AL · Construction payment counsel
Alabama Mechanics Lien Attorney
Fred Shestopal and the My Lien Lawyer team prepare, serve, and enforce Alabama mechanics liens, preliminary notices, and public-project bond claims for contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers — directly or with vetted Alabama local counsel where the state requires it.
What we handle on Alabama projects
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. We verify lien rights under Ala. Code §§ 35-11-210 – 35-11-234 before anything is recorded.
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. If payment still does not arrive, we take the claim into court rather than handing you a file.
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.
Know your Alabama deadlines first
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.
A law firm, not a notice service
Filing bureaus and online lien tools mail documents on request. They cannot give you a legal opinion on whether you hold Alabama lien rights, cure a defective claim, respond when an owner demands suit, or appear in court. Every Alabama matter here is handled under an attorney-client relationship.
- Written analysis of your Alabama lien and bond rights before filing
- Certified mailing with proof of service retained in your file
- Deadline calendaring with reminders ahead of every statutory cutoff
- Foreclosure suit and collections handled by the same firm
See why a law firm matters, side by side with a filing service.
Alabama mechanics lien questions
Do I need a Alabama attorney to file a mechanics lien?
A filing service can mail documents, but it cannot tell you whether you actually hold lien rights in Alabama, fix a defective claim, or foreclose the lien if the money still does not come. My Lien Lawyer handles the analysis, the filing, and the enforcement as one engagement.
What are the key Alabama mechanics lien deadlines?
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. 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. Full detail, with statute citations, is on our Alabama mechanics lien law page.
Can you help on a Alabama public project?
Yes. 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. The controlling statute is Ala. Code §§ 39-1-1 et seq..
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.
Unpaid on a Alabama project?
Send us the contract, the last invoice, and your furnishing dates. We will tell you what Alabama deadlines are still open and what it takes to protect the money. The first call is free.
This page is general information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Fred Shestopal is licensed in Illinois (with nationwide network of licensed local counsel).