Mechanics lien rights in Alabama come from Ala. Code § 35-11-210 et seq., and they run on a clock: 30 days from first furnishing to serve the preliminary notice, 180 days from completion to record the lien itself, and 180 days from recording to file the enforcement suit. Miss any one of those windows and an otherwise-solid unpaid invoice usually drops to an unsecured debt. The calculator and table below turn those windows into the actual calendar dates for your project.
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Enter the dates you have — we compute every AL deadline from the day-counts below. Dates stay in your browser.
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| Deadline | Window | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
| Preliminary notice | 30 days | first furnishing of labor or materials |
| Notice of intent to lien | 10 days | project completion / last furnishing |
| Record the mechanics lien | 180 days | project completion |
| File the enforcement (foreclosure) suit | 180 days | recording the lien |
| Payment-bond claim (public/bonded jobs) | 45 days | project completion |
| Respond to a notice of completion | 30 days | the owner's notice of completion |
Day-counts are the general rule LienWarden tracks for Alabama under Ala. Code § 35-11-210 et seq.; statutes carry exceptions (residential vs commercial, owner-occupied, notice methods). Always verify against the current statute.
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