Florida Construction Lien Deadline Calculator

Florida's construction lien law runs on three unforgiving clocks. Miss the first and you may have no lien at all. Miss the second and the lien never comes into existence. Miss the third and a valid lien quietly expires. Enter your dates below and see exactly where you stand.

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How Long Does a Contractor Have to File a Lien in Florida?

The claim of lien must be recorded no later than 90 days after your final furnishing of labor, services, or materials on the project (section 713.08(5), Florida Statutes). "Final furnishing" is your last real contract work, not warranty visits, punch-list touch-ups performed later, or picking up tools. Counting from the wrong date is the most common way lien rights die, and if the direct contract was terminated under section 713.07(4), the window can close even earlier.

The Notice to Owner: 45 Days, and Earlier Than You Think

If you don't have a direct contract with the owner (subcontractors, sub-subcontractors, and suppliers), Florida requires you to serve a Notice to Owner before starting work or within 45 days of first furnishing (section 713.06(2)(a), Florida Statutes). Serving it late, or not at all, is a complete defense to your lien. There's a second trap inside the rule: the NTO must in any event arrive before the owner disburses final payment after receiving the contractor's final payment affidavit. On a fast-closing job, your real deadline can be well short of 45 days. Laborers are exempt.

One Year to Sue, Sometimes Only 60 Days

A recorded lien lasts 1 year from recording unless you file an enforcement action (section 713.22(1), Florida Statutes). An owner can cut that to 60 days by serving a Notice of Contest of Lien (section 713.22(2)); a lien not sued on within those 60 days is extinguished automatically. Owners' attorneys use this constantly. If a Notice of Contest shows up, the clock is real and short.

Why These Deadlines Are Strict

Florida courts require strict compliance with the lien statute's time requirements; section 713.06(2)(f) says so expressly for notice deadlines. Equitable arguments about fairness rarely move these dates. What protects you is a calendar, not a courtroom argument later.

Scheer Legal handles Florida construction lien work across Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and Monroe Counties: notices to owner, claims of lien, lien foreclosure, defending owners against liens, and payment disputes. If a deadline above is coming at you, get in touch and we'll confirm your dates against your actual documents.

Lien Deadline Questions We Hear Constantly

What is my lien deadline if I just finished work?

Record your claim of lien within 90 days of your final furnishing of labor, services, or materials under section 713.08(5), Florida Statutes. If you needed to serve a Notice to Owner and didn't do it within 45 days of first furnishing, the lien may already be unavailable.

Does a warranty visit or punch-list item restart my 90 days?

Generally no. Final furnishing means your last substantive contract work. Remedial work, warranty visits, and trivial punch-list items usually don't extend the deadline, and counting on them to do so is how lien rights get lost.

I never sent a Notice to Owner. Do I still have lien rights?

If you had no direct contract with the owner and you're not a laborer, an untimely or missing NTO is a complete defense to your lien under section 713.06(2)(a). Whether yours was required, and whether an exception applies, depends on your role in the project. Worth a short call before assuming either way.

The owner served me a Notice of Contest of Lien. What now?

Your window to file an enforcement lawsuit drops to 60 days from service under section 713.22(2). Liens not sued on inside that window are extinguished automatically. Treat it as urgent.

Is this calculator legal advice?

No. It applies the general statutory deadlines to the dates you enter. Real deadlines can shift with contract termination, bonded projects, specially fabricated materials, and payment timing. Have a Florida construction attorney confirm your dates before relying on them.