Do I need to send a preliminary notice in Arkansas?

Residential (4 or fewer units): the residential contractor must give the owner the statutory notice on behalf of all potential lien claimants; no one can claim a lien unless the owner received at least one copy. Commercial (nonresidential or 5+ units): subcontractors, suppliers, laborers and service providers must notify the owner (and the contractor) that they are entitled to payment but unpaid. Primes on commercial jobs need no pre-lien notice. Residential: before commencement of work. Commercial sub/supplier notice: before 75 days have elapsed from the time the labor was supplied or materials furnished..

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

File a just and true account with the clerk of the circuit court of the county within 120 days after the materials were furnished or the work performed, with an affidavit of notice attached (same for primes and subs). A street address alone is not a sufficient property description.

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

Action must be commenced within 15 months after filing the lien; the lien expires after 15 months unless suit is filed and a lis pendens is recorded within that time.

Mechanics lien law

Arkansas lien deadlines for contractors

Updated September 24, 2026 · Checked against primary sources

The short answer

In Arkansas, file the lien with the circuit clerk within 120 days after last furnishing labor or materials, after giving the owner 10 days' notice before filing. On residential property of four or fewer units, the contractor must deliver the statutory notice before work starts. On commercial jobs, subs and suppliers must send a notice of nonpayment within 75 days. Sue within 15 months after filing.

The deadlines

Step	Rule
Preliminary notice: who	Residential (4 or fewer units): the residential contractor must give the owner the statutory notice on behalf of all potential lien claimants; no one can claim a lien unless the owner received at least one copy. Commercial (nonresidential or 5+ units): subcontractors, suppliers, laborers and service providers must notify the owner (and the contractor) that they are entitled to payment but unpaid. Primes on commercial jobs need no pre-lien notice.
Preliminary notice: when	Residential: before commencement of work. Commercial sub/supplier notice: before 75 days have elapsed from the time the labor was supplied or materials furnished. (Residential notice not required if the contractor supplies a performance and payment bond or for a direct sale to the owner (18-44-115(a)(8)). A residential contractor who fails to give it loses lien rights and faces a fine up to $1,000.)
File or register the lien	File a just and true account with the clerk of the circuit court of the county within 120 days after the materials were furnished or the work performed, with an affidavit of notice attached (same for primes and subs). A street address alone is not a sufficient property description.
Enforce or perfect it	Action must be commenced within 15 months after filing the lien; the lien expires after 15 months unless suit is filed and a lis pendens is recorded within that time.
Residential jobs	Residential real estate of 4 or fewer units requires the 18-44-115(a) notice, in the exact boldface all-caps statutory wording, delivered by personal delivery or certified mail before work starts. A sub who gives the notice after the project commences secures only work supplied after the notice.

Other notices and rules

Notice of intent (18-44-114): every claimant must give the owner 10 days' notice before filing the lien, stating the amount and from whom due.
Affidavit of notice (18-44-117): the lien filing must include a sworn statement of compliance with 18-44-114 to 18-44-116, copies of the notices, and proof of service; the clerk will not file a lien without it.

Common questions

Do I need to send a preliminary notice in Arkansas?: Residential (4 or fewer units): the residential contractor must give the owner the statutory notice on behalf of all potential lien claimants; no one can claim a lien unless the owner received at least one copy. Commercial (nonresidential or 5+ units): subcontractors, suppliers, laborers and service providers must notify the owner (and the contractor) that they are entitled to payment but unpaid. Primes on commercial jobs need no pre-lien notice. Residential: before commencement of work. Commercial sub/supplier notice: before 75 days have elapsed from the time the labor was supplied or materials furnished..
How long do I have to file a lien in Arkansas?: File a just and true account with the clerk of the circuit court of the county within 120 days after the materials were furnished or the work performed, with an affidavit of notice attached (same for primes and subs). A street address alone is not a sufficient property description.
How long does a Arkansas lien last before I have to enforce it?: Action must be commenced within 15 months after filing the lien; the lien expires after 15 months unless suit is filed and a lis pendens is recorded within that time.

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 Arkansas before relying on a deadline. Read from the 2025 Arkansas Code on Justia. The filing deadline is 120 days (18-44-117, last amended by Act 806 of 2019), not 150 days. 18-44-116 was not reviewed.

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.

Instead of bending your shop around someone else's software, we build the system around how your jobs actually move, and connect it to what you already use.

Your pipeline, your stages. From first call to paid invoice, set up the way your team already works.
Automations for the busywork. Follow-ups, reminders and handoffs that happen without anyone remembering.
One record per customer. Calls, quotes, jobs, photos and invoices in one place instead of five apps.
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.
2.We map the workflow and send a scoped proposal, free.
3.We build it, connect your tools and get your team using it.

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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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Sources

Cite this page

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