Can I file a lien for unpaid change orders or extras?

Generally yes — lien rights cover the value of labor and materials actually furnished to the property, which includes extra work, if you can prove it was authorized. Unwritten change orders are the classic fight: the work is visible on the building, but the paper trail is a text message and a handshake.

Protect the lienable value as you go: written change orders (even a signed one-liner or a confirming email), photos, delivery tickets and daily logs. And note that some states penalize willfully exaggerated liens — lien for what you can document, pursue the disputed remainder in contract.

General education, not legal advice — lien law is state-specific and changes. For your state's exact windows, use the free deadline calculator; for anything contested, talk to a construction attorney.

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