Mechanics lien law
Maryland lien deadlines for contractors
Updated · Checked against primary sources
The short answer
In Maryland, subcontractors must give the owner a written Notice of Intention to Claim a Lien within 120 days after doing the work or furnishing materials. Any claimant must then file a petition to establish the lien in circuit court within 180 days after the work is finished. The right to enforce an established lien expires one year after the petition was first filed.
The deadlines
| Step | Rule |
|---|---|
| Preliminary notice: who | Subcontractors (anyone who did not contract directly with the owner) must give the owner a written Notice to Owner of Intention to Claim a Lien in the statutory form. Prime contractors do not send it. |
| Preliminary notice: when | Within 120 days after doing the work or furnishing the materials (Md. Code, Real Prop. 9-104(a)). (Give it by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, or personal delivery. If it cannot be given, it may be posted on the door or front of the building within the 120 days before a competent witness (9-104(c), (e)). Despite the timing, it is a pre-lien notice, not an up-front notice.) |
| File or register the lien | File a petition to establish the mechanic's lien, with a supporting affidavit and documents, in the circuit court for the county where the land is located within 180 days after the work has been finished or the materials furnished (9-105(a)). Maryland liens are established through this court proceeding, not by recording alone. |
| Enforce or perfect it | The right to enforce an established lien expires one year from the day the petition to establish the lien was first filed; file the petition to enforce (or execute on any release bond) within that year (9-109). |
| Residential jobs | For a single family dwelling being built on the owner's land for the owner's own residence, a subcontractor has no lien if the owner paid the contractor in full before receiving the notice, and the lien cannot exceed what the owner still owed under the contract when the notice was given (9-104(a)(2), (f)(3)). |
Other notices and rules
- Repairs or improvements are lienable only if they reach 15 percent of the building's value (9-102(a)).
- No lien may be established after legal title passes to a bona fide purchaser for value, but a filed petition gives purchasers notice (9-102(d), (e)).
- After receiving a sub's notice the owner may withhold the amount due that sub from the contractor (9-104(f)(1)).
Common questions
- Do I need to send a preliminary notice in Maryland?
- Subcontractors (anyone who did not contract directly with the owner) must give the owner a written Notice to Owner of Intention to Claim a Lien in the statutory form. Prime contractors do not send it. Within 120 days after doing the work or furnishing the materials (Md. Code, Real Prop. 9-104(a))..
- How long do I have to file a lien in Maryland?
- File a petition to establish the mechanic's lien, with a supporting affidavit and documents, in the circuit court for the county where the land is located within 180 days after the work has been finished or the materials furnished (9-105(a)). Maryland liens are established through this court proceeding, not by recording alone.
- How long does a Maryland lien last before I have to enforce it?
- The right to enforce an established lien expires one year from the day the petition to establish the lien was first filed; file the petition to enforce (or execute on any release bond) within that year (9-109).
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 Maryland before relying on a deadline.
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 states
- USAlabama lien deadlines
- USAlaska lien deadlines
- USArizona lien deadlines
- USArkansas lien deadlines
- USCalifornia lien deadlines
- USColorado lien deadlines
Sources
- Md. Code, Real Prop. 9-102
- Md. Code, Real Prop. 9-104
- Md. Code, Real Prop. 9-105
- Md. Code, Real Prop. 9-109
Cite this page
Pavado, “Maryland Lien Deadlines 2026: Notice and Filing”, https://www.pavadotech.com/lien-deadlines/maryland, updated 2026-09-24.