A mechanics lien is the one collection tool a trades contractor has that a collection agency doesn’t: it attaches your unpaid invoice to the property itself, and the owner can’t sell or refinance until it’s cleared. It’s also the most deadline-driven remedy in construction law. File a day late and the lien is void, no matter how obvious the debt. In Hawaii you have 45 days. In Ohio, 60 on a house. In Oregon, 75. And in eighteen states the clock doesn’t even start unless you gave the owner a notice before you started the job.
This guide lays out the deadlines in all 50 states and DC from the point of view of the shop that contracted directly with the property owner (you’re the “original” or “prime” contractor on a $4,000 furnace swap, a $12,000 repipe, a $30,000 roof), with the subcontractor and supplier rules alongside: when you must send a preliminary notice, when the lien must be recorded, when you must sue to enforce it, and the residential rules that quietly kill liens on owner-occupied homes in more than a dozen states.
Every deadline below is from the state statute as of November 2026, cross-checked against practitioner summaries. Lien law is strict-compliance law: the county recorder won’t tell you that your form is missing a required sentence, and the courts won’t forgive a deadline because the owner was negotiating. Use this to know your state’s clock, then confirm the form and service rules with your recorder or a construction attorney before you file.
Quick answer: Most states give a direct contractor 90 to 120 days after last furnishing labor or materials to record a mechanics lien (Hawaii 45, Ohio 60 residential, Oregon 75, Alabama/Kentucky/Missouri/Pennsylvania/Wisconsin 6 months, New York 8 months), then 6 months to 1 year to sue (California and Massachusetts 90 days; Rhode Island 40). 18 states require the direct contractor to give a pre-lien notice or disclosure at the start of the job or lose the lien entirely (Arizona, Arkansas, California, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming). 4 require a notice of intent before recording (Colorado, Nevada, New Jersey residential, North Dakota). Subs and suppliers face a preliminary notice requirement in roughly 30 states.
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How Lien Deadlines Work: Three Clocks
Every state’s lien statute runs on the same three clocks, with different numbers on each:
- Clock 1: Pre-lien notice. Starts when you first show up or sign the contract. In 18 states the direct contractor must give the owner a notice or disclosure at the start (Arizona’s 20-day Preliminary Notice, Washington’s Notice to Customer, Oregon’s Information Notice, Missouri’s Notice to Owner, Texas’s homestead contract). In about 30 states, subs and suppliers must send one (Florida’s 45-day Notice to Owner, California’s 20-day Preliminary Notice, Michigan’s 20-day Notice of Furnishing). Miss it and there is usually no lien at all, or a lien limited to work performed after the notice.
- Clock 2: Recording. Starts at your last furnishing of labor or materials (most states) or at completion of the whole project (Arizona, California, Hawaii, New Mexico, Tennessee, Delaware for GCs). Warranty call-backs and punch-list touch-ups generally don’t restart it. Runs 45 days (Hawaii) to 8 months (New York), with 90 days the most common. A handful of states (Colorado, Nevada, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Arkansas) require a Notice of Intent 10 to 30 days before you record, so the real deadline is earlier.
- Clock 3: Enforcement. Starts when you record (most states) or at last furnishing (Minnesota, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Colorado). A recorded lien is just a cloud on title; to collect you have to file a foreclosure suit. Runs 40 days (Rhode Island) to 6 years (Ohio, South Dakota), with 6 months to 1 year typical. Owners in many states can shorten it with a demand to sue (30 to 60 days).
The trap for a service shop is that Clock 1 runs while the customer is still happy. Nobody sends a preliminary notice on a job they expect to be paid for. The states that require it from direct contractors mostly solved that by putting the notice in the contract (Minnesota, Tennessee, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, California’s home improvement warning, Texas’s homestead contract), which means your standard contract template is your lien protection. Check yours against your state’s required language once, and every job is covered.
All 51 Deadlines in One Table
Direct-contractor deadlines first, because that’s most service work. “NOC” is a recorded Notice of Completion; “NOI” a Notice of Intent to Lien; “NOF” a Notice of Furnishing; “NUB” New Jersey’s Notice of Unpaid Balance.
| State | Direct contractor files within | Subs / suppliers | Sue to enforce within | Pre-lien step |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 6 months | 4 months | 6 months after debt due | None for GC |
| Alaska | 120 days (15 after NOC) | Same | 6 months (+6 by extension) | Optional |
| Arizona | 120 days (60 after NOC) | Same | 6 months | 20-day prelim, everyone |
| Arkansas | 120 days | Same | 15 months | Residential pre-construction notice; 10-day NOI |
| California | 90 days (60 after NOC) | 90 (30 after NOC) | 90 days | Contract lien warning; subs 20-day prelim |
| Colorado | 4 months | Same (labor-only 2) | 6 months after last work | 10-day NOI, everyone |
| Connecticut | 90 days | Same | 1 year | None for GC; HIC registration |
| Delaware | 180 days after completion | 120 days | Filing is the suit | None |
| District of Columbia | 90 days | Same | 180 days | None; license attached |
| Florida | 90 days | Same | 1 year (60 after contest) | Contract disclosure >$2,500; subs 45-day NTO |
| Georgia | 90 days | Same | 365 days + 30-day notice | None for GC |
| Hawaii | 45 days after completion | Same | 3 months after order | None |
| Idaho | 90 days | Same | 6 months | Residential disclosure >$2,000 |
| Illinois | 4 months (3rd parties) | Same + 90-day notice | 2 years | Sworn statement |
| Indiana | 60 days res. / 90 com. | Same | 1 year | Subs 30/60-day residential notice |
| Iowa | 90 days | Same | 2 years + 90 days | MNLR notice of commencement, 10 days |
| Kansas | 4 months | 3 months (5 extended) | 1 year | Subs residential warning statement |
| Kentucky | 6 months | Same + 75/120-day notice | 12 months | None for GC |
| Louisiana | 60 days (7 months w/ NOC) | 60 / 70 res. (6 months w/ NOC) | 1 year | Notice of Lien Rights (residential); notice of contract >$100K |
| Maine | Sue within 120 days | 90 days to record | 120 days after last work | None |
| Maryland | 180 days (court petition) | Same + 120-day NOI | 1 year | None; 15% rule |
| Massachusetts | Notice of contract + 90-day statement | Same | 90 days after statement | Written contract required |
| Michigan | 90 days | Same + 20-day NOF | 1 year | Residential builder license |
| Minnesota | 120 days | Same + 45-day notice | 1 year after last work | Pre-lien notice in contract |
| Mississippi | 90 days | Same + 30-day notice | 180 days | None for GC |
| Missouri | 6 months | Same + 10-day NOI | 6 months | Notice to Owner before payment |
| Montana | 90 days | Same + 20-day notice | 2 years | None for GC |
| Nebraska | 120 days | Same | 2 years | Protected-party notice (subs) |
| Nevada | 90 days (40 after NOC) | Same + 31-day notice | 6 months | 15-day NOI residential |
| New Hampshire | 120 days (attachment) | Same + notice | Petition within 120 days | Subs notice + 30-day accounts |
