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feat(seo): California lien-deadline search-intent guide — pivot from list-push to search-pull
17 flat beacon reads (live=7, from-github=0) show curated-list placement drove zero attributable stranger discovery. Pivot the traffic source to search-intent content: a dedicated, statute-cited CA guide targeting 'california mechanics lien deadline' with Article+FAQ+Breadcrumb schema, hub internal link, and sitemap entry.
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‎california-mechanics-lien-deadline.html‎

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<title>California Mechanics Lien Deadline (2026): How Long Do You Have to File? — Statute-Cited</title>
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<meta name="description" content="In California you must record a mechanics lien within 90 days of completion — or 60 days (direct contractor) / 30 days (subcontractor) if a Notice of Completion is recorded. Free statute-cited guide to every CA lien deadline (Civil Code §8000 et seq.) plus a calculator. Informational only — not legal advice." />
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<div class="topbar">⚖️ <strong>Informational reference only — not legal advice.</strong> Deadlines turn on your facts; confirm with a licensed California attorney.</div>
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<div class="wrap">
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<nav class="crumbs"><a href="./">Lien Deadlines</a> / California Mechanics Lien Deadline</nav>
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</div>
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<header>
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<div class="wrap">
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<h1>California mechanics lien deadline: how long do you have to file?</h1>
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<div class="updated">CALIFORNIA · CIVIL CODE §8000 ET SEQ. · LAST VERIFIED 2026-06-10</div>
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</div>
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</header>
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<div class="wrap">
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<div class="answer">
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<div class="q">Short answer</div>
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<p>In California you must <strong>record your claim of lien within 90 days after completion</strong> of the work of improvement. If the owner records a <strong>Notice of Completion or Cessation</strong>, the window shrinks: a <strong>direct (prime) contractor has 60 days</strong> and a <strong>subcontractor or supplier has 30 days</strong> from that recording. Then you have <strong>90 more days to file a foreclosure lawsuit</strong>. <span class="stat">(Civil Code §8412, §8414, §8460)</span></p>
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</div>
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<a class="cta" href="./#calculator">
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<span class="big">Calculate your exact California deadline →</span>
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<div class="sub">Enter your role and project dates — get the dates that matter. Free, no signup.</div>
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</a>
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<main>
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<section>
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<h2>The three deadlines that actually matter</h2>
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<p>A California private-works mechanics lien runs on three load-bearing dates. Miss any one and you usually forfeit the lien remedy — these periods are strict and, for the foreclosure step, expressly non-extendable.</p>
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<table>
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<thead><tr><th>Step</th><th>Deadline</th><th>Statute</th></tr></thead>
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<tbody>
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<tr><td><strong>1. Preliminary notice</strong></td><td><span class="period">20 days</span> from first furnishing</td><td class="stat">§8200, §8204</td></tr>
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<tr><td><strong>2. Record claim of lien</strong></td><td><span class="period">90 days</span> from completion (60/30 if Notice of Completion recorded)</td><td class="stat">§8412, §8414</td></tr>
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<tr><td><strong>3. Foreclosure lawsuit</strong></td><td><span class="period">90 days</span> from recording the lien</td><td class="stat">§8460</td></tr>
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</tbody>
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</table>
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</section>
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<section>
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<h2>1. The 20-day preliminary notice</h2>
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<p>Serve a preliminary notice <strong>within 20 days of first furnishing</strong> labor or materials to the job. This is the gateway to lien rights for most claimants.</p>
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<ul>
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<li><strong>Who serves it:</strong> Subcontractors and suppliers serve the owner, the direct contractor, and the construction lender (if any). A direct contractor serves the construction lender (if there is one). <span class="stat">(§8200)</span></li>
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<li><strong>Late notice is not fatal — but it costs you:</strong> A notice served after the 20th day still works, but it only reaches back <strong>20 days before the date it was served</strong>. Any labor or materials furnished earlier than that loses lien protection. <span class="stat">(§8204)</span></li>
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</ul>
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</section>
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<section>
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<h2>2. Recording the claim of lien — the 90/60/30-day rule</h2>
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<p>This is the deadline most people mean when they ask "how long do I have to file a mechanics lien in California." The answer depends on one thing: <strong>did the owner record a Notice of Completion or Cessation?</strong></p>
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<h3>If no Notice of Completion is recorded</h3>
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<p>Everyone — direct contractor, subcontractor, supplier — has <strong>90 days after completion</strong> of the work of improvement to record the claim of lien. <span class="stat">(§8412)</span></p>
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<h3>If the owner records a Notice of Completion or Cessation</h3>
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<p>The window shortens sharply, and it differs by role <span class="stat">(§8414)</span>:</p>
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<table>
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<thead><tr><th>Your role</th><th>Deadline to record</th></tr></thead>
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<tbody>
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<tr><td>Direct (prime) contractor</td><td><span class="period">60 days</span> after the Notice is recorded</td></tr>
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<tr><td>Subcontractor / supplier</td><td><span class="period">30 days</span> after the Notice is recorded</td></tr>
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</tbody>
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</table>
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<p>Because a subcontractor can be cut down to 30 days by a recording you may not even hear about right away, this is the deadline that catches people out. Check the county recorder for a Notice of Completion the moment the job wraps.</p>
