Mechanics lien deadline calculator
Lien rights die on a date, not on a judgement about fairness. The dates come from statute, they differ by state and by your position on the job, and they run from when you furnished work — not from when the invoice went unpaid. This turns two dates into the whole schedule.
Enter your two job dates. Deadlines come from the statute text, last re-checked on 2026-10-18; the citation is printed beside every date so you can check it.
| Step | Statute | Days | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serve preliminary notice | Civ. Code § 8204 | 20 | 2026-05-24 |
| Record claim of lien: 90 days after job completion (earliest case) | Civ. Code § 8414 | 90 | 2026-11-29 |
| …if a notice of completion is recorded: 30 days from it (earliest case) | Civ. Code § 8414 | 30 | 2026-09-30 |
| File suit: 90 days from recording (earliest case) | Civ. Code § 8460 | 90 | 2026-11-29 |
Texas deadlines fall on the 15th day of a later month, so the tool counts months from the month you last worked and the Days column shows the gap that gives. Each unpaid Texas month needs its own notice of claim, so earlier months fall due earlier. California dates marked “earliest case” are counted from your last day, because the real trigger (a recorded notice, or your own recording) can only come later. On a federal job the prime has no claim on its own bond; the prime rows show a first-tier sub's dates. In Texas and Florida a deadline that lands on a weekend or legal holiday moves to the next business day; the table shows the raw date, which is the safe one to work to. Read the statute before you rely on an exact date, and file early.
Why two dates, not one
Preliminary and pre-lien notices run from the day you first furnish work — California's 20 days, Florida's 45. Recording deadlines run from the end of the work (the day you last furnish it, or in California the completion of the whole job) or from a notice of completion the owner records, whichever comes first. That last clause is the trap: an owner who records a notice of completion can cut a California non-prime claimant's window down to 30 days. The owner must send a copy within 10 days to anyone who served it a preliminary notice, which is one more reason to serve one.
Recording is not the end. California gives 90 days from recording to file suit; miss it and the claim of lien expires and is unenforceable. On a federal job the Miller Act replaces the lien entirely: written notice to the prime within 90 days of last work if your contract is with a subcontractor rather than the prime, and suit no later than one year after last work.
What resets, what does not
| Event | Effect on the clock | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Punch list | Usually does NOT restart the clock | Warranty and corrective work rarely counts as furnishing. |
| Notice of completion | Shortens the window | California: 60 days for a prime, 30 for everyone else. |
| Change order work | Can extend last-furnished date | Only if it is contract work, not a favour. |
| Partial payment | No effect on the deadline | A payment on account buys goodwill, not time. |
| Notice of intent | No effect on the deadline | Send it, but keep recording on schedule. |
Lien deadline
The dates this tool prints are derived from the statute text, last re-checked on 2026-10-18, and are a planning aid, not legal advice. Texas in particular counts to the 15th day of a later month rather than a fixed number of days, and the tool works that date out from the month you enter. Read the citation, and file early enough that a counting argument never matters.
State notes
- CACalifornia. Preliminary notice is due within 20 days of first furnishing, and a late notice reaches back only 20 days. Civ. Code § 8204
- TXTexas. The affidavit deadline is the 15th day of a later month, not a fixed day count — read the section before relying on a date. Prop. Code § 53.052
- FLFlorida. A lienor not in privity with the owner serves the Notice to Owner before starting, or within 45 days of starting. Fla. Stat. § 713.06(2)(a)
Sources
- Cal. Civ. Code § 8204
The California preliminary notice is due no later than 20 days after the claimant first furnishes work. A late notice still works, but it reaches back only 20 days before service.
Read 2026-10-18
- Cal. Civ. Code § 8412
A California direct contractor must record its claim of lien before the earlier of 90 days after completion of the work of improvement, or 60 days after the owner records a notice of completion or cessation.
Read 2026-10-18
- Cal. Civ. Code § 8414
A California claimant who is NOT the direct contractor must record before the earlier of 90 days after completion, or 30 days after the owner records a notice of completion or cessation.
Read 2026-10-18
- Cal. Civ. Code § 8190 (Wayback snapshot 2025-05-01; live site blocks automated reads)
An owner that records a notice of completion or cessation must give a copy within 10 days to the direct contractor and to every claimant that gave it preliminary notice. If it does not, the notice does not shorten that person's time to record a claim of lien. Owner-occupants of certain residential property are excluded.
Read 2026-10-18
- Cal. Civ. Code § 8460
A California claimant must file suit to enforce the lien within 90 days of recording it, or the lien expires and is unenforceable.
Read 2026-10-18
- Tex. Prop. Code § 53.052
A Texas original contractor files its lien affidavit by the 15th day of the fourth month after the month work was completed, terminated or abandoned — the 15th day of the third month on residential projects. A subcontractor or supplier files by the 15th day of the fourth month after the last month it furnished work (third month on residential projects).
Read 2026-10-18
- Tex. Prop. Code § 53.056
A Texas claimant who is not the original contractor must send a notice of claim for unpaid labor or materials to the owner and the original contractor for the lien to be valid, by the 15th day of the third month after the month the labor or materials were provided (the second month on residential projects).
Read 2026-10-18
- Tex. Prop. Code § 53.103
A Texas claimant reaches the reserved funds by sending the required notices and filing a lien affidavit no later than the 30th day after the earliest of the date the work is completed, the original contract is terminated, or the original contractor abandons performance.
Read 2026-10-18
- Fla. Stat. § 713.06(2)(a)
A Florida lienor not in privity with the owner must serve the Notice to Owner before commencing, or not later than 45 days after commencing, to furnish labor, services or materials.
Read 2026-10-18
- Fla. Stat. § 713.08(5)
A Florida claim of lien may be recorded at any time during the work but not later than 90 days after the final furnishing of labor, services or materials by the lienor.
Read 2026-10-18
- 40 U.S.C. § 3133(b)(1)
On a federal job, a claimant that has not been paid in full within 90 days after its last labor or material may sue on the payment bond.
Read 2026-10-18
- 40 U.S.C. § 3133(b)(2)
A claimant with a contract with a subcontractor but none with the prime must give the prime written notice within 90 days of its last labor or material, stating the amount claimed and who it was furnished to.
Read 2026-10-18
- 40 U.S.C. § 3133(b)(4)
A Miller Act bond action must be brought no later than one year after the day the claimant last performed labor or supplied material.
Read 2026-10-18
- Tex. Prop. Code § 53.003(b), (c), (e)
Notices go in person, by certified mail, or by a traceable private service that confirms receipt; certified mail is complete on deposit. A deadline that falls on a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday moves to the next day that is not one.
Read 2026-10-18
- Fla. Stat. § 713.011(1)
A time period under Part I that ends on a Saturday, Sunday or holiday is extended to the end of the next business day.
Read 2026-10-18
Related
- Deadlines by State2026-09-048 min readThe full table, with statute cites.
- How to File a Mechanics Lien2026-09-048 min readThe eight-step sequence.
- Preliminary Notice GeneratorThe first clock, started properly.
- Lien vs Bond ClaimWhich remedy your job even has.
- Florida Notice to OwnerFlorida's notice, ready to print.
- Texas Mechanics Lien Guide2026-10-1810 min readMonth-based deadlines, counted.