| New Jersey | 90 com. / 120 res. | Same | 1 year after last work | Residential NUB + arbitration |
| New Mexico | 120 days after completion | 90 days | 2 years | None for GC |
| New York | 8 months (4 single-family) | Same | 1 year | Written HI contract; county license |
| North Carolina | 120 days | Same | 180 days after last work | Lien agent notice, 15 days ($40K+) |
| North Dakota | 90 days | Same | 3 years | 10-day NOI |
| Ohio | 60 res. / 75 com. | Same + 21-day NOF | 6 years (60 after demand) | None for GC |
| Oklahoma | 4 months | 90 days + 75-day notice | 1 year | None for GC |
| Oregon | 75 days | Same + 8-day notice | 120 days | Information Notice >$2,000 |
| Pennsylvania | 6 months | Same + 30-day NOI | 2 years | None for GC |
| Rhode Island | 200-day Notice of Intention | Same | 40 days after notice | Contract notice |
| South Carolina | 90 days (file + serve) | Same | 6 months after last work | None for GC |
| South Dakota | 120 days | Same | 6 years | None |
| Tennessee | 90 days after completion | Same + monthly NNP | 1 year (GC) / 90 days | Contract notice (owner-occupied) |
| Texas | 15th of 3rd month res. / 4th com. | Same + monthly notices | 1 year after last filing date | Homestead contract, both spouses, recorded |
| Utah | 180 days (90 after NOC) | Same | 180 days | SCR notice, 20 days, everyone |
| Vermont | 180 days after payment due | Same + notice | 180 days (attachment) | None for GC |
| Virginia | 90 days after month-end | Same | 6 months / 60 after completion | Lien agent notice, 30 days |
| Washington | 90 days | Same + 60-day notice | 8 months | Notice to Customer >$1,000 |
| West Virginia | 100 days | Same | 6 months | None |
| Wisconsin | 6 months | Same + 60-day notice | 2 years | Contract notice; 30-day NOI |
| Wyoming | 150 days | 120 days + 30-day notice | 180 days | Notice before payment; 20-day NOI |
The Residential Traps
Sixteen states have rules that treat owner-occupied homes differently, and they fall into four families:
- Subs have no lien at all on owner-occupied homes: Arizona, Tennessee, Missouri (without a signed consent). If you’re the HVAC sub to a remodeler in Phoenix or Nashville, your remedy is against the GC, period.
- Owner who paid the GC in full is protected from sub liens: Pennsylvania, Delaware, Colorado, Utah (fund instead), Ohio, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Washington (repairs), New Mexico, South Carolina, Alabama and other “unpaid balance” states. The lien is only worth what the owner still owes.
- Extra procedure on homes: New Jersey’s Notice of Unpaid Balance and mandatory arbitration; Texas’s recorded, spouse-signed homestead contract; Nevada’s 15-day Notice of Intent; Indiana, Ohio and New York’s shorter residential filing windows.
- Licensing or registration gate: Connecticut (HIC registration), Michigan (residential builder license), New York (county home improvement license), Maryland (MHIC), plus the general unlicensed-means-no-lien rule in Arizona, California, Florida, Idaho, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Virginia, Washington, Hawaii and DC.
| State | Residential rule that catches service shops |
|---|---|
| Arizona | Owner-occupied 1–2 family: only a written direct contract with the owner-occupant can lien; subs have no rights |
| Tennessee | Owner-occupied 1–4 units: only direct contracts can lien; contract must carry the statutory notice |
| Missouri | Owner-occupied ≤4 units: subs can’t lien without a signed Consent of Owner |
| Texas | Homestead: written contract signed by both spouses and recorded before work, or no lien for anyone |
| Pennsylvania | 1–2 unit owner residence: no sub lien if owner paid GC in full |
| Delaware | Owner residence: no lien if owner paid in full with contractor certification or releases |
| Colorado | Owner-occupied single-family: full payment to GC is a complete defense to sub liens |
| Utah | Owner-occupied residence paid in full to licensed GC: subs claim against the Lien Recovery Fund, not the house |
| Ohio | Owner-occupied 1–2 family: sub liens limited to unpaid balance; 60-day filing window |
| New Jersey | Residential: NUB within 60 days + arbitration before any lien; 120-day outside limit |
| New York | Single-family: 4 months to file (not 8); extension only by court order |
| Indiana | 1–2 family: 60 days to file; subs need 30-day notice on existing homes |
| Maryland | Repairs lienable only if they add 15% to the building’s value |
| Connecticut | Only HIC-registered contractors with a compliant written contract can lien a home |
| Washington | Residential ≥$1,000: Notice to Customer before work or no lien |
| Oregon | Residential >$2,000: Information Notice to Owner at signing or no lien |
States Where You Must Send Notice Before You Start
These are the direct-contractor requirements; miss them and the lien never exists. Subs and suppliers have their own (longer) list in the state blocks.
- In the contract: California (Mechanics Lien Warning in home improvement contracts), Minnesota (pre-lien notice, residential), Rhode Island (Notice of Possible Mechanic’s Lien), Tennessee (owner-occupied 1–4 units), Wisconsin (residential, unless you use no subs), Texas (homestead: written, spouse-signed, recorded).
- Separate disclosure before work: Washington (Notice to Customer, residential ≥$1,000), Oregon (Information Notice to Owner, residential >$2,000), Idaho (Residential Disclosure, >$2,000), Louisiana (Notice of Lien Rights, owner-occupied), Arkansas (Pre-Construction Notice, residential), Missouri (Notice to Owner before any payment), Wyoming (notice before any payment).
- Filed notice within days of starting: Arizona (20-day Preliminary Notice to owner and lender), Utah (State Construction Registry within 20 days), Iowa (MNLR Notice of Commencement within 10 days, residential), North Carolina (Notice to Lien Agent within 15 days on $40,000+ projects), Virginia (lien agent notice within 30 days, 1–2 family; limits rather than voids).
Mistakes That Void Liens
The five that recur in every state’s case law: (1) counting from the invoice date or the last payment instead of the last furnishing; (2) treating a warranty call-back as new furnishing to restart the clock; (3) recording on time but missing the post-recording service deadline (California’s proof of service, New York’s 35-day proof, Pennsylvania’s one-month service and 20-day affidavit, Connecticut’s 30 days); (4) recording the lien and forgetting that it expires unless you sue (California 90 days, Rhode Island 40, Oregon 120, Washington 8 months); (5) liening while unlicensed or with a lapsed license, which in a dozen states voids the claim outright.
Two more that are specific to small shops: overstating the lien (several states, including Texas, Washington and Mississippi, penalize a knowingly excessive or frivolous lien with damages or license discipline), and liening the wrong parcel because the lien used a street address where the statute demands a legal description (Washington, Wyoming, Oklahoma).
State-by-State Breakdown
Red chips mark states where the direct contractor must give a pre-lien notice or disclosure at the start of the job; amber marks states requiring a notice of intent before recording; grey means you file within the deadline with no earlier notice. Each block gives the direct-contractor rule, the sub and supplier rule, enforcement, and the residential trap, with a link to the statute.
Jump to your state
Alabama 6 Months to File
Filing Office / Statute: Ala. Code § 35-11-210 et seq.