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</section>
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<section>
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<h2>3. The 90-day foreclosure lawsuit — the one that cannot be extended</h2>
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<p>Recording the lien is not the end. You must <strong>file a lawsuit to foreclose the lien within 90 days after you record it</strong>. <span class="stat">(§8460)</span></p>
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<p>This 90-day period is the strictest in the whole process: <strong>it cannot be tolled or extended.</strong> If you do not sue (or, in limited cases, record an extension of credit) within 90 days, the lien automatically becomes unenforceable and the recorder may remove it. A recorded lien that is never foreclosed is just a cloud on title with an expiration date.</p>
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</section>
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<section>
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<h2>What counts as "completion"?</h2>
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<p>The 90-day clock starts at <em>completion of the work of improvement</em> — which has specific statutory meaning and is not always the day you personally finished. Completion can be triggered by actual completion, occupation or use by the owner accompanied by cessation of labor, a cessation of labor for a continuous 60-day period, or the owner's acceptance. A recorded Notice of Completion or Cessation also fixes the date (and shortens your window, as above). When the exact completion date is contestable, treat the <strong>earliest plausible date</strong> as your deadline trigger — it is the safe assumption.</p>
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</section>
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<section>
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<h2>What happens if you miss the deadline?</h2>
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<p>Missing a California mechanics lien deadline generally <strong>forfeits the lien remedy entirely.</strong> A claim of lien recorded after the recording deadline, or a foreclosure suit filed after the 90-day window, is typically void. You are not left with nothing — you usually still have an ordinary <strong>breach-of-contract claim</strong> against whoever you contracted with — but you lose the lien's biggest advantage: a secured interest in the property itself rather than an unsecured claim against a party who may be insolvent.</p>
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</section>
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<a class="cta" href="./#calculator">
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<span class="big">Run your dates through the calculator →</span>
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<div class="sub">It applies the standard statutory period so you can see — and verify — the dates.</div>
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</a>
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<section class="faq">
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<h2>Frequently asked questions</h2>
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<dl>
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<dt>How long do you have to file a mechanics lien in California?</dt>
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<dd>90 days after completion of the work of improvement. If the owner records a Notice of Completion or Cessation, a direct contractor has 60 days and a subcontractor/supplier has 30 days from that recording (Civil Code §8412, §8414).</dd>
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<dt>What is the deadline for a California preliminary notice?</dt>
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<dd>Within 20 days of first furnishing labor or materials. A late notice only reaches back 20 days before it was served (Civil Code §8200, §8204).</dd>
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<dt>How long do you have to foreclose on a California mechanics lien?</dt>
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<dd>90 days after recording the claim of lien. This period cannot be tolled or extended (Civil Code §8460).</dd>
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<dt>Does the deadline differ for subcontractors and general contractors?</dt>
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<dd>The base 90-day recording deadline is the same, but after a Notice of Completion the prime contractor gets 60 days while a subcontractor or supplier gets only 30. The preliminary-notice obligations also differ by tier.</dd>
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</dl>
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</section>
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<section>
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<h2>Other states &amp; the open dataset</h2>
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<p class="relinks">This guide is part of a free, statute-cited lien-deadline reference. See the <a href="./">main reference and calculator</a> for <strong>California, Texas, and Florida</strong>, or take the underlying data: <a href="./data/deadlines.json" download>deadlines.json</a> · <a href="./data/deadlines.csv" download>deadlines.csv</a> (CC BY 4.0).</p>
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</section>
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<section id="disclaimer">
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<div class="disclaimer">
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<h3>This is not legal advice.</h3>
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<p>This page is general information only, not legal advice, and using it creates no attorney-client relationship. California lien deadlines turn on facts this page cannot know: your exact tier in the contract chain, whether and when a Notice of Completion was recorded, the true completion date, weekends and holidays, contract terms, and statutory amendments. Statutes change.</p>
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<p>Before you rely on any date, <strong>verify it against the current California Civil Code and consult a licensed California attorney.</strong> No warranty as to accuracy or completeness; no liability for reliance. Sources: California Civil Code §8000 et seq. (private works). Last verified 2026-06-10.</p>
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</section>
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</div>
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<footer>
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<div class="wrap">
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<p><strong>Lien Deadlines</strong> — a free, open construction-lien deadline reference. <a href="./">Home &amp; calculator</a> · Informational only · not legal advice · no signup.</p>
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‎index.html‎

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<section id="reference">
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<div class="eyebrow">State Reference</div>
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<h2>The deadlines, with citations.</h2>
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<p class="section-intro">Every period below is tied to the statute that creates it. These are the load-bearing dates in a private-works mechanics lien; missing one usually forfeits the remedy.</p>
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<p class="section-intro">Every period below is tied to the statute that creates it. These are the load-bearing dates in a private-works mechanics lien; missing one usually forfeits the remedy. Want the full walkthrough for one state? Read the <a href="california-mechanics-lien-deadline.html">California mechanics lien deadline guide</a>.</p>
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