Alachua County Notice of Commencement Form (Florida)

Completed Example of the Notice of Commencement Document

Example of a properly completed form for reference.
Included Alachua County compliant document last validated/updated 8/6/2024

Included Supplemental Documents

The following Florida and Alachua County supplemental forms are included as a courtesy with your order:

Recorder Information

When using these Notice of Commencement forms, the subject real estate must be physically located in Alachua County. The executed documents should then be recorded in the following office:

Alachua County Clerk of the Court

201 E. University Ave, Gainesville, Florida 32601

Hours: Mon-Fri 8:15am - 5:00pm

Phone: (352) 374-3636

Local jurisdictions located in Alachua County include:

• Alachua
• Archer
• Earleton
• Evinston
• Gainesville
• Hawthorne
• High Springs
• Island Grove
• La Crosse
• Lochloosa
• Micanopy
• Newberry
• Waldo

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to get my forms?

Forms are available immediately after submitting payment.

How do I get my forms, are they emailed?

Immediately after you submit payment, the Alachua County forms you order will be available for download directly from your account. You can then download the forms to your computer. If you do not already have an account, one will be created for you as part of the order process, and your login details will be provided to you. If you encounter any issues accessing your forms, please reach out to our support team for assistance. Forms are NOT emailed to you.

What does "validated/updated" mean?

This indicates the most recent date when at least one of the following occurred:

• Updated: The document was updated or changed to remain compliant.
• Validated: The document was examined by an attorney or staff, or it was successfully recorded in Alachua County using our eRecording service.

Are these forms guaranteed to be recordable in Alachua County?

Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed all formatting requirements set forth by Alachua County including margin requirements, content requirements, font and font size requirements.

Can the Notice of Commencement forms be re-used?

Yes. You can re-use the forms for your personal use. For example, if you have more than one property in Alachua County that you need to transfer you would only need to order our forms once for all of your properties in Alachua County.

What are supplemental forms?

Often when a deed is recorded, additional documents are required by Florida or Alachua County. These could be tax related, informational, or even as simple as a coversheet. Supplemental forms are provided for free with your order where available.

What type of files are the forms?

All of our Alachua County Notice of Commencement forms are PDFs. You will need to have or get Adobe Reader to use our forms. Adobe Reader is free software that most computers already have installed.

Do I need any special software to use these forms?

You will need to have Adobe Reader installed on your computer to use our forms. Adobe Reader is free software that most computers already have installed.

Do I have to enter all of my property information online?

No. The blank forms are downloaded to your computer and you fill them out there, at your convenience.

Can I save the completed form, email it to someone?

Yes, you can save your deed form at any point with your information in it. The forms can also be emailed, blank or complete, as attachments.

Are there any recurring fees involved?

No. Nothing to cancel, no memberships, no recurring fees.

What is the Florida Notice of Commencement

Why use a Notice of Commencement in Florida?

As an owner of real estate, you must record a Notice of Commencement when a contractor, subcontractor, material provider or laborer starts a work or improvement on your property.

The Notice of Commencement is set forth under the Florida mechanic's lien law. The lien statute aims to provide notices to contractors, owners, subcontractors, material men and laborers so each has everybody else's notice that they're working on the job and therefore may have potential mechanic's lien claims. By recording the Notice of Commencement, such notice is made available to all interested parties. Therefore building permits will usually not be issued to contractors unless the notice of commencement was properly recorded.

The Notice of Commencement must contain a description sufficient for identification of the real property, a description of the improvement, name and address of the owner, and information to identify the lender and surety, if any. This allows potential lien claimants to identify the owner and everyone else with a potential interest in the real estate. Property owners are required to file the notice before the work or improvement begins, although if the work does not commence within 30 days of recording the notice, it is considered void. The filing date is important, because any future liens relate back to this date.

Except for improvements for which the direct contract price is $2,500 or less, a property owner or the owner's authorized agent must record a notice of commencement in the clerk's office and post either a certified copy thereof or a notarized statement that the notice of commencement has been filed for recording along with a copy.

An owner may terminate the effective period of a Notice of Commencement when the construction is complete, or after construction ceases before completion and all contractors and sub-contractor's (lienors) have been paid, by filing a Notice of Termination of Notice of Commencement.

Each case is unique, so contact a Florida-licensed attorney familiar with the lien law with specific questions or for complex situations.