Deadlines: A contractor working directly for the owner files a verified statement of lien with the probate judge within 6 months after the last labor or materials; subcontractors and suppliers get 4 months, day laborers 30 days. Suit to enforce must be filed within 6 months after the debt becomes due.
Notices: None for direct contractors. Subs must serve a Notice of Unpaid Lien on the owner before filing, and their lien is capped at what the owner still owes the GC when the notice lands. A material supplier that sends a notice to the owner before delivering gets full-price rights like a GC.
Trades note: Alabama is an unpaid-balance state for everyone below the GC, so if you’re the HVAC sub on a job where the homeowner already paid the builder, the lien is worth little. Get the notice out early.
Alaska 120 Days to File
Filing Office / Statute: Alaska Stat. § 34.35.050 et seq.
Deadlines: Record the claim of lien within 120 days after you finish your contract or last furnish labor or materials. If the owner records a Notice of Completion and you never recorded a Notice of Right to Lien, the window shrinks to 15 days after that notice. Enforce within 6 months of recording; you can buy 6 more by recording an extension notice before the first period ends.
Notices: The Notice of Right to Lien is optional for everyone, including direct contractors, but recording one protects the full 120 days against a Notice of Completion and shifts the burden to the owner. For a $3,000 service job it’s overkill; for a remodel, file it.
Arizona 20-Day Notice, 120 Days to File
Filing Office / Statute: A.R.S. § 33-981 et seq.
Pre-lien notice required: Arizona’s 20-day Preliminary Notice is mandatory for everyone, including contractors working directly for the owner. Serve it on the owner (and any construction lender) within 20 days of first furnishing labor or materials. A late notice only covers work from 20 days before it was sent.
Deadlines: Record the lien within 120 days after completion of the whole project, or 60 days if a Notice of Completion is recorded. Foreclose within 6 months of recording, with a lis pendens within 5 days of filing suit.
Residential trap: On an owner-occupied one- or two-family dwelling, only a party with a written contract with the owner-occupant can lien. Subs and suppliers have no lien rights there at all. An unlicensed contractor (where a license is required) has no lien rights anywhere.
Arkansas Pre-Construction Notice, 120 Days
Filing Office / Statute: Ark. Code § 18-44-101 et seq.
Pre-lien notice required: On residential property of four or fewer units, the contractor must give the owner Arkansas’s statutory Pre-Construction Notice before work starts, or it has no lien. One copy from anyone on the job covers every claimant; if the GC skipped it, a sub can send its own before starting. On commercial work, subs send a notice to the owner and GC within 75 days of furnishing.
Deadlines: Every claimant serves a 10-day Notice of Intent before filing, then files the lien with the circuit clerk within 120 days after last furnishing. Enforce within 15 months of filing (with a lis pendens).
California 90 Days to File, 90 to Enforce
Filing Office / Statute: Cal. Civ. Code § 8000 et seq. / CSLB
Pre-lien notice: A direct contractor serves the 20-day Preliminary Notice only on the construction lender (if any), but every home improvement contract must contain the CSLB’s Mechanics Lien Warning. Subs and suppliers must serve the 20-day notice on the owner, GC and lender or they have no lien.
Deadlines: Direct contractors record within 90 days after completion of the work of improvement, or 60 days after the owner records a Notice of Completion or Cessation; subs get 90 days, or 30 after a Notice of Completion. Foreclose within 90 days of recording (extendable to one year only by recorded credit agreement). Serve the owner with the claim and the statutory Notice of Mechanics Lien by certified mail, with proof of service attached, or the lien is void.
Trades note: Business & Professions Code § 7031 bars an unlicensed contractor from any lien or lawsuit for compensation; a license lapse mid-job can wipe out the whole claim on residential work (SB 342’s 2027 relief covers only commercial and public projects, see California’s new contractor laws).
Colorado 10-Day Intent, 4 Months
Filing Office / Statute: C.R.S. § 38-22-101 et seq.
Notice of intent required: Every claimant, including direct contractors, must serve a Notice of Intent to Lien (with a copy of the lien statement) on the owner and the prime contractor at least 10 days before recording, by personal service or certified mail, and file the affidavit of service with the lien.
Deadlines: Record within 4 months after last furnishing (labor-only claimants: 2 months after completion; and the period drops to 2 months on a one- or two-family home sold to a bona fide purchaser). Enforce within 6 months after last furnishing or completion and record a notice of the action in that window.
Residential trap: C.R.S. § 38-22-102(3.5) gives an owner-occupant of a single-family home a complete defense if they paid the GC in full, so a sub’s lien is limited to the unpaid balance. Denver and Boulder shops that sub out work should collect a lien waiver with every GC payment.
Connecticut 90 Days to File, 1 Year
Filing Office / Statute: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 49-33 et seq.
Deadlines: Lodge the Certificate of Lien with the town clerk within 90 days after you stop work or furnishing materials, serve a true and attested copy on the owner within 30 days of lodging, and start foreclosure within 1 year of recording. No extensions.
Notices: None before work for direct contractors. Subs and suppliers must give the owner and original contractor a Notice of Intent to Lien after starting work and no later than 90 days after ceasing.
Residential trap: Only contractors registered under the Home Improvement Act (or New Home Construction Contractors Act) with a compliant written contract have lien rights on residential work. An unregistered handyman has none. See home improvement contractor registration by state.
Delaware GC 180 Days / Sub 120 Days
Filing Office / Statute: 25 Del. C. § 2701 et seq.
Deadlines: Delaware has no separate lien recording; the Statement of Claim is filed as a complaint with the Superior Court Prothonotary, so filing is the lawsuit. Direct contractors file within 180 days after the structure is completed; subs and suppliers within 120 days after their last furnishing (or after final payment was due). No preliminary notice.
Residential trap: No lien attaches to an owner’s residence if the owner paid the contractor in full in good faith and got a notarized contractor certification or releases from every sub. Otherwise sub liens are limited to the unpaid contract balance, shared pro rata. Keep a plumber’s affidavit on hand for every final payment; Delaware homeowners increasingly ask for one.
District of Columbia 90 Days to File, 180 to Enforce
Filing Office / Statute: D.C. Code § 40-301.01 et seq.
Deadlines: Record the Notice of Intent with the Recorder of Deeds within 90 days after the project is completed or terminated, mail a copy to the owner within 5 business days, and sue within 180 days of recording with a notice of pendency filed within 10 days of suit.
Trades note: The filing must attach your current DC basic business license and a certificate of good standing issued within the past 180 days, plus a copy of the home improvement contract if it’s residential work. Unlicensed contractors can’t lien. If the owner paid the GC in full in good faith, subs lose their lien unless they gave written notice of amounts due while the owner still owed that much.
Florida 90 Days to File, 1 Year
Filing Office / Statute: Fla. Stat. ch. 713, Part I
Deadlines: Record the Claim of Lien within 90 days after your last furnishing, serve it on the owner within 15 days, and sue within 1 year of recording. An owner can shorten that to 60 days by recording a Notice of Contest, or to 20 days with a show-cause summons.
