On a private work of improvement, a direct (prime) contractor must record a mechanics' lien within how many days after completion of the work, when no notice of completion or cessation has been recorded?
Explanation
Under Civil Code §8412, a direct contractor must record its mechanics' lien within 90 days after completion of the work of improvement. If the owner records a notice of completion or cessation under §8182, the direct contractor's window is shortened to 60 days after that recording (§8412), and a subcontractor/claimant's window is shortened to 30 days. The 90-day fallback applies when no NOC is recorded. A 1-year window confuses lien recording with the §8460 deadline to foreclose on a recorded lien (90 days to file suit).
Law Reference: Civil Code §8412This topic, taught in full in the CSLB Law & Business guide. CSLB Law & Business — Complete Study Guide (2026) — PDF + EPUB, $24.99 · 14-day refund →
Practice all 1632 questions free — no signup required.
Own the complete CSLB Law & Business guide — PDF + EPUB, $24.99 →
Related questions on this topic
- A subcontractor records a mechanics' lien but fails to serve a copy of the lien (with the required proof of service affidavit) on the owner. Under California's strict-compliance rule, the most likely consequence is that the lien:
- On a private project where no Notice of Completion is recorded, a subcontractor who served a proper preliminary notice must generally serve a stop payment notice on the construction lender within:
- A subcontractor on a private residential remodel wishes to preserve mechanics' lien rights. The preliminary 20-day notice under Civil Code §8200 must be served:
- After recording a mechanics' lien on a private project, a claimant must file an action to enforce (foreclose) the lien within:
- Under Labor Code §3700, a California contractor that has even one employee must:
- A licensed contractor organized as a joint venture under §7029, with no employees, has filed an Exemption from Workers' Compensation with the CSLB. The joint venture then hires an employee. Under Bus. & Prof. Code §7125 and §7125.4, what must it do?
Last reviewed: · editorial process