A Sarasota County Notice of Commencement is a one-page sworn document you record with the Clerk of the Circuit Court before construction begins on any permitted project worth more than $5,000. You fill in the property’s legal description, the owner and contractor information, any lender or surety bond, and a short description of the work; sign it in front of a notary; record it with the Clerk; then post a certified copy at the job site and deliver another copy to the county building department before your first inspection.
When You Need to Record One
Florida Statute 713.13 requires the owner, or an authorized agent, to record a Notice of Commencement and post it at the site before any improvement to real property that needs a building permit actually begins.1The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 713.13 – Notice of Commencement The building department enforces the rule by refusing to perform the first inspection on any direct contract greater than $5,000 until a recorded copy is on file.2The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 713.135 – Notice of Commencement and Applicability of Lien
One narrow exception: contracts to repair or replace an existing heating or air-conditioning system for less than $15,000 do not require a Notice of Commencement, even if the work needs a permit. Nearly everything else above the $5,000 threshold does — a kitchen remodel, a new roof, a pool, an addition, a commercial build-out.
Timing is stricter than most owners expect. The notice must be recorded and posted before the first inspection, not just before the permit is pulled. If the inspector arrives to an unposted site, the inspection stops, and no later inspections can proceed until a copy is provided.3Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 713.135 – Notice of Commencement and Applicability of Lien
What to Put on the Form
Blank forms are available from the Sarasota County Clerk’s office, from the county’s building department website, or from your contractor. Every field feeds into the lien-protection framework, so gather the underlying information before you start writing.
Property Description
Enter the full legal description of the property, not just the street address. You will find it on your deed, your most recent property tax bill, or the Sarasota County Property Appraiser’s website. Copy it exactly — a wrong lot number or misspelled subdivision creates ambiguity that can undermine the notice. Include the street address if one exists and the tax folio (parcel identification) number.4City of Sarasota. Notice of Commencement Form
Owner and Contractor
List your full legal name and mailing address as the owner. If you are a lessee who contracted for the improvement rather than the titleholder, the form still treats you as the “owner,” but you must also list the fee simple titleholder’s name and address in the separate field provided. Then fill in the contractor’s name and mailing address exactly as they appear on your contract.1The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 713.13 – Notice of Commencement
You can also designate someone to receive lien-related notices on your behalf, such as an attorney or a project manager. Their name and Florida address go on the form. This is optional but useful if you do not live near the property.
Lender and Surety Bond
If a bank or other lender is financing the construction, include the lender’s name and address. If a payment bond exists, list the surety’s name and address and the bond amount, and attach a copy of the bond to the notice.4City of Sarasota. Notice of Commencement Form If neither applies, write “N/A” rather than leaving the fields blank.
Description of the Improvement
Add a brief general description of the work: “single-family residence addition,” “roof replacement,” “commercial tenant build-out,” and the like. Keep it broad enough to cover the entire scope but specific enough to identify the type of project.
Effective Period If the Project Runs Long
A recorded notice is effective for one year by default. If your construction contract specifies a completion period longer than one year, the notice must expressly state that it is effective for “one year plus any additional period of time.”1The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 713.13 – Notice of Commencement Fill that language in on the form now if the contract calls for it. Payments made after the notice expires are treated as improper under the statute and can strip your lien-liability cap.
Notarizing
Once every field is complete, sign the form in front of a notary public. Florida allows both traditional in-person and online remote notarization, and the Sarasota County form includes checkboxes for either method.4City of Sarasota. Notice of Commencement Form A Florida notary may charge up to $10 per notarial act.5Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 117.05 – Use of Notary Commission Banks, UPS stores, and title companies commonly offer the service. Some contractors handle notarization for you as part of their permitting process, so ask before you make a separate trip.
Recording With the Sarasota County Clerk
Record the original at the Sarasota County Clerk of the Circuit Court. You have three options: in person at either office location, by mail to the Clerk’s recording division, or electronically through an authorized e-recording vendor. Electronic submission is the fastest route if your contractor or title company already uses an e-recording platform.6Sarasota Clerk of the Circuit Court and County Comptroller. Recording Services
The two in-person offices are:
- Sarasota office: 2000 Main Street, Sarasota
- Venice office: 4000 S. Tamiami Trail, Venice
Recording Fees
Sarasota County charges $10.00 for the first page and $8.50 for each additional page.7Sarasota Clerk of the Circuit Court and County Comptroller. Recording Fees and Taxes Required A standard one-page notice runs $10.00. If you attached a payment bond, the extra pages add to the cost.
You will need at least one certified copy for the building department, and a second is smart for the job-site posting. Copies are $1.00 per page and certification is $2.00 per document.8Sarasota Clerk of the Circuit Court and County Comptroller. Public Access Request the certified copies at the time of recording.
Delivering to the Building Department
Recording is only half the job. You also have to get a copy to Sarasota County’s Planning and Development Services before the first inspection. You can email it to building@scgov.net, fax it, or drop it off in person at the county’s Sarasota or Venice offices. Skip this step and your inspector will not sign off on anything until the copy is in their file.
Posting at the Job Site
Florida law requires you to post a certified copy of the recorded notice at the construction site, or a notarized statement that it has been filed for recording accompanied by a copy.1The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 713.13 – Notice of Commencement Post it in a visible location, ideally next to the building permit. Its purpose is to tell every subcontractor and material supplier who arrives on site who the owner is, who the general contractor is, and whether a surety bond exists.
Protect the copy from weather. A plastic sleeve, or a laminated copy taped inside a window near the permit board, keeps it legible. The notice must remain readable for the full duration of the project. If it falls or becomes illegible, replace it; an inspector who cannot find it can refuse to proceed.
Expiration, Voidance, and Termination
Three separate clocks start the day you record.
If actual construction does not begin within 90 days of recording, the notice becomes void automatically.1The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 713.13 – Notice of Commencement You would have to record an entirely new one before breaking ground.
The notice is effective for one year unless it states a longer period tied to the contract’s completion time. If your project runs past one year and you did not include the extended-time language, record an amended or new notice before making any further payment.
When the project is finished and everyone has been paid, you can close out the notice by recording a Notice of Termination. It must contain the same information as the original plus the official records reference numbers, a statement that all lienors have been paid in full, and a termination date no earlier than 30 days after recording.9The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 713.132 – Notice of Termination Before recording, you must serve a copy on every lienor who has a direct contract with you and on every lienor who properly served a Notice to Owner, and the termination must be accompanied by the contractor’s final payment affidavit. Recording a termination is not mandatory, but it shortens the window in which someone can still attach a lien to your property.
Why the Paperwork Protects You
The Notice of Commencement is the anchor of Florida’s construction lien framework. Once recorded, liens on the project attach as of the recording date and share equal priority among themselves.10The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 713.07 – Priority of Liens Section 713.06 generally caps your total lien exposure at the original contract price, provided you make “proper payments” by collecting the required affidavits and releases before paying your contractor.11Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 713.06 – Liens of Persons Not in Privity Without a properly recorded and posted notice, that cap is not available, and if your general contractor takes your money without paying subcontractors, you can end up paying for the same work twice. Every field on the form, every stamp from the notary, and every copy delivered to the clerk, the building department, and the job site exists to keep that protection intact.