Mechanics lien law
Michigan lien deadlines for contractors
Updated · Checked against primary sources
The short answer
In Michigan, subcontractors and suppliers must serve a notice of furnishing within 20 days after first furnishing; contractors hired by the owner are exempt. Every claimant must record a claim of lien with the register of deeds within 90 days after last furnishing and serve it within 15 days after recording. Foreclose within 1 year after recording.
The deadlines
| Step | Rule |
|---|---|
| Preliminary notice: who | Subcontractors and suppliers must serve a notice of furnishing on the designee and general contractor named in the notice of commencement (or the owner or lessee if no designee). A contractor contracting directly with the owner or lessee does not need one. Laborers have separate wage and fringe benefit notices. |
| Preliminary notice: when | Within 20 days after furnishing the first labor or material, personally or by certified mail. Laborers: within 30 days after unpaid wages were due; for fringe benefits, by the 5th day of the second month after they were due. If the owner fails to record or provide the notice of commencement, the deadline extends to 20 days after it is recorded or furnished. (A late notice of furnishing does not destroy the lien; it only fails to the extent the owner already paid the contractor under a sworn statement or lien waiver before the notice was served.) |
| File or register the lien | Record a claim of lien with the register of deeds in each county where the property is located within 90 days after the claimant's last furnishing of labor or material under its contract. Same deadline for contractors, subcontractors, suppliers and laborers. Subs, suppliers and laborers must attach proof of service of the notice of furnishing. Within 15 days after recording, serve a copy on the designee (or owner) personally or by certified mail. |
| Enforce or perfect it | Foreclosure proceedings must be brought no later than 1 year after the claim of lien was recorded, and a notice of lis pendens must be recorded when the action is filed. |
| Residential jobs | For residential structures the owner does not record a notice of commencement; instead the owner must provide one within 10 days after a written certified-mail request (MCL 570.1108a). A contractor has no lien on a residential structure unless it worked under a written contract, with written amendments, that includes the required licensing statement and license number (MCL 570.1114). Sub and supplier liens on residential work cannot include interest accruing more than 90 days after recording (MCL 570.1107(7)). |
Other notices and rules
- Notice of commencement (non-residential): the owner or lessee records it before work starts and must provide a copy within 10 days of a certified-mail request; failures extend the notice of furnishing deadline (MCL 570.1108).
- Sworn statement: a contractor must give the owner a sworn statement when payment is due or requested, and cannot be paid or file suit to enforce its lien until it does; a subcontractor must provide one on the owner's demand before suing (MCL 570.1110).
Common questions
- Do I need to send a preliminary notice in Michigan?
- Subcontractors and suppliers must serve a notice of furnishing on the designee and general contractor named in the notice of commencement (or the owner or lessee if no designee). A contractor contracting directly with the owner or lessee does not need one. Laborers have separate wage and fringe benefit notices. Within 20 days after furnishing the first labor or material, personally or by certified mail. Laborers: within 30 days after unpaid wages were due; for fringe benefits, by the 5th day of the second month after they were due. If the owner fails to record or provide the notice of commencement, the deadline extends to 20 days after it is recorded or furnished..
- How long do I have to file a lien in Michigan?
- Record a claim of lien with the register of deeds in each county where the property is located within 90 days after the claimant's last furnishing of labor or material under its contract. Same deadline for contractors, subcontractors, suppliers and laborers. Subs, suppliers and laborers must attach proof of service of the notice of furnishing. Within 15 days after recording, serve a copy on the designee (or owner) personally or by certified mail.
- How long does a Michigan lien last before I have to enforce it?
- Foreclosure proceedings must be brought no later than 1 year after the claim of lien was recorded, and a notice of lis pendens must be recorded when the action is filed.
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 Michigan before relying on a deadline. Verified against the Construction Lien Act on legislature.mi.gov (MCL complete through PA 103 of 2026). Notice of furnishing and notice of commencement sections were last amended by 2018 PA 367.
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
- MCL 570.1107 (construction lien generally)
- MCL 570.1108 (notice of commencement)
- MCL 570.1108a (residential notice of commencement)
- MCL 570.1109 (notice of furnishing)
- MCL 570.1110 (sworn statement)
- MCL 570.1111 (claim of lien)
- MCL 570.1114 (residential written contract)
- MCL 570.1117 (enforcement)
Cite this page
Pavado, “Michigan Lien Deadlines 2026: Notice and Filing”, https://www.pavadotech.com/lien-deadlines/michigan, updated 2026-09-24.