State Guide

Oregon State Mechanics Lien: Guide, Process & FAQs

Your complete guide to Oregon mechanics lien filing deadlines and the construction lien process steps.

What Is A OR Mechanics Lien?

An Oregon mechanics lien, officially called a construction lien (ORS Chapter 87), is a legal claim filed against a property to secure payment for unpaid labor, materials, or services. If the property owner doesn’t pay, your lien gives you the right to force a sale of the property to recover what you’re owed.

Oregon’s construction lien law covers general contractors, subcontractors, material suppliers, equipment rental companies, and design professionals such as architects and engineers. It’s one of the strongest tools available to protect your right to payment in Oregon.

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What to Know

Oregon Deadlines

Oregon lien deadlines are some of the shortest in the U.S., making missed deadlines a common and costly mistake for local companies seeking payment. Your deadline depends on your role and the document you’re filing. Here are the general deadlines for Oregon lienholders.

Below are the critical dates to secure your payment rights, categorized by document type and your role on the project:

For Subs/Laborers

Preliminary Notice Deadlines

8 DAYS

Preliminary notice, or “Notice of Right to Lien”, served on owner (and lender, if any) within 8 days of providing labor/materials on residential projects.

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Mechanics Lien Deadlines

75 Days

Lien must be filed within 75 days after last labor or materials furnished or completion of project (whichever happens first).

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For Suppliers/Others

Preliminary Notice Deadlines

8 Days

Preliminary notice, or “Notice of Right to Lien”, served on owner (and lender, if any) within 8 days of providing labor/materials on residential projects.

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Mechanics Lien Deadlines

75 Days

Lien must be filed within 75 days after last labor or materials furnished or completion of project (whichever comes first).

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General Contractors

Notice to Owner Deadlines

WITH CONTRACT

Information Notice to Owner at time of contract execution for residential projects.

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Mechanics Lien Deadlines

75 Days

Lien must be filed within 75 days after last labor or materials furnished or completion of project (whichever happens first).

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Process

How To File A Mechanics Lien In Washington

Filing a construction lien in Oregon involves six steps: confirming eligibility, preparing the lien form, recording with the county, serving the owner, enforcing if needed, and releasing after payment.

Confirm Your Lien Rights

Under Oregon law (ORS 87.010), eligible claimants include:

general contractors
subcontractors
material suppliers
equipment rental companies
design professionals (architects, engineers, surveyors)

You must also have served any required preliminary notice on time and must not have signed a lien waiver.

Prepare the Oregon mechanics lien form

Your Oregon construction lien form (officially a Claim of Lien) must include:

claimant’s name
property owner’s name
name of the party you contracted with,
the lien amount
a legal property description
a notarized signature

Missing any required element can invalidate your claim.

Record the lien with the county

File the completed form with the county recording office where the project is located, regardless of where your business is based. If the project spans multiple counties, record in each one.

Serve the property owner

After the county auditor records the lien, it’s the claimant’s responsibility to send a copy of it to the property owner. This must be done within 20 days of the recording. If you forget to send the lien to the property owner, it will not invalidate the lien, but it will mean you won’t be able to recover the legal fees you were charged during the lien process.

Enforce or collect

Most property owners settle once a lien is on record. If they don’t, you have 120 days from the recording date to enforce, meaning file a lawsuit to foreclose the lien. After 120 days, the lien expires.

Important

Any incorrect detail can invalidate the entire claim. If you’d like a reliable lien specialist to handle this for you, file a mechanics lien with Northwest Lien.

For a more detailed walkthrough, view our complete step-by-step guide.