A free, statute-cited reference and calculator for U.S. mechanics/construction lien deadlines, plus an open dataset anyone can reuse.
▶ Live site: https://ipythoning.github.io/lien-deadlines/ · State guide: California mechanics lien deadline
Informational only — not legal advice. See the disclaimer below and on the site.
| State | Statute | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| California | Civil Code §8000 et seq. | Direct contractor, Subcontractor/supplier |
| Texas | Property Code Ch. 53 (post-2022) | Original contractor, Subcontractor/supplier |
| Florida | Statutes Ch. 713 | Contractor (privity), Subcontractor/supplier |
Each deadline (preliminary/monthly notice, lien recording/affidavit, foreclosure suit) is tied to the specific statute section that creates it.
index.html— single-file static site: state reference tables + a deadline calculator (calendar math on the standard statutory period). Zero dependencies. → livecalifornia-mechanics-lien-deadline.html— deep statute-cited guide for the California deadlines. → livedata/deadlines.json— canonical dataset, nested state → role → deadline.data/deadlines.csv— flat one-row-per-deadline export.
Subcontractors lose lien rights by missing a date, not by losing an argument. The deadlines are public law, but they're scattered across statutes and buried inside $400/month compliance platforms. This puts the load-bearing dates — with citations — in one free page, and the underlying data in the open.
states[].code / name / statute
states[].roles[].role / label
states[].roles[].deadlines[]:
key machine id (preliminary-notice, record-lien, foreclose, ...)
name human label
period human period ("90 days", "15th day of the 4th month")
periodDays integer days for simple calendar math, or null for month-15 rules
trigger event the clock runs from
servedOn (notices) who must be served
statute verbatim citation
notes exceptions / accelerations
python3 -m http.server 8080 # then open http://localhost:8080(Must be served over HTTP, not file://, so the page can fetch the dataset.)
This project is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Lien deadlines depend on facts (project type, your tier, notices recorded by others, weekends/holidays, contract terms, tolling) and statutes change. Many exceptions apply. Always verify against the current statute and consult a licensed attorney in the relevant state before relying on any date. No attorney-client relationship is created by use of this project. The calculator performs plain calendar arithmetic on the standard period and does not judge which rule applies to your situation.
- Data (
data/): CC BY 4.0 — attribution: "lien-deadlines open dataset". - Code: MIT.
Corrections to citations are especially welcome — accuracy is the whole point.
Last verified: 2026-06-10.