Mechanics lien rights in Massachusetts come from Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 254, and they run on a clock: 30 days from first furnishing to serve the preliminary notice, 90 days from completion to record the lien itself, and 90 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.
Contractors here are licensed by MA OCABR — Home Improvement Contractor Registration — official license lookup ↗.
Enter the dates you have — we compute every MA deadline from the day-counts below. Dates stay in your browser.
Want these watched automatically — with the demand letter or notice drafted AND delivered for you (email included on paid plans, certified mail $19)? Start a free LienWarden trial →
| 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 | 90 days | project completion |
| File the enforcement (foreclosure) suit | 90 days | recording the lien |
| Payment-bond claim (public/bonded jobs) | 65 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 Massachusetts under Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 254; statutes carry exceptions (residential vs commercial, owner-occupied, notice methods). Always verify against the current statute.
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