By Harold Safer

If you're a California subcontractor or supplier, a notice service needs to do three things well: get the right parties on the notice, prove it went out, and charge a price that makes sense on every job. FieldLatch and Levelset (now part of Procore) both prepare and send preliminary notices and help you escalate when an invoice goes unpaid. They're built for different kinds of businesses, though, and they price their work differently. Here's an honest side-by-side based on each company's public website.

Quick comparison

FieldLatch

20-day preliminary notice: $85 per project, two recipients and postage included; each additional recipient +$10
Example: 2 recipients (owner + GC): $85
Example: 3 recipients (owner + GC + lender): $95 ($85 + $10 for the third recipient)
Rush option: Same-day postmark on prelims, +$25 per project
Notice of Intent to Lien / demand: Notice of Intent: $95 per recipient
Notice of Lawsuit: $90 per order
Mechanics lien: $340 all-in, county recording fee included
Subscription: None required. Free plan; optional Business plan at $20/month
Lien waivers: Conditional and unconditional waivers free
Deadline tracking: Included
Geographic focus: California
Integrations: Not listed
Mailing: USPS Certified Mail with tracking

Levelset (Procore)

20-day preliminary notice: $118 per project (based on 2 recipients)
Example: 2 recipients (owner + GC): $118
Example: 3 recipients (owner + GC + lender): $177
Rush option: Not publicly listed
Notice of Intent to Lien / demand: “Send Demand”: $59 per recipient
Notice of Lawsuit: Not publicly listed
Mechanics lien: Subscription required; price not publicly listed
Subscription: Free account; a subscription is required to file a lien
Lien waivers: Waiver tools and free waiver forms
Deadline tracking: Lien deadline calculator; job alerts
Geographic focus: All 50 states
Integrations: QuickBooks, Procore, and others
Mailing: Levelset mails it for you, postage included

FieldLatch at a glance

FieldLatch is built for California subcontractors and suppliers. It covers the whole path to getting paid: the preliminary notice, a Notice of Intent to Lien, a Notice of Lawsuit, and the mechanics lien itself. Every document has a flat price that you see before you order.

Prelims priced per project. $85 covers two recipients, and certified-mail postage is included. Each additional recipient is $10.
Same-day postmark. If you're close to the 20-day window, you can add a same-day postmark to a prelim for $25.
Published price for each escalation step. Notice of Intent to Lien is $95 per recipient and Notice of Lawsuit is $90 per order. A mechanics lien is $340 all-in, with the county recording fee included, so you won't get a separate pass-through charge.
No subscription required. The free plan lets you create projects, track notices and lien deadlines, and generate conditional and unconditional waivers. The optional Business plan ($20/month) adds proposals, releases and waivers, contracts with e-signatures, and unlimited active projects.
Proof you can keep. Notices go out by USPS Certified Mail with tracking, and you get confirmation as soon as they're mailed.

Levelset at a glance

Levelset is one of the best-known names in construction lien compliance, and Procore acquired it in 2021. It's built for material suppliers, equipment rental companies, subcontractors, and general contractors in all 50 states.

Prelim pricing. A typical prelim costs $118 per project (based on 2 recipients), and Levelset mails it for you with postage included.
Demand letters. “Send Demand” is $59 per recipient.
Lien filing on subscription. Filing a lien requires a subscription, and Levelset asks you to request a call rather than listing a price.
Broader platform. It offers job research and verification, alerts about potential payment problems, unlimited document organization, and integrations with QuickBooks and Procore.
Free resources. You can create a free account and download free notice, lien, and waiver forms.

Where they differ

Preliminary notices

Levelset charges for each recipient, and FieldLatch charges for each project. On a typical California private job, you serve the owner and the GC. That's $118 at Levelset and $85 at FieldLatch, postage included at both. With a lender as a third recipient, Levelset comes to $177, while FieldLatch adds just $10 for a total of $95. Every recipient after that is another $10 at FieldLatch.

Escalation: demand letters and lawsuits

Levelset has the edge on single-recipient demand letters: its Send Demand is $59 per recipient, versus $95 per recipient for FieldLatch's Notice of Intent to Lien. If you send a lot of one-recipient demands, Levelset costs less there. FieldLatch also publishes a $90 price for a Notice of Lawsuit, a document Levelset doesn't list on its pricing page.

Mechanics liens

This is the biggest difference in how they're sold. FieldLatch lists one all-in price of $340, county recording fee included, and you don't need a subscription. Levelset requires a subscription to file a lien and doesn't publish the price, so you'll need to talk to its sales team to compare.

Coverage and integrations

If you work outside California, Levelset is the clear choice: it covers all 50 states. It also connects with Procore and QuickBooks, which matters if your team already runs jobs or accounting there. FieldLatch is focused on California and its lien rules.

Who should choose which

Choose FieldLatch if you work in California and want simple, published prices. That means $85 prelims with two recipients and postage included, and a $340 lien that already includes the county recording fee. You also get flat prices for intent-to-lien and notice-of-lawsuit steps and never need a subscription. It's a strong fit for small and mid-size subs and suppliers who want free deadline tracking and waivers, with contracts and proposals available when they need them.
Choose Levelset if you work in multiple states, need a platform that connects to Procore or QuickBooks, want job research and payment-risk alerts across a large portfolio, or mostly send one-recipient demand letters, where its $59 price is lower.

FAQ

Do I need a preliminary notice in California?

Most subcontractors and suppliers who don't contract directly with the owner must give preliminary notice to the owner, the direct contractor, and any construction lender before they can record a lien (Cal. Civ. Code § 8200). Serve it within 20 days of first furnishing labor or materials.

Does FieldLatch's $85 prelim include postage?

Yes. Certified-mail postage for the two included recipients is part of the $85.

Does FieldLatch's lien price include the county recording fee?

Yes. The $340 price includes the county recording fee, so you won't be charged a separate pass-through fee. County fees vary, but you pay $340 either way.

Do I need a subscription to file a lien?

Not with FieldLatch: you pay $340 per filing, only when you file. Levelset's pricing page says lien filing requires a subscription.

Is Levelset less expensive for anything?

Yes. Levelset's Send Demand is $59 per recipient, less than FieldLatch's $95 Notice of Intent to Lien. Levelset also covers all 50 states.

What if I'm close to the 20-day deadline?

Add FieldLatch's optional same-day postmark to your prelim for $25 per project.

Protect your next California job

Enter your project details, review your notice and its price, and FieldLatch takes care of printing, certified mailing, and tracking. Get started free at FieldLatch.

Sources

Prices as of October 25, 2026, from each company's public website, and subject to change. County recording fees vary by county.

Levelset pricing page (Send Notice and Send Demand, $59 per recipient; lien filing requires a subscription)
Levelset California preliminary notice FAQ (postage included)
Procore press release on its acquisition of Levelset
FieldLatch rates

This page is general information, not legal advice. FieldLatch is not a law firm.