How to Choose a Notice to Owner Company in Florida
When you need to send a Notice to Owner in Florida, it can be tempting to compare providers based on one thing: price.
But not every Notice to Owner company provides the same level of service.
A Florida Notice to Owner is more than simply preparing and mailing a document. If you’re unfamiliar with the process, start with our complete guide to Notice to Owner services in Florida. Researching the project, identifying the correct parties, reviewing available public records and keeping Florida’s strict deadlines in mind can be just as important.
Sunshine Notices has specialized in Florida construction notices since 1994. After more than 30 years in this business, we’ve learned that the work that happens before a Notice to Owner is sent can matter just as much as the document itself.
If you’re comparing Florida Notice to Owner services, here are five things we believe you should consider.
1. Find Out What the NTO Company Actually Researches
A Notice to Owner is only as useful as the information used to prepare it.
A contractor or supplier may provide a jobsite address and the name of the company that hired them. But that doesn’t necessarily tell the whole story.
Depending on the project and available records, additional research may help identify or verify information such as:
- Property ownership
- The Notice of Commencement
- The General Contractor
- Other parties involved in the project
- Property or parcel information
- Parties who may need to receive the Notice to Owner
Sometimes everything matches.
Sometimes it doesn’t.
The job address may differ from the property records. The company that hired a subcontractor may not be the General Contractor. Information found on a Notice of Commencement may be different from the information originally provided. Two pieces of information that can be especially important are the correct General Contractor and exact project location. We explain why in Notice to Owner Information Florida: Why GC and Job Location Details Matter.
That’s why one of the first questions to ask an NTO provider should be:
“What research do you perform before my Notice to Owner is sent?”
At Sunshine Notices, research is an important part of our full-service Notice to Owner process.
2. Don’t Compare Notice to Owner Companies on Price Alone
Florida contractors understand this concept better than almost anyone:
The lowest bid isn’t necessarily the lowest cost.
You probably wouldn’t choose an electrician, roofer or concrete contractor solely because they submitted the cheapest bid. You’d want to understand the scope of work and what you’re actually receiving for the money.
The same principle applies when comparing Notice to Owner services.
A lower-priced service may be exactly what a particular contractor needs. But before making that decision, find out what is included.
Does the provider research the project?
Does someone review discrepancies?
What happens when information is missing?
Does the company search for a Notice of Commencement?
Is there someone you can contact when you have a question?
You’re not simply comparing the price of two pieces of paper.
You’re comparing the process behind them.
Sunshine Notices doesn’t position itself as the cheapest Notice to Owner service in Florida. Our focus is providing a full-service process backed by research, experienced people and decades of Florida construction notice experience.
3. Ask What Happens After You Submit a Job
This is where the differences between NTO companies can become much clearer.
When a client submits a job to Sunshine Notices, our team doesn’t simply transfer the submitted information onto a form.
Depending on the project, our process may include researching property records, looking for a Notice of Commencement, reviewing the parties involved and comparing the information we locate with the information our client provided. Notice to Owner preparation is only one part of the construction notice process. You can see the other Florida construction notice services Sunshine Notices provides.
If something doesn’t make sense, we investigate further.
And when necessary, we may contact the client for additional information.
For example, we may need to better understand who hired the client, who that company is working for, or whether a particular party is acting as the General Contractor, owner or tenant.
We don’t believe uncertain information should simply be turned into a confident assumption.
Much of this work happens behind the scenes.
Our clients may only see the completed Notice to Owner.
The process behind that notice is part of what they’re paying us for.
4. A Notice to Owner Isn’t Just for Contractors Who Expect Payment Problems
Another important consideration is how an NTO provider views the purpose of the Notice to Owner.
We often hear:
“We don’t really file NTOs because we always get paid.”
We hope you do.
But a Notice to Owner isn’t necessarily something you send because you believe a customer isn’t going to pay you. In fact, sending an NTO can be a normal part of doing business even when you have a great relationship with the GC. Read more about why subcontractors should protect their lien rights even when they trust the GC.
For many Florida contractors, subcontractors and suppliers, sending Notices to Owner is simply part of a consistent accounts-receivable and risk-management process.
Handling the NTO early can also make a future payment issue less personal.
Instead of waiting until an invoice is already seriously overdue to begin talking about lien rights, the appropriate notices can be handled as a normal part of doing business.
Nobody knows at the beginning of a project which job will eventually have a payment problem.
That’s why the best time to think about protecting your payment rights is usually before you believe you’ll need that protection.
If a payment problem does develop, preserving your rights early may become important later in the process. Learn more about how our Florida Claim of Lien service helps contractors, subcontractors and suppliers when payment remains outstanding.
5. Experience Matters When the Job Isn’t Straightforward
Straightforward jobs are straightforward.
Experience becomes particularly valuable when they’re not.
Sunshine Notices has specialized in Florida construction notices since 1994.
Over more than three decades, we’ve seen recurring problems:
Incorrect or incomplete project information.
Confusion about who the General Contractor actually is.
Notices of Commencement containing information a client didn’t have.
Jobsite addresses that don’t perfectly match public records.
Missing information.
And, of course, projects approaching important statutory deadlines.
Technology has changed dramatically since Sunshine Notices began.
Those underlying problems haven’t disappeared.
Experience teaches you what questions to ask and where to look when something doesn’t make sense.
What Should You Ask Before Choosing a Florida Notice to Owner Service?
Before choosing an NTO company, consider asking:
New to the process? Read What Is an NTO? for a simple explanation of how a Notice to Owner works and why it matters.
What do you research?
Find out whether the company simply uses the information you provide or performs additional project research.
Do you look for the Notice of Commencement?
The NOC can contain important information about the project and parties involved.
What happens when information doesn’t match?
A good process should account for discrepancies rather than simply ignoring them.
Who can I contact if I have a question?
Technology is useful, but sometimes you need an experienced person.
How do you handle deadlines?
Florida Notice to Owner deadlines can have serious consequences. Understand how the provider handles jobs approaching their deadline.
What exactly is included in the price?
Compare services—not simply the number at the bottom of the invoice.
So, What Makes a Good Notice to Owner Company?
We believe a strong Florida Notice to Owner provider should combine research, experience, attention to detail, deadline awareness and real support.
That’s the standard we’ve worked to build at Sunshine Notices.
Since 1994, we’ve helped Florida contractors, subcontractors and suppliers with Notices to Owner and other construction notices designed to help protect their payment and lien rights.
Notices to Owner aren’t an add-on product for us.
Florida construction notices are what we do every day.
Our goal isn’t simply to send another piece of certified mail.
It’s to help our clients protect the payment rights they’ve worked hard to earn.
Need Help With a Florida Notice to Owner?
Whether you send an occasional NTO or manage notices across multiple projects, Sunshine Notices can help take the research, preparation and administrative work off your team.