Notices: Direct contractors need no preliminary notice, but a direct residential contract over $2,500 must include the § 713.015 lien law disclosure in the contract (omitting it is a licensing violation and can cost you against an owner it misled). Subs and suppliers must serve a Notice to Owner within 45 days of first furnishing or forfeit the lien.
Trades note: § 489.128 voids the contract, and the lien, of an unlicensed contractor. Florida also lets the owner demand a sworn statement of account; ignore it for 30 days and the lien is lost.
Georgia 90 Days to File, 365 to Enforce
Filing Office / Statute: O.C.G.A. § 44-14-360 et seq.
Deadlines: File the Claim of Lien with the superior court clerk within 90 days after last furnishing and send a copy to the owner within 2 business days. Sue within 365 days of filing and file a Notice of Commencement of Lien Action within 30 days of suing. If the owner files a Notice of Contest of Lien, you have 60 days to sue.
Notices: None for direct contractors. If the owner filed a Notice of Commencement, subs and suppliers not in privity with the GC must send a Notice to Contractor within 30 days of first furnishing.
Trades note: Unlicensed residential or general contractors can’t enforce a lien, but Georgia’s license law exempts most trade-specific work (HVAC, plumbing and electrical have their own boards). The lien amount is capped at the contract price.
Hawaii 45 Days, Court Hearing
Filing Office / Statute: HRS § 507-41 et seq.
Deadlines: File an Application for Lien and Notice of Lien in circuit court within 45 days after completion (set by a published Notice of Completion, or deemed one year after actual completion if none is published), serve everyone with an interest, and attend a probable-cause hearing 3 to 10 days later. The lien attaches only when the court orders it and expires 3 months after that order unless you sue.
Trades note: A license is required to lien if the work needed one; the handyman exemption covers unlicensed jobs up to $1,500 that need no permit and involve no plumbing or electrical. Hawaii’s process is a lawsuit from day one, so budget for counsel.
Idaho Disclosure, 90 Days to File
Filing Office / Statute: Idaho Code § 45-501 et seq.
Pre-lien notice required: On residential work over $2,000, the general contractor must give the homeowner the § 45-525 Residential Disclosure Statement before signing the contract, and a list of subs and suppliers who furnished more than $500 before final payment. Subs and suppliers need no preliminary notice.
Deadlines: Record the Claim of Lien within 90 days after last furnishing, serve the owner within 5 business days, and sue within 6 months of recording. An unregistered contractor (Idaho Contractors Registration Act) has no lien rights.
Illinois 4 Months to Record, 2 Years
Filing Office / Statute: 770 ILCS 60
Deadlines: Record the Claim for Lien within 4 months after completion to bind third parties (buyers, lenders); against the owner alone you have 2 years. Sue within 2 years after completion, or within 30 days if the owner serves a demand to enforce.
Notices: Direct contractors must give the owner a sworn statement of all subs and amounts due before taking payment, and on an owner-occupied single-family home must notify the owner within 10 days after recording a lien. Subs serve a Notice of Intent within 90 days of last furnishing (owner-occupied single-family: 60 days from first furnishing).
Trades note: Illinois subs are in a full-price state, so the homeowner can be stuck paying twice. Expect owners to demand lien waivers at every draw; have your form ready.
Indiana 60 Days Residential / 90 Commercial
Filing Office / Statute: Ind. Code § 32-28-3
Deadlines: Record the Sworn Statement and Notice of Intention within 60 days after last furnishing on one- or two-family residential property, 90 days on anything else. Enforce within 1 year of recording, or within 30 days if the owner sends a Notice to Foreclose.
Notices: None for direct contractors. On owner-occupied residential work, subs and suppliers must give the owner a pre-lien notice within 30 days of first furnishing on an existing home (60 days on new construction) or lose the lien. Indiana’s 60-day residential window is one of the shortest in the country; an unpaid furnace install in February is unlienable by May.
Iowa MNLR Posting, 90 Days
Filing Office / Statute: Iowa Mechanics’ Notice and Lien Registry (Iowa Code ch. 572)
Pre-lien notice required: On residential construction, the general contractor must post a Notice of Commencement of Work to the state’s online MNLR within 10 days of starting, or it is not entitled to a lien. Subs and suppliers on residential work post a Preliminary Notice to the MNLR (and notify an owner-occupant when they start). On commercial work, only sub-subs and suppliers to subs give notice (30 days to the GC).
Deadlines: Post the lien to the MNLR within 90 days after last furnishing for full protection; a lien posted later (up to 2 years and 90 days, with written notice to the owner) is limited to what the owner still owes the GC. Sue within 2 years and 90 days after last furnishing, or 30 days after an owner’s written demand.
Kansas GC 4 Months / Sub 3 Months
Filing Office / Statute: K.S.A. § 60-1101 et seq.
Deadlines: Direct contractors file the verified lien statement with the district court clerk within 4 months after last furnishing; subs and suppliers within 3 months (extendable to 5 on non-residential work by filing a notice of extension in time). Serve the owner by certified and regular mail. Foreclose within 1 year of filing.
Notices: None for direct contractors. On repair of an existing home, subs must mail the owner the statutory Warning Statement (claims over $250); on new residential construction they file a Notice of Intent to Perform with the court clerk before title passes.
Kentucky 6 Months to File, 12 to Enforce
Filing Office / Statute: KRS § 376.010 et seq.
Deadlines: File the sworn Statement of Lien with the county clerk within 6 months after last furnishing, mail a copy to the owner within 7 days, and sue within 12 months of filing.
Notices: None for direct contractors. Subs and suppliers must send the owner a Notice to Owner within 75 days after last furnishing on owner-occupied residential work (and on contracts of $1,000 or less), or 120 days on larger commercial contracts. The lien can’t exceed the original contract price, and suppliers to suppliers have no rights.
Louisiana 60 Days (No Notice of Contract)
Filing Office / Statute: La. R.S. 9:4801 et seq. (Private Works Act)
Pre-lien notice required: The Residential Truth in Construction Act (La. R.S. 9:4851) requires a contractor improving an owner-occupied residence to deliver the statutory Notice of Lien Rights to the owner before starting; a GC whose contract exceeds $100,000 must also file a Notice of Contract (with bond) before work or lose its privilege.
Deadlines: With no Notice of Contract on file (most residential service work), every claimant files its Statement of Claim and Privilege within 60 days after substantial completion or a filed Notice of Termination; a sub on residential work can stretch to 70 days by sending a notice of nonpayment 10 days before filing. With a Notice of Contract on file, the GC gets 7 months after completion (60 days after a termination notice) and subs 6 months (30 days). Enforce within 1 year of filing.
Maine Sue Within 120 Days
Filing Office / Statute: 10 M.R.S. § 3251 et seq.
Deadlines: A contractor working directly for the owner records nothing; it simply files a lien complaint in Superior or District Court within 120 days after last furnishing and records the clerk’s certificate within 60 days of suing. Subs and suppliers must first record a Notice of Lien in the registry of deeds within 90 days after last furnishing, then sue by the same 120-day mark.
Residential trap: On an owner-occupied home, a sub’s lien is limited to what the owner still owed the GC when the sub’s notice arrived, unless the sub served a Notice of Intent to Lien, which converts Maine to a full-price state for that claim.
