AL · Mechanics Lien Law
Alabama Mechanics Lien Law: Deadlines, Notices & Filing Guide
Alabama mechanics lien deadlines run under Ala. Code §§ 35-11-210 – 35-11-234 for private work and Ala. Code §§ 39-1-1 et seq. for public projects. Both first and last furnishing dates matter from day one, since they anchor every downstream filing deadline.
Alabama mechanics lien deadlines at a glance
Alabama imposes no preliminary notice requirement for private or residential jobs, so lien rights are not conditioned on an early notice. That said, a subcontractor or supplier can choose to serve a Notice before lien on the owner under Ala. Code § 35-11-218, which is worth doing because it can expand recovery beyond what the owner still owes the prime contractor.
Subcontractors and suppliers must record their verified statement of lien within four months of the date they last furnished labor or materials to the project, per Ala. Code §§ 35-11-210 – 35-11-234. The lien is filed in the probate court of the county where the property sits, and materialmen without privity face a much shorter 30-day window, so the specific claimant tier matters.
Once a lien is on record, the claimant has six months from the filing date to bring a foreclosure suit, or the lien lapses under Ala. Code §§ 35-11-210 – 35-11-234.
On Alabama public projects, the Little Miller Act governs payment bond claims for state and local public works. Claimants without a direct contract with the prime contractor must send a 45-day notice of claim measured from last furnishing, and any suit on the bond must be filed within one year of that same last-furnishing date.
Primary statute
Ala. Code §§ 35-11-210 – 35-11-234 · Ala. Code §§ 39-1-1 et seq.
Who can file a mechanics lien in Alabama?
Alabama lien rights extend to general contractors, subcontractors, sub-subcontractors, and material suppliers, along with design professionals where the statute permits, provided they furnished labor, materials, or services to the improvement.
Overview of Alabama lien practice
Alabama lien practice rewards careful date-tracking from the very first day on a jobsite, since the four-month recording clock for subcontractors and suppliers runs from last furnishing, and the state has no preliminary notice requirement to soften the timeline. Because Alabama allows an optional Notice before lien under Section 35-11-218, claimants who serve it early tend to preserve broader recovery than those who wait until the work is finished, since the statute limits recovery to what the owner still owed the prime contractor when that notice was received. Verified lien statements must be recorded in the probate court of the county where the property is located, so confirming the correct county and the correct legal owner of record before filing is essential. Foreclosure must follow within six months of recording or the lien is lost entirely. Public projects run on a separate Little Miller Act track with a 45-day notice for remote claimants and a one-year suit deadline. As with every state, federal property cannot be liened, so bond claims are the only recourse on federal work performed in Alabama.
Common pitfalls on Alabama projects
Owner notice can expand recovery
Serving a Notice on the owner before starting work under Ala. Code § 35-11-218 lets a subcontractor or supplier claim protections closer to those of a prime contractor.
File in the correct probate court
The verified lien statement must be recorded in the probate court of the county where the property is located, per Ala. Code § 35-11-215.
Watch the shorter 30-day window
Materialmen without privity to the owner or contractor have only 30 days from last furnishing, far shorter than the standard four-month period.
Recovery capped at amount owed when notice received
Alabama limits recovery to whatever the owner still owed the prime contractor at the moment the Notice before lien was received.
Alabama mechanics lien FAQs
When must a mechanics lien be recorded in Alabama?
Subcontractors and suppliers generally have four months from the date they last furnished labor or materials to record their lien, while primes may have a longer six-month window; the statutory basis is Ala. Code §§ 35-11-210 – 35-11-234.
Is preliminary notice required in Alabama?
No, Alabama does not condition private or residential lien rights on any preliminary notice, though serving an optional Notice before lien under Section 35-11-218 can improve the amount ultimately recoverable.
How long do I have to enforce a lien in Alabama?
A foreclosure suit must be filed within six months after the lien was recorded, or the lien rights expire.
What about Alabama public projects?
Public work is covered by Alabama's Little Miller Act, which requires remote claimants to send a 45-day notice of claim after last furnishing and to file any bond suit within one year of that date.
Filing a Alabama mechanics lien or bond claim?
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This page is general information and not legal advice. Statutes change — verify against the official text linked above.