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How long does a contractor have to file a lien after completion of a job in CA?

CaliforniaCollectionsPayment Disputes
Anonymous Contractor

We have a discrepancy with contractor in amount of $ owed from final invoice. The job was not completed to satisfaction and multiple punch list items were not addressed.

2 replies

"Completion" is an amorphous term. How long your contractor has to record a lien will depend on various factors such as whether you are completing the work with another contractor, the nature of the "punch list" work, and whether there was a cessation of labor for 60 continuous days (a notice of cessation recorded after 30 continuous days of no work can shorten the time to record a lien to 30 days). More information is needed to properly answer this question.

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Attorney at Carlton & Alberola
| 93 reviews
Jul 24, 2020

California Civil Code Section 8412 says: “A direct contractor may not enforce a lien unless the
contractor records a claim of lien … before the earlier of the following times:
(a) Ninety days after completion of the work of improvement. (b) Sixty days
after the owner records a notice of completion or cessation.”
For a sub, it is 90 days and 30 days.

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