Who uses these forms
Florida's lien law sets out two waiver and release forms in Fla. Stat. § 713.20 [1]. When a lienor is required to execute a waiver or release of lien in exchange for, or to induce payment of, a progress payment or the final payment, the statute says the waiver or release may be in substantially the form it prints [1]. One is for a progress payment, printed in subsection (4), and the other is for the final payment, printed in subsection (5) [1]. The statute's text divides them by payment stage alone; it does not print conditional and unconditional versions of either one.
Their force is optional, with one limit written into the same section. Under § 713.20(6), no one may require a lienor to furnish a lien waiver or release that differs from the forms in subsection (4) or subsection (5) [1]. The forms themselves speak for "The undersigned lienor", the party giving up lien rights.
What the statute says about them
Both forms work the same way on their face. The lienor recites that it acts in consideration of a stated dollar amount and, on that basis, "hereby waives and releases its lien and right to claim a lien for labor, services, or materials furnished" [1]. In the progress payment form that amount is described as a sum; in the final payment form it is the final payment itself.
Florida adds no notarization step. Neither form has a notary block, and each closes with a date and the lienor's signature [1].
Reading the blanks
The two forms share most of their structure, and the final payment form is the shorter of the two.
- Upon progress payment, § 713.20(4) [1]. It asks for the dollar sum, a through date for the labor, services or materials covered, the name of the customer the lienor furnished them to, the name of the owner on whose job the work was done, and a description of the property. A closing sentence states that the waiver and release does not cover any retention or labor, services, or materials furnished after the date specified.
- Upon final payment, § 713.20(5) [1]. It asks for the amount of the final payment, the customer, the owner and a description of the property. This form has no through date and no retention sentence.
Both forms end with a date, a year, the lienor and a line beginning "By:" [1].
What changed recently
The section's history note in the 2025 Florida Statutes ends with s. 30, ch. 99-6, Laws of Florida [1].
Related
- Lien waiver forms by state
- Florida retainage law
- Lien waiver template, labeled as not a statutory form, for states without a statutory form