A mechanic's lien is one of the strongest tools a contractor, subcontractor, or supplier has to get paid. But Colorado law only gives you a short time to file. We file liens on a flat fee. We check the records, calculate what you are owed, send the Notice of Intent, and record the Lien Statement.
In Colorado, lien rights come from the law. If you miss the deadline to record, or you skip the Notice of Intent, you lose your right to the lien — no matter how strong your case is. Here are the four deadlines you have to know.
If you had a direct contract with the owner, you have 4 months from the day you finished your last work or delivered your last materials to record the Lien Statement.
C.R.S. § 38-22-109(5)
If you did not have a direct contract with the owner — you worked for the general or for another sub — you only have 2 months. Half the time. This is where most rights are lost.
C.R.S. § 38-22-109(5)
Before you record the lien, you have to send a Notice of Intent to the owner and the general contractor. At least 10 days before. Hand-delivered or by certified mail. Without it, the lien does not count.
C.R.S. § 38-22-109(3)
If you want to enforce the lien in court, you have 6 months from the end of the job or your last work, whichever is later. You can record a Notice of Extension to give yourself more time, but only if you do it during the first window.
C.R.S. § 38-22-110, 38-22-109(8)
Pick your state. Enter the last day you worked. We tell you the deadline to file your lien — plus any notice you have to send first. Works for all 50 states.
Read this first: Many states make you send a notice to the owner early in the project — long before payment problems start. Miss that early notice and you can lose your lien rights, even if you do everything else right. The calculator below flags this for each state. If you are not sure whether you sent the right notice, talk to a lawyer before you assume your rights are gone.
For private projects only. This is an estimate, not legal advice. Always check with a licensed lawyer before you act or miss a deadline.
This is a general estimate based on the dates you typed in. It is not legal advice. Your real deadline depends on the facts of your project, the notices you sent, your contract, your role, and state law. Some deadlines may be shorter. Always check with a licensed lawyer before you act — or before you miss a deadline.
Need more detail on lien and bond law for your state? See the full Resources page for state-by-state notes, bond substitution, and a Colorado quick reference.
Filing a lien is one job with one result: a recorded Lien Statement and proof you sent the right notices. We charge one flat fee for it. Going to court, fighting a challenge, or dealing with a bond are separate jobs. If something changes, we tell you that day.
In the flat-fee lien filing job
If things go further or get fought
A clean lien filing takes about two weeks from start to finish. The 10-day waiting period and the county recorder's office set the pace.
You send us the contract, the invoices, the payment records, and any letters about the lien. We confirm everyone's names, the project, and your last day of work.
Day 0We check who owns the property, who the general contractor is, and confirm your deadline (4 months for originals, 2 months for subs and suppliers).
Days 1–2We write the Notice of Intent, send it to the owner and the GC, and keep proof that we did it the right way.
Days 2–3The 10-day waiting period runs. If the owner pays during this time, the lien may not be needed. If not, we move on to recording.
Days 3–13We prepare and record the Lien Statement at the county where the property is. We send you the recorded copy and proof that the notices were sent.
Day 13–14A recorded lien gives you power. But it is not a check in the bank. What matters next is your plan to actually get paid: a prompt-payment demand under Colorado law, a claim against a payment bond, a lawsuit to enforce the lien within 6 months, or pressure on the owner who needs the lien cleared off the title.
We help you with the whole path — from the first notice all the way to payment. Filing the lien is one part of the plan. If you work with us long-term, the same retainer covers the contracts that prevent disputes, the notices that keep your rights, and the lien filings that get you paid when the owner goes silent.
See Fractional GC RetainerPublic-project claims under C.R.S. § 38-26 and Miller Act claims on federal projects follow different statutes and timelines and are handled under a separate engagement.
Most bad liens in Colorado fail the same few ways: wrong person on the verification, wrong general contractor name, late or missing Notice of Intent, claim amount with items the law does not allow, or recording in the wrong county. Each mistake is preventable. Each one kills a payment claim you should have been able to collect.
We build every lien from your actual contract and records — not from a blank form. The right person signs the verification. The amount claimed is only what Colorado law allows. The lien we record is one you can stand behind if the owner pushes back.
Send us your contract, your invoices, and the last day you worked on the job. We confirm your deadline and start the filing the same day. Hablamos español.
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