Free lien waiver template
Create a conditional or unconditional lien waiver — progress or final — and download a ready-to-sign PDF. Free, no account. Below: how to fill one out and which type to use.
Pick a type, fill in the details, download. No sign-up.
The four lien waiver types
Pick the one that matches the payment. Choosing wrong is the most common — and most costly — mistake. (More in the lien waivers by state guide.)
Conditional progress
Releases lien rights for a progress payment — but only once that payment actually clears. Safe to send before/with payment.
Unconditional progress
Releases lien rights for a progress payment immediately on signing. Sign only after that payment clears.
Conditional final
Releases all remaining lien rights, effective once the final payment clears.
Unconditional final
Releases all remaining lien rights immediately on signing. The strongest release — sign only when fully paid.
How to fill out a lien waiver
- 1
Choose the waiver type
Decide conditional vs. unconditional and progress vs. final. Conditional waivers take effect only once payment clears; unconditional take effect on signing.
- 2
Identify the parties
Enter the claimant (the party giving up lien rights) and, optionally, the hiring or paying party (the GC, owner, or customer).
- 3
Describe the project
Add the project name, address, and the property owner if known.
- 4
Enter the payment amount
State the exact dollar amount this waiver covers — the waiver only releases rights to the amount listed.
- 5
Set the through date (progress only)
For a progress waiver, give the date through which the labor and materials are covered.
- 6
Carve out retainage (progress only)
Exclude any withheld retainage so you don’t waive rights to money you haven’t been paid yet.
- 7
Sign and date
Sign and date the waiver. Only sign an unconditional waiver after the payment has actually cleared.
Skip the blank form — let the generator do it
Fill in the fields once and download a finished, ready-to-sign PDF.
Open the free generator →Does your state require a specific form?
A general template works in most states. But about a dozen — Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming — mandate a specific statutory form, and some require notarization. If you’re in one of those, start with the state-by-state guide and confirm requirements with an attorney.
Free lien waiver FAQs
- Is the lien waiver template free?
- Yes. ClearLien’s lien waiver generator is free and requires no account — choose a type, fill in the details, and download a ready-to-sign PDF.
- What’s the difference between the template and the generator?
- They’re the same thing here: the generator produces a filled, ready-to-sign template from the details you enter, so you don’t start from a blank form.
- Does the free template work in my state?
- It produces a general waiver, which works in states that don’t mandate a specific form. About a dozen states (e.g., California, Texas, Florida, Georgia) require a specific statutory form — see our state guides and confirm your state’s requirements.
- Conditional vs. unconditional — which do I use?
- Use a conditional waiver before or alongside payment (it only takes effect once the payment clears). Use an unconditional waiver only after payment has cleared, because it takes effect the moment it’s signed.
- Can I e-sign a lien waiver?
- Electronic signatures are generally recognized under the federal ESIGN Act and state UETA laws. ClearLien’s paid product collects a no-account e-signature and records a full audit trail; the free template is a PDF you can sign by hand or electronically.
Stop filling these out by hand
Generate one free now — or let ClearLien draft the right waiver automatically the moment you pay a bill in QuickBooks.
This page and the generator are provided as a convenience and are not legal advice or a substitute for advice from a licensed attorney. The generator produces a general lien waiver, not a state-specific statutory form.