Construction lien law
British Columbia lien deadlines for contractors
Updated · Checked against primary sources
The short answer
In British Columbia, file a claim of lien in the land title office within 45 days after a certificate of completion is issued for your contract or subcontract. Without one, file within 45 days after the head contract is completed, abandoned or terminated. Start an action and register a certificate of pending litigation within one year of filing. Holdback is 10%.
The deadlines
| Step | Rule |
|---|---|
| Preliminary notice: who | None. The Builders Lien Act has no preliminary notice requirement for contractors, subcontractors or suppliers. |
| Preliminary notice: when | Not applicable. |
| File or register the lien | If a certificate of completion has been issued for a contract or subcontract, the contractor or subcontractor and everyone engaged under it must file within 45 days after the date the certificate was issued (Builders Lien Act s. 20(1)). Otherwise, file within 45 days after the head contract is completed, abandoned or terminated, or, if there is no head contractor, after the improvement is completed or abandoned (s. 20(2)). A lien not filed in time is extinguished (s. 22). |
| Enforce or perfect it | Commence an action and register a certificate of pending litigation in the land title office not later than one year from the date the claim of lien was filed (s. 33(1)). An owner, or a lien claimant who has sued, can serve a notice to commence requiring the action and certificate within 21 days after service (s. 33(2)). Missing either deadline extinguishes the lien (s. 33(5)). |
| Residential jobs | Construction of a strata lot is completed, and its contract substantially performed, no later than the date the strata lot is first occupied (s. 1(4)). |
Other notices and rules
- Holdback: the person primarily liable on each contract and subcontract must retain 10% of the greater of the value of work or material provided and payments made (s. 4(1)). No holdback is retained from a worker, material supplier, architect or engineer (s. 4(6)). Owners must hold it in a holdback account at a savings institution (s. 5).
- Holdback period: expires 55 days after a certificate of completion is issued, or otherwise 55 days after the head contract is completed, abandoned or terminated (s. 8).
- Completed means substantially performed: remaining work can be completed for no more than 3% of the first $500,000 of the price, 2% of the next $500,000 and 1% of the balance (s. 1(2)). A contract is deemed abandoned after 30 days with no work, subject to listed exceptions (s. 1(5)).
Common questions
- Do I need to send a preliminary notice in British Columbia?
- None. The Builders Lien Act has no preliminary notice requirement for contractors, subcontractors or suppliers. Not applicable..
- How long do I have to file a lien in British Columbia?
- If a certificate of completion has been issued for a contract or subcontract, the contractor or subcontractor and everyone engaged under it must file within 45 days after the date the certificate was issued (Builders Lien Act s. 20(1)). Otherwise, file within 45 days after the head contract is completed, abandoned or terminated, or, if there is no head contractor, after the improvement is completed or abandoned (s. 20(2)). A lien not filed in time is extinguished (s. 22).
- How long does a British Columbia lien last before I have to enforce it?
- Commence an action and register a certificate of pending litigation in the land title office not later than one year from the date the claim of lien was filed (s. 33(1)). An owner, or a lien claimant who has sued, can serve a notice to commence requiring the action and certificate within 21 days after service (s. 33(2)). Missing either deadline extinguishes the lien (s. 33(5)).
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 British Columbia before relying on a deadline. As consolidated to September 15, 2026, the BC Act contains no prompt payment or adjudication regime comparable to Ontario's or Alberta's.
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.
The first conversation and a scoped proposal are free, and we will tell you early if we are not the right fit.
Go deeper
- GuideWhen to File a Construction Lien: 2026 DeadlinesFile while the clock runs: 30 to 60 days in Canada (60 in Ontario), 90 to 180 in most US states, counted from completion. Registering costs $200 to $500.
- GuideCustomer Short Paid the Final Invoice: 5 MovesBefore you chase the balance, decide whether to deposit the cheque. In the US, cashing one marked 'paid in full' can legally erase what you are owed.
- GuideHow to Collect a Contractor Deposit: 5 RulesMake the deposit due 3 to 5 business days before the start date, size it to your upfront spend, and check state caps: California's is $1,000, not $10,000.
- GuideProgress Payment Schedule: 6 Rules That Get PaidEight states cap what you can collect up front. California's limit is $1,000. How to build a draw schedule under your legal ceiling and stay cash positive.
Other provinces
Sources
Cite this page
Pavado, “British Columbia Lien Deadlines 2026”, https://www.pavadotech.com/lien-deadlines/british-columbia, updated 2026-09-24.