Do I need to send a preliminary notice in Alabama?

No statutory preliminary notice for original contractors. Suppliers to a contractor or subcontractor may send an optional pre-furnishing notice of intended materials and prices under 35-11-210; without it their lien is limited to the unpaid balance owed to the contractor. Optional supplier notice must be given before furnishing the material. Separately, every claimant except the original contractor must give the owner written notice of the lien claim before filing the lien statement (35-11-218)..

How long do I have to file a lien in Alabama?

File the verified statement in the office of the judge of probate of the county: original contractor within 6 months, journeyman and day laborer within 30 days, every other claimant (subs, suppliers) within 4 months, all measured from the last item of work or labor performed or material furnished.

How long does a Alabama lien last before I have to enforce it?

Action to enforce must be commenced within 6 months after the maturity of the entire indebtedness secured by the lien.

Mechanics lien law

Alabama lien deadlines for contractors

Updated September 24, 2026 · Checked against primary sources

The short answer

In Alabama, file a verified lien statement with the probate judge within 6 months after last work or materials if you are the original contractor, 4 months if you are a sub or supplier, and 30 days if you are a journeyman or day laborer. Anyone other than the original contractor must give the owner written notice before filing. Sue within 6 months after the entire debt matures.

The deadlines

Step	Rule
Preliminary notice: who	No statutory preliminary notice for original contractors. Suppliers to a contractor or subcontractor may send an optional pre-furnishing notice of intended materials and prices under 35-11-210; without it their lien is limited to the unpaid balance owed to the contractor.
Preliminary notice: when	Optional supplier notice must be given before furnishing the material. Separately, every claimant except the original contractor must give the owner written notice of the lien claim before filing the lien statement (35-11-218). (If the owner objects in writing before the material is used, the full-price lien from the 35-11-210 notice does not apply.)
File or register the lien	File the verified statement in the office of the judge of probate of the county: original contractor within 6 months, journeyman and day laborer within 30 days, every other claimant (subs, suppliers) within 4 months, all measured from the last item of work or labor performed or material furnished.
Enforce or perfect it	Action to enforce must be commenced within 6 months after the maturity of the entire indebtedness secured by the lien.

Other notices and rules

Notice of lien claim (35-11-218): every claimant other than the original contractor must give the owner written notice of the claim, amount, for what and from whom owed, before filing. Not required for material covered by an advance 35-11-210 notice.
Unpaid balance rule (35-11-210): without the advance supplier notice, a sub or supplier's lien is limited to the unpaid balance the owner owes the contractor.

Common questions

Do I need to send a preliminary notice in Alabama?: No statutory preliminary notice for original contractors. Suppliers to a contractor or subcontractor may send an optional pre-furnishing notice of intended materials and prices under 35-11-210; without it their lien is limited to the unpaid balance owed to the contractor. Optional supplier notice must be given before furnishing the material. Separately, every claimant except the original contractor must give the owner written notice of the lien claim before filing the lien statement (35-11-218)..
How long do I have to file a lien in Alabama?: File the verified statement in the office of the judge of probate of the county: original contractor within 6 months, journeyman and day laborer within 30 days, every other claimant (subs, suppliers) within 4 months, all measured from the last item of work or labor performed or material furnished.
How long does a Alabama lien last before I have to enforce it?: Action to enforce must be commenced within 6 months after the maturity of the entire indebtedness secured by the lien.

General information from the statutes cited below, checked 2026-09-24. Lien law is strict and details depend on your role and contract. Confirm with a construction lawyer in Alabama before relying on a deadline. Read from the 2025 Code of Alabama on Justia. Original contractor period is 6 months, not 4. Section 35-11-218 sets no fixed day count for the pre-filing notice.

Where Pavado comes in

How Pavado builds a CRM around your jobs

Lien rights are usually lost to a calendar, not a court. We build CRMs that start each job's notice and lien clocks from its real start and completion dates and remind you before every deadline, so the rights you earned by doing the work are still there when a customer stops paying.

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Automations for the busywork. Follow-ups, reminders and handoffs that happen without anyone remembering.
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Connected to your stack. QuickBooks or Xero, Gmail or Outlook, payments and e-sign, plus thousands more through Zapier and an API.

1.Book a free demo and walk us through how a job moves today.
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The first conversation and a scoped proposal are free, and we will tell you early if we are not the right fit.

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Other states

Sources

Cite this page

Pavado, “Alabama Lien Deadlines 2026: Notice and Filing”, https://www.pavadotech.com/lien-deadlines/alabama, updated 2026-09-24.