Do I need to send a preliminary notice in Ohio?

Subcontractors and suppliers who are not in direct contract with the owner must serve a Notice of Furnishing on the owner's designee (or the owner) named in the Notice of Commencement, and on the original contractor. Original contractors, laborers, and suppliers in direct contract with the owner are exempt. None is required under a home construction contract, or if no Notice of Commencement was recorded. Any time after the Notice of Commencement is recorded, but within 21 days after first performing labor or furnishing materials. The deadline is extended if the owner failed to record or to serve the Notice of Commencement on request (1311.04(I), (J))..

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

The affidavit for mechanics' lien must be recorded with the county recorder within these deadlines, each counted from the date the claimant last performed labor or furnished materials: 60 days for a one or two family dwelling or a residential condominium unit; 120 days for oil and gas well liens under 1311.021; and 75 days for all other projects (1311.06(B)). A copy must be served on the owner, part owner, lessee, or designee within 30 days after filing (1311.07).

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

The lien stays in force for six years after the affidavit is filed, and until final judgment if suit is brought within that time (1311.13(C)). If an owner or other interested party serves a notice to commence suit, the claimant must sue within 60 days after service is completed or the lien is void (1311.11(B)).

Mechanics lien law

Ohio lien deadlines for contractors

Updated September 24, 2026 · Checked against primary sources

The short answer

In Ohio, subcontractors and suppliers not in privity with the owner must serve a Notice of Furnishing within 21 days after first furnishing, if a Notice of Commencement was recorded. File the lien affidavit within 60 days after last furnishing for one or two family homes, 75 days for most other projects, or 120 days for oil and gas work. Serve the owner within 30 days after filing.

The deadlines

Step	Rule
Preliminary notice: who	Subcontractors and suppliers who are not in direct contract with the owner must serve a Notice of Furnishing on the owner's designee (or the owner) named in the Notice of Commencement, and on the original contractor. Original contractors, laborers, and suppliers in direct contract with the owner are exempt. None is required under a home construction contract, or if no Notice of Commencement was recorded.
Preliminary notice: when	Any time after the Notice of Commencement is recorded, but within 21 days after first performing labor or furnishing materials. The deadline is extended if the owner failed to record or to serve the Notice of Commencement on request (1311.04(I), (J)). (A late Notice of Furnishing still preserves lien rights for work done in the 21 days before it was served and afterward, but not for earlier work (1311.05(D)).)
File or register the lien	The affidavit for mechanics' lien must be recorded with the county recorder within these deadlines, each counted from the date the claimant last performed labor or furnished materials: 60 days for a one or two family dwelling or a residential condominium unit; 120 days for oil and gas well liens under 1311.021; and 75 days for all other projects (1311.06(B)). A copy must be served on the owner, part owner, lessee, or designee within 30 days after filing (1311.07).
Enforce or perfect it	The lien stays in force for six years after the affidavit is filed, and until final judgment if suit is brought within that time (1311.13(C)). If an owner or other interested party serves a notice to commence suit, the claimant must sue within 60 days after service is completed or the lien is void (1311.11(B)).
Residential jobs	Under a home construction contract (one or two family owner residence or condominium unit), no Notice of Commencement or Notice of Furnishing is required. No one has a lien if the owner paid the original contractor in full before receiving a copy of a lien affidavit. Subcontractor liens are capped at the unpaid balance owed to the original contractor and are shared pro rata (1311.011).

Other notices and rules

Notice of Commencement (1311.04): the owner, part owner or lessee must record it before work begins. Within 10 days of a sub's written request, the owner must serve a copy.
Notice to commence suit (1311.11): shortens the enforcement window to 60 days after service.

Common questions

Do I need to send a preliminary notice in Ohio?: Subcontractors and suppliers who are not in direct contract with the owner must serve a Notice of Furnishing on the owner's designee (or the owner) named in the Notice of Commencement, and on the original contractor. Original contractors, laborers, and suppliers in direct contract with the owner are exempt. None is required under a home construction contract, or if no Notice of Commencement was recorded. Any time after the Notice of Commencement is recorded, but within 21 days after first performing labor or furnishing materials. The deadline is extended if the owner failed to record or to serve the Notice of Commencement on request (1311.04(I), (J))..
How long do I have to file a lien in Ohio?: The affidavit for mechanics' lien must be recorded with the county recorder within these deadlines, each counted from the date the claimant last performed labor or furnished materials: 60 days for a one or two family dwelling or a residential condominium unit; 120 days for oil and gas well liens under 1311.021; and 75 days for all other projects (1311.06(B)). A copy must be served on the owner, part owner, lessee, or designee within 30 days after filing (1311.07).
How long does a Ohio lien last before I have to enforce it?: The lien stays in force for six years after the affidavit is filed, and until final judgment if suit is brought within that time (1311.13(C)). If an owner or other interested party serves a notice to commence suit, the claimant must sue within 60 days after service is completed or the lien is void (1311.11(B)).

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 Ohio before relying on a deadline. Read from the 2025 Ohio Revised Code on Justia, because codes.ohio.gov refused connections from our research environment. 1311.04 was most recently amended by HB 96, effective September 30, 2025, and the version we read already includes that change. After a notice to commence suit, the deadline is 60 days, not six months.

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.

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Other states

Sources

Cite this page

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