A payment bond is an insurance-like guarantee (from a surety company) that subs and suppliers on a project get paid. Public jobs require them; some private owners use them to keep liens off the title. When you're unpaid on a bonded job, you claim against the bond rather than (or alongside) liening the property.
Bond claims have their own notice chain — typically written notice to the GC and/or surety within a window from your last furnishing (90 days is common), then suit within a year. The bond's terms and the statute both matter, so get the bond copy early (you're usually entitled to it on request).
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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