Do I need to send a preliminary notice in Vermont?

Subcontractors and suppliers who contract with a contractor or subcontractor, not the owner, must give the owner or the owner's agent in charge written notice that they will claim a lien, including the date payment is due if known. No fixed deadline, but the lien extends only to the portion of the contract price still unpaid when the owner receives the notice (9 V.S.A. 1921(b))..

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

Record a signed written memorandum asserting the lien in the town clerk's office where the property is located within 180 days from the time payment became due for the last labor performed or materials furnished (9 V.S.A. 1921(c), 1923).

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

Commence an action and attach the property within 180 days after filing the memorandum if payment was then due, or within 180 days after payment becomes due if it was not due at filing (9 V.S.A. 1924). After judgment, record a certified copy within 5 months to foreclose like a mortgage (9 V.S.A. 1925).

Mechanics lien law

Vermont lien deadlines for contractors

Updated September 24, 2026 · Checked against primary sources

The short answer

In Vermont, record a written lien memorandum with the town clerk within 180 days from when payment became due for your last labor or materials. Sue and attach the property within 180 days after filing, or after payment becomes due if later. Subcontractors and suppliers must give the owner written notice, since the lien reaches only unpaid contract funds.

The deadlines

Step	Rule
Preliminary notice: who	Subcontractors and suppliers who contract with a contractor or subcontractor, not the owner, must give the owner or the owner's agent in charge written notice that they will claim a lien, including the date payment is due if known.
Preliminary notice: when	No fixed deadline, but the lien extends only to the portion of the contract price still unpaid when the owner receives the notice (9 V.S.A. 1921(b)).
File or register the lien	Record a signed written memorandum asserting the lien in the town clerk's office where the property is located within 180 days from the time payment became due for the last labor performed or materials furnished (9 V.S.A. 1921(c), 1923).
Enforce or perfect it	Commence an action and attach the property within 180 days after filing the memorandum if payment was then due, or within 180 days after payment becomes due if it was not due at filing (9 V.S.A. 1924). After judgment, record a certified copy within 5 months to foreclose like a mortgage (9 V.S.A. 1925).

Other notices and rules

Lien rights cannot be waived before the labor is performed or materials furnished (9 V.S.A. 1921(f)).
A recorded construction mortgage keeps priority, except for advances made after the lender receives written notice of a lien claim (9 V.S.A. 1921(d)).

Common questions

Do I need to send a preliminary notice in Vermont?: Subcontractors and suppliers who contract with a contractor or subcontractor, not the owner, must give the owner or the owner's agent in charge written notice that they will claim a lien, including the date payment is due if known. No fixed deadline, but the lien extends only to the portion of the contract price still unpaid when the owner receives the notice (9 V.S.A. 1921(b))..
How long do I have to file a lien in Vermont?: Record a signed written memorandum asserting the lien in the town clerk's office where the property is located within 180 days from the time payment became due for the last labor performed or materials furnished (9 V.S.A. 1921(c), 1923).
How long does a Vermont lien last before I have to enforce it?: Commence an action and attach the property within 180 days after filing the memorandum if payment was then due, or within 180 days after payment becomes due if it was not due at filing (9 V.S.A. 1924). After judgment, record a certified copy within 5 months to foreclose like a mortgage (9 V.S.A. 1925).

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 Vermont 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.

Go deeper

Other states

Sources

Cite this page

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