Maryland 180 Days, Court Petition
Filing Office / Statute: Md. Real Prop. § 9-101 et seq.
Deadlines: There is no recording; you petition the circuit court to establish the lien within 180 days after last furnishing, and the court decides whether it attaches. Enforce within 1 year after the petition (file the two together). Subs must first serve a Notice of Intent to Claim a Lien within 120 days after last furnishing.
Trades trap: Repairs and improvements to an existing building are lienable only if they add at least 15% of the building’s value (25% on tenant work). A $6,000 water heater and repipe on a $400,000 house doesn’t qualify; a $90,000 addition does. On a single-family owner residence, a sub’s notice must arrive before the owner has paid the GC in full. Corporate claimants must be registered with SDAT; MHIC licensure is required to sue on a home improvement contract.
Massachusetts Notice of Contract + 90 Days
Filing Office / Statute: M.G.L. c. 254
Deadlines: Record a Notice of Contract (any time during the work; subs by the earliest of 60 days after a recorded Notice of Substantial Completion, 90 days after a Notice of Termination, or 90 days after last furnishing), then a Statement of Account within 90 days after last furnishing. Sue within 90 days after the Statement of Account deadline and record an attested copy of the complaint within 30 days.
Residential trap: On an owner-occupied building of four or fewer units, a sub’s lien is limited to what the owner still owed the GC when the sub recorded its Notice of Contract. Sub-subs must also send a Notice of Identification within 30 days. Massachusetts requires a written contract to lien at all; a verbal HVAC job has no lien.
Michigan 90 Days to File, 1 Year
Filing Office / Statute: MCL § 570.1101 et seq. (Construction Lien Act)
Deadlines: Record the Claim of Lien within 90 days after last furnishing, serve the owner within 15 days, and sue within 1 year of recording. Subs, suppliers and laborers must serve a Notice of Furnishing within 20 days of first furnishing (late notice limits the lien to later work).
Residential trap: A contractor must be a licensed residential builder or maintenance and alteration contractor to lien a residential structure, and must give the owner a sworn statement before payment. The Homeowner Construction Lien Recovery Fund closed in 2010, so an owner who paid the builder in full is protected by the sworn statement and waiver process instead.
Minnesota Pre-Lien Notice, 120 Days
Filing Office / Statute: Minn. Stat. § 514.01 et seq.
Pre-lien notice required: On owner-occupied residential property (and most projects of four or fewer units), the contractor must include the statutory pre-lien notice in the written contract or deliver it within 10 days of agreement, unless it does all the work with its own employees and uses no subs or suppliers. Subs and suppliers give their own notice within 45 days of first furnishing. Skip it and there is no lien.
Deadlines: Record the Mechanic’s Lien Statement and serve the owner within 120 days after last furnishing; sue within 1 year after last furnishing (not after recording). Minneapolis and Saint Paul recorders both require the lien to state the first and last furnishing dates.
Mississippi 90 Days to File, 180 to Enforce
Filing Office / Statute: Miss. Code § 85-7-401 et seq.
Deadlines: Record the Claim of Lien with the chancery clerk within 90 days after last furnishing, send a copy to the owner (and GC) within 2 business days, and file the payment action with a lis pendens within 180 days of recording. A Notice of Contest cuts that to 90 days. The claim must include the statutory expiration and contest language or it’s void.
Notices: Direct contractors need none. Subs and suppliers not in privity with the GC send a notice within 30 days of first furnishing, and on single-family residential work a 10-day pre-lien notice before filing. Unlicensed contractors (where the State Board of Contractors requires a license) have no lien.
Missouri Notice to Owner, 6 Months
Filing Office / Statute: RSMo § 429.005 et seq.
Pre-lien notice required: The original contractor must deliver the 10-point-bold § 429.012 Notice to Owner before receiving any payment (in the contract, at delivery, at start of work or with the first invoice). It’s a condition precedent to the GC’s lien. Subs and suppliers serve a 10-day Notice of Intent before filing.
Deadlines: File the verified lien with the circuit clerk within 6 months after last furnishing and foreclose within 6 months of filing.
Residential trap: On owner-occupied residential property of four or fewer units, only parties with a direct contract with the owner can lien, unless the owner signed a separate Consent of Owner form (attached to the lien). A plumbing sub on a Kansas City kitchen remodel has no lien without that signature.
Montana 90 Days to File, 2 Years
Filing Office / Statute: MCA § 71-3-521 et seq.
Deadlines: Serve the owner with the lien, then file it with the clerk and recorder within 90 days after last furnishing (or after a recorded Notice of Completion). Enforce within 2 years of filing.
Notices: Direct contractors are exempt. Subs and suppliers on residential work of fewer than five units must give a Notice of Right to Claim a Lien within 20 days of first furnishing (and record it within 5 business days); late notice covers only the prior 20 days. Commercial work and five-plus-unit buildings need no notice.
Nebraska 120 Days to File, 2 Years
Filing Office / Statute: Neb. Rev. Stat. § 52-125 et seq.
Deadlines: Record the lien within 120 days after last furnishing, send the owner a copy within 10 days, and sue within 2 years of recording (30 days after an owner’s written demand).
Residential trap: An owner-occupant of residential property of four or fewer units is a “protected party”: anyone other than the prime contractor is limited to the lesser of their own unpaid balance or what the owner still owed the prime when the claimant’s Notice of Right to Assert a Lien arrived. Subs should serve that notice at the start of every residential job, even though the statute calls it optional.
Nevada Residential 15-Day Intent, 90 Days
Filing Office / Statute: NRS § 108.221 et seq.
Notice of intent required (residential): Before recording a lien on any residential property (single-family through multifamily), every claimant except laborers must serve a Notice of Intent to Lien on the owner and prime contractor at least 15 days before recording; serving it adds 15 days to the filing deadline. Subs and suppliers also serve a Notice of Right to Lien within 31 days of first furnishing.
Deadlines: Record within 90 days after completion or last furnishing, or 40 days after a recorded Notice of Completion. Serve the owner within 30 days. Foreclose no sooner than 30 days and no later than 6 months after recording. Claims under $500 can’t lien, and an unlicensed contractor (NRS 108.222) has no lien rights.
New Hampshire 120 Days, Court Attachment
Filing Office / Statute: RSA 447
Deadlines: The lien arises by statute and lasts 120 days after last furnishing; to secure it you file an ex parte petition for attachment in court within that window, then record the attachment and serve the owner. There is no recorder’s-office filing and no license requirement.
Notices: Subs and suppliers must give the owner written notice that they will claim a lien, ideally before furnishing (a later notice covers only amounts not yet paid), and then an account of labor and materials at least every 30 days. Direct contractors need none.
New Jersey Residential NUB + Arbitration
Filing Office / Statute: N.J.S.A. 2A:44A-1 et seq. (Construction Lien Law)
Residential pre-filing steps required: On residential work, every claimant (GC included) must file a Notice of Unpaid Balance and Right to File Lien within 60 days after last furnishing, serve a demand for arbitration (usually AAA) with it, win an arbitrator’s determination, and lodge the lien within 10 days of the award and no later than 120 days after last furnishing. Miss any step and the lien is void.
