New York Construction Lien FAQ

A New York mechanics lien must be filed:

• Within 8 months of last furnishing, or

• Within 4 months of last furnishing if the project is a single-family dwelling

No general preliminary notice is required on private projects.

New York grants construction lien rights to:

• General contractors

• Subcontractors

• Sub-subcontractors

• Material suppliers

• Equipment rental companies

• Laborers

• Architects, engineers, surveyors, and other design professionals

If you miss your New York lien deadline, you permanently lose lien rights. New York does not allow late filings.

You record your New York construction lien with the County Clerk where the property is located.

You must enforce a New York construction lien by filing a foreclosure suit within 1 year of recording the lien.

A New York mechanics lien must contain specific required information and be properly executed, including:

• Claimant’s legal name and address

• Property owner’s name

• Hiring party’s name

• Description and location of the property

• Description of labor, materials, or services provided

• Amount claimed as unpaid

• First and last date of furnishing

• Verification and signature

No. New York does not impose a blanket minimum or maximum lien amount, but contractors should consider whether the amount in dispute justifies the cost of filing and enforcing the lien.

Yes. Multiple unpaid parties may file their own separate New York Construction lien.

If the customer pays you the full amount owed after you have recorded a lien, you have a legal obligation to formally clear the lien from the property records.

You must prepare and file a New York Discharge of Lien (or Release of Lien) with the same office where the original lien was recorded.