Mechanic's Lien

A legal claim a contractor can file against a property when they haven't been paid for work or materials provided to that property.

A mechanic's lien attaches to the property itself, not the person who hired you. It makes the unpaid bill a cloud on the title — the owner can't easily sell or refinance until it's resolved.

Every state has its own rules: who can file, how soon a preliminary notice must go out (often within 20-60 days of starting), the deadline to file the lien (often 90 days after last work), and the deadline to enforce it in court (often 1 year).

Filing a lien is a powerful collection tool — often the lien alone gets you paid because the owner can't sell or refinance without releasing it. But miss a deadline by even a day and you typically lose lien rights forever.

Related

• Lien Waiver — A signed document where a contractor (or sub or supplier) gives up their right to file a mechanic's lien on the property — usually in exchange for payment.
• Preliminary Notice (NTO / 20-day notice) — A notice the contractor or supplier sends early in a job, preserving the right to later file a mechanic's lien if they aren't paid.
• Retainage — A percentage of each progress payment (typically 5-10%) that the owner or GC withholds until the job is fully complete and accepted.
• Compare contractor CRMs — FieldKrew against Jobber, Housecall Pro and ServiceTitan