Commercial: Lodge the lien with the county clerk within 90 days after last furnishing; no notice needed. Everyone: serve the owner (and GC) within 10 days of recording and sue within 1 year after last furnishing, or within 30 days of an owner’s demand. Sub-subs and their suppliers have no lien rights.
New Mexico GC 120 Days / Sub 90 Days
Filing Office / Statute: NMSA § 48-2-1 et seq.
Deadlines: Original contractors record within 120 days after completion of the contract; subs and suppliers within 90 days after completion. Mail a copy to the owner within 15 days (or forfeit interest, fees and costs). Enforce within 2 years of recording.
Notices: Direct contractors need none. Subs and suppliers must give a preliminary notice within 60 days of first furnishing only if the claim exceeds $5,000 and the property isn’t residential of four or fewer units, so residential service subs are exempt. Unpaid-balance state; CILA licensure required to lien.
New York 8 Months (4 Single-Family)
Filing Office / Statute: N.Y. Lien Law § 3 et seq.
Deadlines: File the Notice of Lien with the county clerk within 8 months after completion or last furnishing, or 4 months on a single-family dwelling. Serve the owner between 5 days before and 30 days after filing and file proof of service within 35 days or the lien terminates. The lien lasts 1 year; on commercial property you can extend once by filing, on a single-family home only by court order.
Trades note: No preliminary notice in New York. But home improvement contracts must be in writing, and in NYC, Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland and Putnam a home improvement license is required to lien or sue (see our NY/NJ licensing guide for how the county licenses work). An owner can serve a § 59 demand forcing you to foreclose within 30 days.
North Carolina Lien Agent Notice, 120 Days
Filing Office / Statute: N.C.G.S. § 44A-7 et seq. / LiensNC
Pre-lien notice required: On any project of $40,000 or more, the owner must designate a lien agent on the permit, and every potential lien claimant (GC included) must file a Notice to Lien Agent through LiensNC within 15 days of first furnishing or lose priority and, against a later buyer, the lien. The exception is improvements to an existing single-family home the owner lives in, which covers most service work.
Deadlines: File the Claim of Lien on Real Property with the clerk of superior court within 120 days after last furnishing and serve the owner; sue within 180 days after last furnishing. Subs also serve a Notice of Claim of Lien upon Funds on the owner and every party above them. Unlicensed general contractors (jobs of $40,000+) can’t enforce the contract or lien.
North Dakota 10-Day Intent, 90 Days
Filing Office / Statute: N.D.C.C. ch. 35-27
Notice of intent required: Send the owner a Notice of Intention to Claim a Lien by certified mail at least 10 days before recording; without it the lien fails.
Deadlines: Record the Construction Lien within 90 days after last furnishing (a late lien still binds the owner for amounts unpaid, but not buyers or lenders). Enforce within 3 years of recording with a lis pendens, or within 30 days of an owner’s recorded demand. No preliminary notice before work, no license requirement.
Ohio 60 Days Residential / 75 Commercial
Filing Office / Statute: ORC ch. 1311
Deadlines: Record the Affidavit of Mechanics Lien within 60 days after last furnishing on one- or two-family residential property (75 days on commercial, 120 on oil and gas), serve the owner within 30 days, and enforce within 6 years, or within 60 days if the owner serves a Notice to Commence Suit.
Notices: Direct contractors need none. If the owner recorded a Notice of Commencement, subs and suppliers must serve a Notice of Furnishing within 21 days of first furnishing. On owner-occupied one- or two-family homes, ORC 1311.011 limits sub liens to the unpaid balance when the owner has paid the GC, and requires the GC to collect affidavits before payment. Ohio’s 60-day residential clock is short: calendar it the day you finish.
Oklahoma GC 4 Months / Sub 90 Days
Filing Office / Statute: 42 O.S. § 141 et seq.
Deadlines: Original contractors file the verified lien statement with the county clerk within 4 months after last furnishing; subs and suppliers within 90 days. The clerk mails notice to the owner. Foreclose no sooner than 90 days and no later than 1 year after filing.
Notices: None for direct contractors. Subs and suppliers must send a Pre-Lien Notice to the owner and GC within 75 days after last furnishing: always on an owner-occupied dwelling, and on other projects when the claim is $10,000 or more. A notarized affidavit of compliance accompanies the lien.
Oregon Information Notice, 75 Days
Filing Office / Statute: ORS 87.001 et seq. / CCB
Pre-lien notice required: On residential work over $2,000, the original contractor must deliver the CCB’s Information Notice to Owner About Construction Liens at contract signing, or it cannot lien. Subs and suppliers serve a Notice of Right to a Lien within 8 days of first furnishing (late notice covers only the prior 8 days).
Deadlines: Record the Claim of Lien within 75 days after your last furnishing or the project’s completion, whichever is earlier, mail a Notice of Filing to the owner within 20 days, and foreclose within 120 days of recording. Unlicensed contractors (CCB) have no lien and no lawsuit. Oregon’s 75-day clock is the second-shortest in the West after Hawaii.
Pennsylvania 6 Months to File, 2 Years
Filing Office / Statute: 49 P.S. § 1101 et seq.
Deadlines: File the Mechanics’ Lien Claim with the prothonotary within 6 months after completing your work, serve the owner within 1 month, file the affidavit of service within 20 days, and sue within 2 years of filing (judgment within 5 years). Claims must exceed $500.
Notices: None for direct contractors. Subs give the owner a Formal Notice of Intent at least 30 days before filing, and on projects of $1.5 million or more with a Notice of Commencement must file a Notice of Furnishing on the State Construction Notices Directory within 45 days.
Residential trap: A sub has no lien on a one- or two-unit owner-occupied residence if the owner paid the GC in full; otherwise it’s limited to the unpaid balance. HICPA registration is a separate requirement for the contract itself.
Rhode Island Contract Notice, 200-Day Intention
Filing Office / Statute: R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-28-1 et seq.
Pre-lien notice required: A contractor dealing directly with the owner must give the § 34-28-4.1 Notice of Possible Mechanic’s Lien, conspicuously in the written contract or by certified mail, before starting, or it has no lien.
Deadlines: Every claimant records and mails a sworn Notice of Intention within 200 days after last furnishing (the notice is the lien, and covers only the 200 days of work before it). Then file the complaint in Superior Court and record a lis pendens within 40 days of recording the notice. Rhode Island’s 40-day enforcement fuse is the shortest in New England.
South Carolina 90 Days to File & Serve
Filing Office / Statute: S.C. Code § 29-5-10 et seq.
Deadlines: File the Notice and Certificate of Mechanics Lien with the register of deeds and serve it on the owner (by sheriff in most counties) within 90 days after last furnishing. Sue and file a lis pendens within 6 months after last furnishing. Warranty call-backs don’t restart the clock.
Notices: None for direct contractors (a GC may file a Notice of Project Commencement within 15 days to trigger sub notice duties). Subs serve a Notice of Furnishing on the owner and GC. Unpaid-balance state; the lien must show your license or registration number, and filing a frivolous lien can cost $5,000 and your license.
