Texas lien waiver checklist for general contractors

Confirm every sub and supplier on the draw has a current contract amount, retainage percentage, and contact email on file.

Decide which payment each waiver covers. One waiver per payment, per party. A single combined waiver for several draws invites disputes about what was actually released.

Send a conditional waiver for the specific payment amount. Conditional is what a sub can sign in good faith before funds clear.

State the check number, the amount, and the payee exactly as they appear on the payment. Mismatched amounts are the most common reason a waiver comes back signed but unusable.

Check the legal name of the claimant, the signature, the printed name and title, and the date. Verify the amount and the project match your payment record.

Store the signed document with the payment record, not in an email folder. You will need it at closeout, and possibly in a lien dispute.

Once cleared, a conditional waiver has done its job. On draws where you need a clean release before funding, an unconditional waiver can be collected after the wire clears, not before.

Release funds only against a signed waiver for that specific payment. Paying first and chasing paperwork later is how lien claims start.

Collect a final waiver from every party, including suppliers who furnished to subs. Final waivers release retention and pending change orders, so they should only be collected once all money for the job is settled.

Reconcile the signed waivers against your pay schedule. Any gap is an open lien exposure, even if the money was paid months ago.

WaiverTrack TX tracks which party owes which waiver on each payment, sends and reminds automatically, and shows draw readiness before you release funds. Lien waivers, signed and stored, tied to the payment they release.