Mechanics Lien Deadline Calculator
Pick the state, the kind of project and your role, enter the first and last days you furnished labor or materials, and see three dates: the preliminary notice, the lien (or bond claim) deadline, and the deadline to sue. Each one links to the statute it comes from. Free, no signup, and nothing you enter leaves the page.
This tool is informational only and is not legal advice. Lien rights are strict and easy to lose; where a rule depends on facts the calculator cannot see, it shows the earliest reasonable date and tells you to confirm with a construction attorney in the state.
Covers private projects and state and local public projects. Federal projects under the Miller Act are not covered.
Lien deadline calculator
Pick the state and enter your first and last furnishing dates.
Questions
Why does it ask for my first and last furnishing dates?
Preliminary notices usually run from the day you first furnished labor or materials, and lien deadlines usually run from the day you last did. Some states measure from completion of the whole project or from a notice the owner records instead. This calculator cannot see those dates, so it measures from your own last day of work, which is never later than the real deadline, and says so next to the date.
What does "confirm with a construction attorney in this state" mean here?
It appears wherever the statute depends on something the calculator cannot know (a notice of completion, a final settlement date, the tier you work in) or where the wording can be read more than one way. In those spots the date shown is the earliest reasonable reading. Filing by that date is safe; filing after it might not be.
Are weekends and holidays skipped?
No. Deadlines are shown as calendar dates and are not moved off weekends or holidays. Some states give you the next business day, but filing by the date shown is always on time.
What about federal projects?
Federal construction falls under the Miller Act, which this tool does not cover. Public works here means state and local government projects, where most states replace lien rights with a claim against the contractor's payment bond or against the funds the public owner is holding.
What if I have a supplier contract with the general contractor instead of a subcontractor?
Many bond statutes only require notices from people who do not deal directly with the prime contractor. The calculator assumes the stricter case for suppliers (that you sell to a subcontractor) and says so where it matters.
Statutes behind every state
Each state's rules were read on the state's own code site in October 2026. Four states publish their official code only through a commercial host, so the calculator does not give dates for them.
Working on public jobs?
The same contractors who chase lien deadlines also file certified payroll on Davis-Bacon work. The Davis-Bacon WH-347 Certified Payroll Pre-Check checks a certified payroll before it goes in. $25.00 per completed check, with free sample runs on the page.
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