CT · Construction payment counsel
Connecticut Mechanics Lien Attorney
Fred Shestopal and the My Lien Lawyer team prepare, serve, and enforce Connecticut mechanics liens, preliminary notices, and public-project bond claims for contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers — directly or with vetted Connecticut local counsel where the state requires it.
What we handle on Connecticut projects
Connecticut does not require a separate preliminary notice on private projects. However, sub-tier claimants must serve a Notice of Intent to Claim a Mechanics Lien within the same 90-day window that governs recording, so that notice functions as a practical precondition for those claimants.
A Connecticut mechanics lien certificate must be recorded with the town clerk within 90 days after the claimant last furnished labor or materials, under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 49-34. A copy of the certificate must also be served on the owner within 30 days of recording. We verify lien rights under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 49-34 before anything is recorded.
An action to foreclose the lien must be commenced within one year after the lien is recorded. If payment still does not arrive, we take the claim into court rather than handing you a file.
On Connecticut public projects, a claimant must serve written notice of claim on the payment bond within 180 days of last furnishing labor or materials. For amounts attributable to retainage specifically, that notice window extends to 210 days.
Know your Connecticut deadlines first
Connecticut mechanics lien practice is governed by Conn. Gen. Stat. § 49-34 for private work and §§ 49-41a and 49-42 for public projects. The 90-day recording deadline and its companion sub-tier notice both run from last furnishing, so early tracking matters.
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 Connecticut lien rights, cure a defective claim, respond when an owner demands suit, or appear in court. Every Connecticut matter here is handled under an attorney-client relationship.
- Written analysis of your Connecticut 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.
Connecticut mechanics lien questions
Do I need a Connecticut attorney to file a mechanics lien?
A filing service can mail documents, but it cannot tell you whether you actually hold lien rights in Connecticut, 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 Connecticut mechanics lien deadlines?
A Connecticut mechanics lien certificate must be recorded with the town clerk within 90 days after the claimant last furnished labor or materials, under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 49-34. A copy of the certificate must also be served on the owner within 30 days of recording. Connecticut does not require a separate preliminary notice on private projects. However, sub-tier claimants must serve a Notice of Intent to Claim a Mechanics Lien within the same 90-day window that governs recording, so that notice functions as a practical precondition for those claimants. Full detail, with statute citations, is on our Connecticut mechanics lien law page.
Can you help on a Connecticut public project?
Yes. On Connecticut public projects, a claimant must serve written notice of claim on the payment bond within 180 days of last furnishing labor or materials. For amounts attributable to retainage specifically, that notice window extends to 210 days. The controlling statute is Conn. Gen. Stat. § 49-41a / § 49-42.
When must a mechanics lien be recorded in Connecticut?
Within 90 days after the claimant last furnished labor or materials, with the certificate recorded at the town clerk's office.
Is preliminary notice required in Connecticut?
Not as a standalone preliminary notice, but sub-tier claimants must serve a Notice of Intent to Claim a Mechanics Lien within the same 90-day period.
Unpaid on a Connecticut project?
Send us the contract, the last invoice, and your furnishing dates. We will tell you what Connecticut 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).