South Dakota 120 Days to File, 6 Years
Filing Office / Statute: SDCL ch. 44-9
Deadlines: Mail a copy of the verified lien statement to the owner by certified mail, attach the receipt, and file with the register of deeds within 120 days after last furnishing. Enforce within 6 years, or within 30 days after the owner serves a written demand.
Notices: None for direct contractors or first-tier subs; sub-subs and suppliers to subs give notice within 60 days only if a Notice of Commencement was posted.
Tennessee Contract Notice, 90 Days
Filing Office / Statute: Tenn. Code § 66-11-101 et seq.
Pre-lien notice required: On an owner-occupied residence of one to four units, the contractor’s written contract must contain the statutory Notice to Owner language or the contractor has no lien. Subs and suppliers serve a Notice of Nonpayment on the owner and GC within 90 days after the last day of each unpaid month.
Deadlines: Record the Notice of Lien within 90 days after completion or abandonment (10 days after a recorded Notice of Completion) and serve the owner by certified mail. Direct contractors sue within 1 year after completion; everyone else within 90 days after recording; an owner’s written demand cuts either to 60 days.
Residential trap: On owner-occupied one- to four-unit homes, only parties contracting directly with the owner have lien rights. A sub on a Nashville remodel has no lien unless the homeowner is acting as their own GC.
Texas Homestead Contract, 15th of 3rd Month
Filing Office / Statute: Tex. Prop. Code ch. 53
Homestead requirements: To lien a homestead (most owner-occupied houses in Texas), the original contractor needs a written contract signed by the owner and spouse before any work, recorded with the county clerk, containing the statutory lien warning. Without it, neither the contractor nor any sub has a lien. Subs and suppliers also send monthly Notices of Unpaid Labor or Materials to the owner and original contractor by the 15th day of the 2nd month (residential) or 3rd month (commercial) after each unpaid month.
Deadlines (contracts signed since January 1, 2022): File the Lien Affidavit by the 15th day of the 3rd month after the month the contract was completed, terminated or abandoned on residential projects, the 4th month on commercial. Send the owner a copy within 5 days of filing. Sue within 1 year after the last date you could have filed (extendable to 2 years by recorded agreement).
Trades note: Texas also has the § 53.101 statutory retainage (10%) the owner must hold for 30 days after completion, which is a sub’s best leverage. For garage door and HVAC shops: a one-day service call on a homestead with no written contract has no lien remedy; small claims court is the path.
Utah SCR Notice, 180 Days
Filing Office / Statute: Utah Code § 38-1a-101 et seq. / State Construction Registry
Pre-lien notice required: Anyone who wants a construction lien, including the original contractor, files a Preliminary Notice on the State Construction Registry within 20 days of first furnishing (a late notice is effective only from 5 days before filing, and none can be filed more than 10 days after a Notice of Completion).
Deadlines: Record the Notice of Construction Lien within 180 days after final completion of the original contract, or 90 days after a Notice of Completion is filed on the SCR. Sue and record a lis pendens within 180 days of recording.
Residential trap: The Residence Lien Restriction and Lien Recovery Fund Act protects an owner-occupant who paid a licensed original contractor in full; unpaid subs claim against the state fund instead of the home, and only if they’re licensed and registered with the fund.
Vermont 180 Days, Attachment
Filing Office / Statute: 9 V.S.A. § 1921 et seq.
Deadlines: Record a written memorandum of lien with the town clerk within 180 days after payment became due for your last labor or materials, then sue and obtain a writ of attachment on the property within 180 days of recording. Both steps are jurisdictional.
Notices: Direct contractors need none. Subs and suppliers must give the owner written notice that they will claim a lien, and the lien reaches only what the owner still owes the GC when the notice is received. Vermont’s lien covers homestead property.
Virginia Lien Agent Notice, 90 Days
Filing Office / Statute: Va. Code § 43-1 et seq.
Pre-lien notice required: On one- or two-family residential projects where the building permit names a mechanics’ lien agent, every claimant (GC included) must notify the agent within 30 days of first furnishing (or of permit issuance). Skipping it doesn’t void the lien, but limits it to work performed after notice is finally given.
Deadlines: Record the Memorandum of Lien within 90 days after the last day of the month in which you last furnished, and within 90 days of the project’s completion; it can reach back only 150 days from your last day on the job (file multiple memoranda on long jobs). Sue within the later of 6 months after recording or 60 days after completion.
Trades note: The memorandum must state your Virginia contractor license number; an unlicensed claimant required to hold one has no lien, and neither do suppliers to that unlicensed contractor. Subs attach the Notice to Owner page and serve it when they record.
Washington Notice to Customer, 90 Days
Filing Office / Statute: RCW 60.04 / L&I
Pre-lien notice required: Before starting any residential job of four or fewer units priced at $1,000 or more (or commercial work from $1,000 to $60,000), the contractor must give the owner L&I’s Notice to Customer disclosure (RCW 18.27.114) and keep a signed copy three years; without it the contractor cannot maintain a lien. Subs and suppliers serve a Notice of Right to Claim a Lien within 60 days of first furnishing (10 days on a new single-family home); on owner-occupied repairs the sub’s lien is limited to what the owner still owes the prime.
Deadlines: Record the Claim of Lien within 90 days after last furnishing, send the owner a copy within 14 days (or forfeit fees), and foreclose within 8 months of recording, serving the owner within 90 days of filing suit. Unregistered contractors have no lien rights. Seattle-area recorders reject claims without the legal description.
West Virginia 100 Days to File, 6 Months
Filing Office / Statute: W. Va. Code § 38-2-1 et seq.
Deadlines: Record the notarized Notice of Mechanic’s Lien with the county clerk within 100 days after completion of your contract or last furnishing, and sue within 6 months of recording. Subs and suppliers must also serve the owner within the same 100 days.
Notices: No preliminary notice is required (an optional pre-work notice under § 38-2-20 exists). Lien rights run three tiers deep. West Virginia has no license requirement to lien, though the Contractor Licensing Board requires one for most jobs over $5,000.
Wisconsin Contract Notice, 30-Day Intent
Filing Office / Statute: Wis. Stat. § 779.01 et seq.
Pre-lien notice required: On residential property of four or fewer units, the prime contractor must include the § 779.02(2)(a) lien notice in the written contract, or deliver it within 10 days of first furnishing, unless it uses no subs or suppliers at all. Subs and suppliers give their notice within 60 days of first furnishing. Then every claimant serves a Notice of Intent to File at least 30 days before recording.
Deadlines: Record the Claim for Lien within 6 months after last furnishing and serve the owner within 30 days; foreclose within 2 years of recording. Wisconsin’s theft-by-contractor statute (§ 779.02(5)) also makes misusing draw money a crime, which cuts both ways for a GC.
Wyoming Pre-Payment Notice, 20-Day Intent
Filing Office / Statute: Wyo. Stat. § 29-2-101 et seq.
Pre-lien notice required: A contractor dealing directly with the owner must give the statutory notice of lien rights before receiving any payment; subs and suppliers notify the owner and prime within 30 days of first furnishing. Every claimant then sends a Notice of Intent to File at least 20 days before recording.
