Do I need to send a preliminary notice in Nebraska?

Not a condition of the lien, and only relevant when the contracting owner is a protected party (an individual improving residential real estate of up to four units that they occupy or intend to occupy). Any claimant may send the notice of right to assert a lien at any time after contracting (Neb. Rev. Stat. 52-135, 52-129). Optional; any time after entering into the contract.

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

Record the lien no later than 120 days after the claimant's final furnishing of services or materials (Neb. Rev. Stat. 52-137(1)). Send a copy of the recorded lien to the contracting owner within ten days after recording (52-135(3)).

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

An enforceable lien lasts two years after recording. If an owner or other interested person serves a written demand to sue, the lien lapses unless within 30 days of receipt the claimant starts suit or records an affidavit that the contract price is not yet due (Neb. Rev. Stat. 52-140).

Mechanics lien law

Nebraska lien deadlines for contractors

Updated September 24, 2026 · Checked against primary sources

The short answer

In Nebraska, record your construction lien within 120 days after your final furnishing of services or materials, and send the contracting owner a copy within ten days after recording. The lien stays enforceable for two years after recording, but if the owner serves a written demand, you must sue within 30 days. On owner-occupied homes, subs should send a notice of right to assert a lien early.

The deadlines

Step	Rule
Preliminary notice: who	Not a condition of the lien, and only relevant when the contracting owner is a protected party (an individual improving residential real estate of up to four units that they occupy or intend to occupy). Any claimant may send the notice of right to assert a lien at any time after contracting (Neb. Rev. Stat. 52-135, 52-129).
Preliminary notice: when	Optional; any time after entering into the contract (Against a protected party, a subcontractor's lien is capped at what remains unpaid under the prime contract when the owner receives the notice, so a late notice can shrink the lien (52-136(2)).)
File or register the lien	Record the lien no later than 120 days after the claimant's final furnishing of services or materials (Neb. Rev. Stat. 52-137(1)). Send a copy of the recorded lien to the contracting owner within ten days after recording (52-135(3)).
Enforce or perfect it	An enforceable lien lasts two years after recording. If an owner or other interested person serves a written demand to sue, the lien lapses unless within 30 days of receipt the claimant starts suit or records an affidavit that the contract price is not yet due (Neb. Rev. Stat. 52-140).
Residential jobs	Protected party rules (52-129, 52-136) limit subcontractor and supplier liens on owner-occupied homes of up to four units to the unpaid prime contract balance when notice is received.

Other notices and rules

If the owner or prime contractor records a notice of surety bond meeting 52-141, no lien attaches; claim on the bond instead (suit within one year after completing performance; non-privity claimants give the prime contractor notice within 90 days).

Common questions

Do I need to send a preliminary notice in Nebraska?: Not a condition of the lien, and only relevant when the contracting owner is a protected party (an individual improving residential real estate of up to four units that they occupy or intend to occupy). Any claimant may send the notice of right to assert a lien at any time after contracting (Neb. Rev. Stat. 52-135, 52-129). Optional; any time after entering into the contract.
How long do I have to file a lien in Nebraska?: Record the lien no later than 120 days after the claimant's final furnishing of services or materials (Neb. Rev. Stat. 52-137(1)). Send a copy of the recorded lien to the contracting owner within ten days after recording (52-135(3)).
How long does a Nebraska lien last before I have to enforce it?: An enforceable lien lasts two years after recording. If an owner or other interested person serves a written demand to sue, the lien lapses unless within 30 days of receipt the claimant starts suit or records an affidavit that the contract price is not yet due (Neb. Rev. Stat. 52-140).

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 Nebraska 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.

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