LawWiki
HomeCodesSearchGlossaryAPIAbout
LawWiki

Plain English summaries of California law with zero-hallucination AI. Every summary is verified against official source text.

Product

  • Search
  • Codes
  • About

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Disclaimer

© 2026 LawWiki. All rights reserved.

HomeCivil CodeDiv. 4Pt. 6Ch. 4Art. 3§ 8432 Lien Limits For Unauthorized Work

§ 8432 Lien Limits For Unauthorized Work

Civil Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 8432 Lien Limits For Unauthorized Work

Key Takeaways

  • •If you do extra work that wasn't in the original contract, you might not get paid for it.
  • •You can't claim money for work if you knew (or should have known) it wasn't part of the deal.
  • •If the contract is filed with the county before work starts, everyone working on the project is considered to know what's in it.

Example

A builder is hired to paint a house but starts fixing the roof too, even though the contract only says painting.

If the builder knew the contract only covered painting, they can't force the homeowner to pay for the roof work.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 8432 Lien Limits For Unauthorized Work

(a) A lien does not extend to work, whether or not the work is authorized by a direct contractor or subcontractor, if the work is not included in a direct contract or a modification of that contract, and the claimant had actual knowledge or constructive notice of the provisions of that contract or modification before providing the work. (b) The filing of a contract or modification of that contract with the county recorder, before the commencement of a work of improvement, is constructive notice of the provisions of the contract or modification to a person providing work on that work of improvement. (Added by Stats. 2010, Ch. 697, Sec. 20. (SB 189) Effective January 1, 2011. Operative July 1, 2012, by Sec. 105 of Ch. 697 and by Section 8052.)

Last verified: January 21, 2026

Key Terms

liendirect contractconstructive noticecounty recorder

Related Statutes

  • § 8434 Contractor Lien Enforcement Limits
  • § 1180 Document Proof Authorization
  • § 1181 Notary And Officer Proofs
  • § 1181.1 Online Notarization Restrictions
  • § 1182 Out-Of-State Document Verification

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Civil Code. Section 8432.
View Official Source