Never miss a California lien deadline
Every project you file through Notice Harbor is monitored — deadlines computed, Notices of Completion watched, and alerts sent before the window closes.
Avoid missing lien deadlines.
- Lien deadlines tracked for every project
- Automatic monitoring for notice of completion
- No more tracking in spreadsheets
- Proactive alerts as deadlines approach
Monitoring your lien deadline
742 Cypress Ave, Anaheim, CA 92805
P-84213
Notice of Completion recorded
Deadline updatedThe deadlines we watch for you
California lien law runs on hard calendar windows. Miss one and the right is gone — there is no filing late.
20 days — preliminary notice
Your first deadline on every job: serve the preliminary notice within 20 calendar days of first furnishing to protect the whole contract.
90 days — mechanics lien
With no Notice of Completion recorded, you have 90 days from completion of the project to record a mechanics lien.
60 / 30 days — after an NOC
If the owner records a Notice of Completion, the window collapses: 60 days for the direct contractor, 30 for subs and suppliers. This is the trap that catches most claimants.
How the NOC monitoring works: when an owner records a Notice of Completion, California law requires them to mail it to everyone who served a preliminary notice. Notices filed through Notice Harbor route that mail to us — we log the NOC, recompute your deadline, and email you the new date the same day.
Check your deadlines now
Enter your first day on the job to estimate your 20-day preliminary notice deadline and your mechanics lien window.
California deadline calculator
Enter your project dates to estimate your preliminary notice and mechanics lien deadlines.
This is a general estimate, not legal advice. “Completion” under California law can be triggered in more than one way — actual completion of the work, the owner’s occupancy or use of the project, or a 60-day cessation of labor — so your true deadline may differ. Deadlines that fall on a weekend or holiday and other fact-specific rules are not accounted for here. Confirm critical dates with a California construction attorney.
Lien deadline tracking is included with every plan — pay-as-you-go and Unlimited alike.
Related guides
Put your deadlines on autopilot
File your preliminary notice through Notice Harbor and every deadline on the job is tracked from that moment on. Your first notice is free.
Start your free noticeThis page is general information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney–client relationship. California lien and notice deadlines are strict and fact-specific — “completion” alone can be triggered by actual completion, the owner’s occupancy or use, or a 60-day cessation of labor. Notice Harbor is not a law firm. Confirm any deadline that matters to your claim with a licensed California construction attorney.