Virginia’s Mechanic’s Lien Is Powerful and Unforgiving on Deadlines

A Powerful Tool With Strict, Short Deadlines

Attach Your Claim to the Property Itself

When you supply labor or materials and payment never comes, a mechanic’s lien attaches to the property itself. In Virginia, that lien is unusually powerful: it can take priority over the construction lender and survive a sale or foreclosure.

That power comes with strict rules. The memorandum generally has to be recorded within 90 days of the last day of the month you last furnished work; it can only reach 150 days back for labor and materials, and a suit to enforce it must be filed within six months of recording or 60 days from completion, whichever is later. Courts read these requirements strictly, so a small mistake can sink the entire lien.

We handle every stage: perfecting the lien correctly, enforcing it in court, defending property owners against invalid or overstated liens, and pursuing the underlying payment claim.

Where We Come In

• ✓ You were not paid for labor or materials you furnished
• ✓ A lien deadline is approaching, and you cannot miss it
• ✓ You need a lien recorded the first time correctly
• ✓ An invalid or inflated lien is clouding your property
• ✓ You need to enforce a recorded lien in court
• ✓ You want a payment claim pursued alongside the lien

Perfecting Liens

We record the memorandum correctly and on time, where one error can void it all.

Enforcing Liens

We file suit within the deadline and pursue the property to collect.

Lien Defense

Owners facing an invalid or overstated lien. We challenge and release it.

Payment Claims

The unpaid invoice behind the lien. We pursue it through every available route.

Bond & Release

Bonding off a lien to clear title while the dispute is resolved.

Notice Requirements

The notices and lien-agent rules that make or break a residential claim.

Consultation

Tell us about the project, the contract, and where it went wrong. We find the issues that matter most and the deadlines that apply.

Review Contract & Record

We dig into the documents, the schedule, and the correspondence to find your strongest position.

Claim or Defend

We file, demand, negotiate, or litigate, with a clear plan and a calendar of every deadline.

Resolve or Try It

We push for the strongest resolution available and are fully prepared to take it to court or arbitration.

“The mechanic’s lien is the most powerful collection tool most contractors will ever have, and the easiest to lose. Virginia courts read the statute strictly, which means the date you last worked, the 150-day lookback, and the recording deadline all have to be exactly right. I have seen valid six-figure claims thrown out over a filing that was a few days late or a memorandum that reached too far back. So when someone calls me about an unpaid invoice, the first thing I look at is the calendar. Get the timing and the paperwork right, and the lien does the heavy lifting.”

Answers Before You Call