While Nevada allows project owners to file a notice of completion, the state does not require them. It is 100 percent a voluntary document. But, take a closer look at this tool: It allows a project owner to limit their lien liability, so it would make sense that most project owners would want to file one. 

Say that a project owner or GC isn’t paying invoices for whatever reason. If the project comes to completion and the project owner files a notice of completion, contractors need to scramble to file their liens. Anyone who doesn’t make the deadline doesn’t have rights to a mechanics lien, meaning they’ll have to pursue their payment in another way that’s much slower and much more expensive.

A notice of completion can have a serious impact on a construction project. Contractors who thought they had more time to file a mechanics lien will have to scramble to make it happen. Scrambling to complete the appropriate paperwork and file a lien doesn’t leave many resources for everyday activities, which can cost a smaller outfit without an administration team quite a bit of time and money. Not to mention, they’ll be sacrificing working on other projects in the meantime. 

When filed, the notice of completion will drastically reduce the amount of time a potential claimant has to file a lien. The typical deadline to file a Nevada mechanics lien is 90 days from the project completion, or the claimant’s last date of furnishing labor and/or materials to the project; whichever is later. However, if a notice of completion is properly filed and served, the deadline to file a lien is just 40 days after the date the notice was recorded. 

Another important thing to keep in mind, is that if working on a residential project in Nevada, a Notice of Intent to Lien must be sent to the owner and GC at least 15 days prior to filing a lien. But here’s a fun fact about Nevada’s Notice of Intent, it does extend the deadline 15 additional days from the date the notice is sent. So, it’s not all in the favor of the project owner. 

There’s a lot to know about Nevada’s notice of completion rules, and it can get pretty confusing. If you’re looking for something that’s cut-and-dry, the rules around who can file a notice of completion are straightforward.

There are essentially three people on a project that can file a notice of completion. Those three people include the project owner, an owner’s agent, or the general contractor. But, understand that no one needs to file a notice of completion in Nevada. It’s a voluntary document — it just tends to make sense for many project owners.

When a project owner files a notice of completion, they must head to the county clerk’s office of the county that the project is in. It’s important to note that it doesn’t matter where a contractor is from, where the property owner lives, or any other variable. Lien filings and notices of completion occur at the office of the county clerk presiding over the project property’s location: 

• Carson City
• Churchill County
• Clark County
• Douglas County
• Elko County
• Esmeralda County
• Eureka County
• Humboldt County
• Lander County
• Lincoln County
• Lyon County
• Mineral County
• Nye County
• Pershing County
• Storey County
• Washoe County
• White Pine County

Once a notice of completion is recorded in the proper county recorder’s office, the party who filed the notice is required to send a copy of the notice by certified mail to the prime contractor and any potential lien claimants who sent a preliminary notice. This must be sent within 10 days after the notice was recorded.

However, if the notice is not served on a required party in the “time and manner” required, the notice of completion will be ineffective on the party who was required to receive it. In other words, if you were required to receive a copy of the notice, and didn’t (or received it past the 10-day deadline) the notice will not shorten your lien filing deadline.

If a project owner or GC doesn’t file a notice of completion, contractors, subs, and suppliers have nothing out of the ordinary to worry about. They still need to keep an eye on the typical deadlines and send the appropriate notices, but the deadlines do not change.

So on private projects in Nevada, the deadline will still be 90 days from either their last date of furnishing, or project completion (whichever is later). And for those working on residential projects, don’t forget about the Notice of Intent to Lien.