When a Michigan contractor or supplier gets paid, the payer expects a construction lien waiver — the signed document releasing lien rights for the amount paid. Michigan prescribes those waiver forms in MCL 570.1115, and the statute says they "shall be used in substantially the following format." Where most statutory-form states split their forms by progress versus final payment, Michigan splits by amount: partial waivers for a stated dollar amount through a stated date, and full waivers for the whole contract — each in conditional and unconditional variants.
Advance waivers are dead on arrival. A contract term requiring lien rights to be waived before the work is performed is against public policy and invalid, except to the extent the person giving the waiver was actually paid. Michigan also refuses to treat a promissory note as a waiver by itself.
The four statutory forms
| Form | When it applies | Effective when |
|---|---|---|
| Partial unconditional waiver | After receiving a partial payment; waives the lien to the stated amount for work through the stated date. | Immediately on signing. |
| Partial conditional waiver | Signed before a partial payment clears. | On actual payment of the stated amount. |
| Full unconditional waiver | After receiving full payment for the contract. | Immediately on signing, for the whole contract. |
| Full conditional waiver | Signed before final payment clears. | On actual payment of the stated amount. |
Two statutory duties ride with the forms: a claimant who receives full payment must provide a full unconditional waiver, and a claimant who receives partial payment must provide a partial unconditional waiver on request. The forms themselves end with a warning worth obeying everywhere: "DO NOT SIGN BLANK OR INCOMPLETE FORMS. RETAIN A COPY."
Download Michigan lien waivers
Michigan does not publish standalone form downloads — the four forms appear in full inside the statute itself, as published by the Michigan Legislature. The buttons below open that statute page; copy the form you need from the statutory text. PayApplicationGenerator.com is not associated with the Michigan Legislature and takes no responsibility for the forms or their contents — verify each form against the current statute before relying on it.
Working in another state? Every state's lien waiver forms, in one place.
The residential verification rule
On residential structures, an owner or lessee may not rely on a waiver delivered by anyone other than the named lien claimant — if the claimant filed (or was excused from filing) a notice of furnishing — without first verifying the waiver's authenticity with the claimant in writing, by phone, or in person. The rule exists because general contractors have been known to pass along waivers their subs never signed; on residential work, Michigan makes the payer check.
Also note the retainage rule: retainage that the contract makes payable only on a later event is not treated as due when the work is done — so a partial waiver tied to a progress payment should not sweep in retainage that is not yet payable.
This page summarizes MCL 570.1115 as published by the Michigan Legislature and is educational, not legal advice. For a specific project, read the current statute or consult a Michigan construction attorney.
Frequently asked questions
- Are Michigan lien waiver forms mandatory?
- The statute directs that the four forms in MCL 570.1115 "shall be used in substantially the following format." Substantial compliance is the standard — but a document that departs materially from the statutory format risks not operating as a waiver.
- Are advance lien waivers enforceable in Michigan?
- No. A waiver required as part of the contract, in advance of the work, is contrary to public policy and invalid — except to the extent payment for the labor and materials was actually made.
- When is a Michigan conditional waiver effective?
- On payment of the amount indicated in the waiver. Until the money arrives, a partial or full conditional waiver releases nothing.
