, is delivered to the GC, and lists the sub-tier parties with whom the sub contracted, and amounts due (if any).

Additionally, those who do not have direct contact with the property owner (or the owner’s agent) are required to deliver a Notice of Furnishing within 20 days of the first furnishing of labor or materials on the project. This is a “traditional” preliminary notice requirement, and generally what people are referring to when Michigan preliminary notices, or the rules and requirements surrounding them, ae being discussed.

Michigan also has preliminary notice rules for parties performing work on public projects. Every 2nd-tier subcontractor or below, that is everybody who didn’t contract with either the public entity or the general contractor, must deliver a preliminary notice within 30 days of first furnishing labor or materials.