If you’re a contractor in California, you know getting paid on time isn’t always a sure thing. When payment problems pop up, filing a general lien can be a powerful way to protect your right to get paid. A general lien gives you a legal claim on the property you worked on, making it much harder for the owner to avoid paying what they owe.
But here’s the catch, not every property qualifies for a general lien. Knowing which ones do can save you a lot of time, frustration, and paperwork. Whether you’re remodeling a home, building a new office, or repairing a mixed-use property, understanding the rules upfront puts you in control. It sets clear expectations from the start and gives you a stronger chance of recovering payment if issues come up later.
Most lien cases in California involve residential homes, and that’s no surprise. Many contractors are brought in for new builds, upgrades, or repairs on homes, condos, or small apartment units. What’s important to know is that these types of residential properties typically qualify for a general lien, assuming the required steps are followed.
Common residential examples where you might have lien rights include:
1. A roofing job on a single-family home
2. Renovation of a duplex or triplex
3. Plumbing work on a condo unit during an upgrade
For single-family homes, the key question is whether your work actually added value to the property; things like building a patio cover or replacing structural siding usually qualify.
With condos, start by checking the ownership setup. If you were hired by the homeowners association instead of an individual unit owner, that can change how and where you file the lien.
For residential rentals, filing a lien is also common when big projects go unpaid, like rewiring the whole building or installing a new HVAC system. As long as the work was done with the property owner’s permission, most residential structures will qualify for a lien.
Commercial properties work a bit differently than residential ones, but you can still file a general lien if your work goes unpaid. These projects are often bigger and more complex, like building a retail center from the ground up or renovating an office space. If the property is for business use and you’ve done your part as a contractor, you’re usually in a good position to file a lien if payment doesn’t come through.
Commercial properties that often qualify include:
1. Office buildings
2. Retail shops like strip malls or stand-alone stores
3. Industrial facilities such as warehouses or production spaces
Imagine you’re hired to handle electrical work for a brand-new office suite. You finish the job, but the final payment never shows up. If you followed all the proper notice requirements, this type of commercial property would usually qualify for a lien. The same applies to upgrades in buildings already in use, like updating lighting systems or putting in new flooring for a retail store.
One thing to watch closely is tenant improvements. If a tenant hires you instead of the property owner, you may still have lien rights, but they’re usually limited to the tenant’s share or interest in the property, not the whole building. That’s why it’s so important to know exactly who signed the contract and who owns what, both before you start and after the work is done.
Mixed-use buildings can be a little tricky when it comes to lien eligibility. These are properties that combine residential and commercial spaces, like apartments on the upper floors and a coffee shop or retail store on the ground floor. In California, you can file a general lien on these types of buildings, but the mix of uses means there are extra details to sort out.
If your work impacts the whole property, say you replaced the roof or repaired the foundation, your lien might cover both the residential and commercial parts. But if you only worked on one area, like remodeling the shop downstairs, your lien may only apply to that space or even just to the portion owned by the person who hired you. That’s why it’s important to know exactly who owns what, which part of the property your work affects, and whether you’ve been authorized by the right person before you start.
For example, if you were hired by the owner of the residential units to install new fire alarms throughout the entire mixed-use building, your lien rights could apply to the full structure. But if a tenant in a retail unit brought you in for wall repairs and didn’t involve the actual property owner, your lien could be limited or challenged. Sorting these details early on can save time and frustration later.
To file successfully on a mixed-use property, you’ll want to:
1. Identify whether the property is owned by one party or multiple parties (such as an LLC for the ground floor and a private landlord for the residential units)
2. Be clear about your scope of work and which part of the property it affects
3. Make sure your work added permanent value to the property
4. Verify that the party who hired you had the authority to contract out the work
Mixed-use projects often involve different players, so communication, inspection of the property title, and documentation help ensure your claim holds up.
In California, lien laws work differently for public properties than for private ones. If your project is for a city, county, state, or federal building, you can’t file a general lien. Government property can’t be claimed this way, so if you worked on a public library, police station, or DMV office and didn’t get paid, a general lien isn’t an option.
Instead, subcontractors and suppliers usually use something called a payment bond claim. On public works projects, the general contractor is typically required to provide a payment bond. This bond acts as your safety net if payment doesn’t come through. So, instead of placing a lien on the property, your path is to file a claim against that bond.
For public properties, keep these details in mind:
1. General liens don’t apply to government-owned land or buildings
2. Work done under public contracts should be backed by a payment bond
3. If you’re a subcontractor or supplier, ask for a copy of the bond early in the project
4. Stay on top of notice and filing deadlines since they differ from private projects
Missing the window to file a claim or not knowing who holds the bond can delay or even cancel your chance to recover payment. It’s also worth paying attention to whether the public property sits on leased land, for example, a nonprofit leasing space from a city. Sometimes those leaseholds create gray areas where limited lien rights might appear. Talking to a licensed expert before moving forward is often the safer route when public property is involved.
Knowing which properties qualify for a general lien in California gives you a big advantage when it comes to getting paid. If you file a lien without checking first, you risk delays—or worse, having it thrown out completely. Taking the time to understand how the property is used, who owns it, and whether your work actually increased its value will help you decide if a lien is the right move.
The type of property also changes the rules for deadlines, notices, and how far your lien rights go. Residential properties often come with tighter deadlines. Commercial properties may give you a little more flexibility. Mixed-use buildings and tenant projects require a closer look at contracts to see exactly what your lien can cover. And public projects? Those are a different process altogether.
Whether you’re working on a duplex in Sacramento, a warehouse in San Diego, or a mixed-use property in Los Angeles, getting the details right from the start saves you from headaches later. Filing a lien successfully is all about matching the property type with the right process. When you do that, it can be one of the strongest tools for recovering the payment you’re owed.
Protecting your right to payment starts with knowing your legal options. If you’re working on a jobsite in California and uncertain about how to move forward when payment issues come up, understanding how to file a general lien can make all the difference. At Northwest Lien, we help contractors take the right steps to secure what they’ve earned. Whether you’re preparing to file now or just want clarity on the process for future projects, our team is here to guide you through it all, clearly, quickly, and with your success in mind.
