Lien waivers, explained in one page
In Utah, a subcontractor you’ve never met can put a lien on your home if the general contractor doesn’t pay them — even after you’ve paid in full. Lien waivers are how you close that door.
Anyone who supplies labor or materials to your project — framers, plumbers, the lumberyard — earns lien rights against your property the moment they start. If the GC takes your money and doesn’t pay them, they can come after your title, and “I already paid the GC” is not a defense.
A lien waiver is a signed receipt that gives those rights up. The rule is simple: every payment you make should be exchanged for one.
How waivers protect you
For progress payments, ask for conditional waivers — they take effect once your check clears — from the GC and any subs or suppliers covered by that payment. At the end of the job, collect a final unconditional waiver from the GC and each major sub before the last check is handed over.
The Utah specifics
Utah runs a State Construction Registry where subs and suppliers file preliminary notices to preserve their lien rights. Checking it during your project tells you exactly who is working on your home — and therefore exactly whose waivers you should be collecting.
Before you sign
- Exchange every progress payment for a conditional lien waiver.
- Collect final unconditional waivers before the last payment.
- Check the State Construction Registry for preliminary notices.