Rhode Island Construction Lien FAQ

You must file a Rhode Island lien petition within 120 days of your last furnishing of labor or materials.

No. Rhode Island does not require a preliminary notice or notice to owner before filing a lien petition.

Rhode Island grants lien rights to parties who improve private real property, including:

• General contractors

• Subcontractors

• Sub-subcontractors

• Material suppliers

• Laborers

• Architects, engineers, and other design professionals (when services improve the property)

Mechanics liens do not apply to public projects. Payment disputes on public work are handled through bond claims instead.

If the Rhode Island construction lien petition is not filed within 120 days, all lien rights are permanently lost.

With the Rhode Island Superior Court in the county where the property is located.

Enforcement occurs through the same court proceeding as when you file Rhode Island Lien Petition. The lien is established, modified, or dismissed by court order.

Rhode Island requires a formal Petition to Enforce a Mechanics Lien, which must include:

• Identification of the claimant

• Identification of the property owner

• Description of the property

• Description of the work performed

• Amount claimed to be due and unpaid

No statutory minimum or maximum exists, but the Rhode Island construction lien amount must reflect the actual unpaid balance.

Yes. Multiple unpaid claimants may file separate Rhode Island construction lien petitions for the same property.

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 Rhode Island Discharge of Lien (or Release of Lien) with the same office where the original lien was recorded.