It depends on the deadline and the state, which is why this trips everyone: preliminary-notice windows usually run from your FIRST furnishing of labor or materials, while lien-recording windows usually run from completion — but "completion" may mean your last work, the whole project's completion, substantial completion, or the owner filing a notice of completion (which can slash the window dramatically, e.g. from 90 days to 30 in California).
Punch-list work and warranty repairs usually do NOT restart the clock. When in doubt, use the earliest plausible trigger date — a lien recorded early is valid; one recorded a day late is worthless.
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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