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In Oregon, subcontractors and suppliers must file a mechanics lien within 75 days of the last work performed. This guide covers the five essential steps to follow Oregon lien law, file correctly, and get paid fast.
Reviewed for Accuracy by Mechanics Lien Specialists, Updated: January 2026
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A mechanic’s lien (or “construction lien”) is a legal claim that secures payment for contractors, suppliers, and laborers who have improved a property. By filing a lien, you attach a financial interest to the property itself, preventing the owner from selling or refinancing until your wages are paid. In short, it is your most powerful tool to force payment when a client refuses to pay.
In Oregon, if you’re a contractor, subcontractor, supplier, or even a laborer, you can file a mechanics’ lien if you haven’t been paid for your work on a property. Just remember, there are some rules to follow, like sending out preliminary notices and meeting a 75-day deadline. These steps help protect everyone who adds value to real estate.
Filing a lien in Oregon is time-sensitive and has strict regulations. There is a short 75-day window for filing. Missing this deadline or skipping required notices can result in the permanent loss of your lien rights.
| Action Required | Deadline (Oregon) | Who Must File? |
|---|---|---|
| Send Notice of Right to Lien | Within 8 days of starting work or delivery | Subcontractors & Suppliers |
| File Lien (Recording) | Within 75 days of the last work or completion | All Claimants |
| Serve Copy to Owner | Within 20 days of filing the lien | All Claimants |
| Foreclosure Lawsuit | Within 120 days of filing the lien | All Claimants |
Filing a construction lien in Oregon requires strict attention to detail. According to Oregon lien laws, missing a deadline or skipping a required notice can invalidate your entire claim. Follow these five steps to ensure your lien is enforceable.
To preserve your right to file a lien later, you must generally send a preliminary notice at the start of the project.
Send a preliminary notice before it’s too late.
Send Preliminary Notice →If you remain unpaid, you must draft a “Claim of Lien” document that meets all statutory requirements (ORS § 87.035).
What do you need to include in your construction lien?
A valid Oregon mechanics lien form must contain:
We handle the notarization digitally for you—no travel required.
Start Here →You must file your lien with the county recording office where the project is located.
Get free guidance on your Oregon lien filing from one of our experienced advisors.
After recording, you must notify the owner that a lien has been placed on their property.Â
An Oregon mechanics lien is only valid for a limited time. You must take action before it expires.
Oregon has a strict 75-day filing window. Avoid a trip to the county office or missing the deadline.
E-Record My Lien TodayIn Oregon, a contractor must file a mechanics lien within 75 days of the last date they provided labor or materials, or within 75 days of the project’s completion—whichever comes first. This is one of the shortest filing deadlines in the United States. Missing this deadline can result in the permanent loss of your lien rights and, in severe cases, the revocation of your contractor’s license.
No, you do not need a lawyer to file a mechanics lien in Oregon. You can prepare and record the lien yourself by completing the required “Claim of Lien” form and filing it with the county recorder. However, because Oregon has strict requirements (including notarization, accurate property descriptions, and tight deadlines), many contractors choose to work with a professional lien service like Northwest Lien for accuracy and to avoid costly mistakes. If you need to enforce the lien through foreclosure, you will likely need an attorney at that stage.
While the lien itself is recorded with the county (which is a public record), Oregon law requires the lien claimant to serve a copy of the recorded lien to the property owner within 20 days of filing. If the claimant fails to serve you properly, they cannot recover attorney fees or legal costs later, though the lien itself remains valid. Additionally, if you are a property owner on a residential project over $2,000, contractors and subcontractors must send you preliminary notices (Notice of Right to Lien) before they can file a valid lien. These notices give you advance warning that work is being performed and payment is expected.
ORS 87.010 is the foundational statute in Oregon’s mechanics lien laws. It grants lien rights to any person or company that provides labor, rents equipment, or supplies materials for improving real property. If these parties are not paid, this law allows them to file a lien against the property to secure payment.
Generally, yes. Oregon does not require a written contract to file a mechanics lien in most cases. However, there is one important exception: prime contractors working on residential projects over $2,000 must have a written contract with the property owner. If no written contract exists for such projects, the prime contractor loses their right to file a lien.
Important note: If a residential project’s cost increases beyond $2,000 during the work, the contractor must deliver a written contract to the owner within 5 days of knowing the price will exceed that threshold. Subcontractors and suppliers are not subject to this written contract requirement—they can file liens even when working under verbal agreements, as long as they meet all other notice and deadline requirements.
Yes. A mechanics lien in Oregon expires 120 days after it is recorded. If you do not file a foreclosure lawsuit within this 120-day window, your lien becomes unenforceable, and you lose the right to collect through the lien.
Can it be extended? Oregon has a unique provision that allows liens to be extended in 120-day increments for up to 2 years from the original filing date, but only if the property owner agrees to an extended payment plan, and the terms of that plan are stated in the lien itself. In practice, this is rare because it requires the owner’s cooperation. Once you’re paid in full, you should file a lien release to officially remove it from the property records.
The cost to file a mechanics lien in Oregon varies by county. Recording fees typically range from $60 to $150, depending on the county recorder’s office where the property is located and the number of pages in your lien document. Some counties also charge additional fees for electronic filing or document indexing.
Additional costs: Beyond county recording fees, you may incur costs for notarization (required in Oregon), certified mail to serve the property owner, and professional preparation services if you use a lien filing company.
Northwest Lien offers full-service lien filing starting at a flat rate, which includes form preparation, notarization coordination, electronic recording, and serving the owner—helping you avoid costly mistakes that could invalidate your lien.
Our team has processed over a thousand mechanics lien filings in Oregon, Washington, and California since 1999. We stay up to date with all state codes and compliance changes to help make filing simple and stress-free for you.
