Plain-English glossary · Permitting & process
Notice of Commencement (NOC)
A Notice of Commencement is a document recorded with the county clerk before construction starts on any Florida project with a direct contract price over $2,500 (Fla. Stat. 713.13, via the exemption in 713.02(5)). It names the owner, contractor, and lender, anchors lien rights under Florida's construction-lien law, and must be in place before the first inspection.
In plain English
It's a small recording with outsized consequences — it protects subcontractors' lien rights and protects the owner from paying twice. The full walkthrough, including the barcode-sticker reality of how counties handle it, is in What is a Notice of Commencement?
We record the NOC and pull the instrument number into the permit package so it's never the thing holding up an otherwise-ready file.
Why it matters on a Florida build
A missing NOC stalls the first inspection — which means a crew standing on site with nothing to inspect. It's one of the most common self-inflicted delays in Florida construction.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need an NOC for a $2,000 remodel?
- No. Florida law (Fla. Stat. 713.13, via the exemption in 713.02(5)) only requires a Notice of Commencement when the direct contract price is over $2,500. A $2,000 job falls under that threshold and doesn't need one recorded.
- What happens if I skip the NOC on a project that needs one?
- The first inspection can't happen without it — you'll have a crew on site and no inspection to give them. It's one of the most common self-inflicted delays in Florida construction, and it's a barcode-sticker-simple fix if it's caught early.