Deadlines: Record the notarized lien statement within 150 days (direct contractors) or 120 days (subs) after last furnishing or substantial completion, whichever is earlier; notify the owner within 30 days; foreclose within 180 days of recording. Work separated by more than 180 days counts as separate contracts with separate deadlines.
Deadlines compiled from state lien statutes and practitioner summaries (Levelset state guides, state bar and recorder materials) as of November 2026. Several states count from different triggers (last furnishing vs. completion) and most have service, form and notarization requirements this guide summarizes but doesn’t reproduce. Confirm the current statute and your county recorder’s form requirements before filing; when a deadline is close, file first and ask questions later.
Running the Business
- Before you lien: How to bill a customer who won’t pay covers the demand letter, small claims and the lien as a last step; the chargeback playbook covers card disputes, which are a different fight.
- Stop the problem upstream: quoting the job over the phone, deposits, and card-on-file payment at completion remove most of the reasons a lien ever becomes necessary. Shops that collect in the driveway don’t file liens.
- Licensing is lien protection: a dozen states void an unlicensed contractor’s lien. Check your trade’s requirements in general contractor, plumber, electrician, HVAC and home improvement contractor guides.
- What changed this year: California’s SB 342 (effective January 1, 2027) softens the license-lapse forfeiture on commercial and public work only; see new contractor laws taking effect January 1, by state.
Get Paid Before the Lien Clock Starts
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FAQ
How long do I have to file a mechanics lien?
It depends on the state and usually runs from your last day furnishing labor or materials: 45 days in Hawaii, 60 days on residential work in Ohio and Indiana, 75 days in Oregon, 90 days in about 20 states (California, Florida, Georgia, Washington, Michigan, Connecticut among them), 120 days in Alaska, Arizona, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Carolina and South Dakota, 4 to 6 months in Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Alabama, Kentucky, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, and 8 months in New York (4 on a single-family home). Texas uses the 15th day of the 3rd month (residential) or 4th month (commercial) after the month the work finished.
Do I need to send a preliminary notice if I contracted directly with the homeowner?
In 18 states, yes, in some form: Arizona (20-day Preliminary Notice), Utah (State Construction Registry), Washington (Notice to Customer), Oregon (Information Notice to Owner), Idaho and Arkansas (residential disclosures), Iowa (MNLR notice of commencement), Missouri and Wyoming (notice before any payment), Louisiana (Notice of Lien Rights), North Carolina and Virginia (lien agent notices), and in the contract itself in California, Minnesota, Tennessee, Rhode Island, Wisconsin and Texas (homestead). Everywhere else, direct contractors skip straight to recording; the preliminary notice burden falls on subs and suppliers.
What is a notice of intent to lien and which states require it?
A warning sent to the owner shortly before recording that gives them a last chance to pay. It’s mandatory for all claimants in Colorado (10 days before), North Dakota (10 days), Wisconsin (30 days), Wyoming (20 days) and Arkansas (10 days), for everyone on residential work in Nevada (15 days), and for subcontractors only in Pennsylvania (30 days), Missouri (10 days), Alabama and Connecticut. In other states it’s optional but often gets the invoice paid without a filing.
Does the lien deadline run from the invoice date or the last day of work?
The last day you furnished labor or materials under the contract, in most states, or the completion of the whole project in a few (Arizona, California, Hawaii, New Mexico, Tennessee). Never the invoice or due date, with the exception of Vermont, which counts from when payment became due. Warranty call-backs and trivial punch-list work generally don’t restart the clock.
Can a subcontractor lien an owner-occupied home?
Not in Arizona (one- or two-family owner-occupied) or Tennessee (one- to four-unit owner-occupied), where only parties with a direct contract with the owner have lien rights, and not in Missouri without a separately signed Consent of Owner. In many other states (Pennsylvania, Delaware, Colorado, Ohio, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Washington repairs) a sub’s lien is limited to whatever the owner still owes the general contractor, so if the owner paid in full, the lien is worthless. Utah routes unpaid subs on paid-in-full homes to a state recovery fund instead.
What happens after I record the lien?
Two things. First, most states require you to serve a copy on the owner within a set time (California with proof of service, New York within 30 days with proof filed in 35, Pennsylvania within one month plus an affidavit, Connecticut 30 days, Washington 14 days, Michigan 15 days); missing it can void the lien or cost you attorney fees. Second, the lien expires unless you file a foreclosure lawsuit within the enforcement period: 40 days in Rhode Island, 90 days in California and Massachusetts, 120 in Oregon, 180 in DC, Utah, Vermont and Wyoming, 6 months in about a dozen states, 1 year in about 15, 2 years in Illinois, Iowa, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, 3 years in North Dakota, and 6 years in Ohio and South Dakota.
Can I file a lien if my contractor license lapsed?
In Arizona, California, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Virginia, Washington and DC, an unlicensed or unregistered contractor doing work that requires a license has no lien rights, and in California and Florida no right to sue for payment at all. Connecticut requires Home Improvement Act registration, Michigan a residential builder license, and New York a county home improvement license. California’s SB 342 (January 1, 2027) relaxes the forfeiture for mid-job lapses on commercial and public work only; residential is unchanged.
Is there a minimum amount to file a mechanics lien?
Rarely. Nevada requires at least $500 of work, Pennsylvania claims must exceed $500, and Kansas exempts repair claims of $250 or less from its warning-statement rule. Maryland has a different gate: repairs and improvements to an existing building are lienable only if they add at least 15% to its value, so small service jobs don’t qualify there at all.
What does Texas require to lien a homestead?
A written contract signed by the owner and, if married, the spouse, executed before any work, filed with the county clerk, and containing the statutory lien warning. Without that, neither the original contractor nor any subcontractor has a lien. Then the original contractor files its lien affidavit by the 15th day of the 3rd month after the month the work was completed, sends the owner a copy within 5 days, and sues within one year. Most owner-occupied houses in Texas are homesteads, so a service shop without a signed, recorded contract has no lien remedy and goes to small claims instead.
What changed in lien law recently?
Texas rewrote its deadlines for contracts signed on or after January 1, 2022 (uniform 3rd/4th-month rules, one-year enforcement). Illinois updated its owner-occupied residential notice language on January 1, 2025. California’s SB 342, effective January 1, 2027, lets a contractor whose license lapsed mid-project still collect for commercial and public work. Pennsylvania’s State Construction Notices Directory ($1.5 million projects) and North Carolina’s LiensNC lien agent system are the two online-notice regimes direct contractors most often miss.
Bottom Line
Know three numbers for your state: the pre-lien notice you owe at the start (if any), the days you have to record after your last day on the job, and the days you have to sue after recording. Put the first one in your contract template so it’s automatic, and put the second on a calendar the day you finish any job over a few thousand dollars that isn’t paid in full. The lien is a cheap filing ($30 to $100 in most counties) that turns a dead invoice into a secured debt; the deadline is the only hard part.
And if the job is on somebody’s house in Arizona, Tennessee or Missouri and you’re a sub, you don’t have a lien to lose. Get paid by the GC, or get a signed consent from the owner before you unload the truck.
