SC · Construction payment counsel
South Carolina Mechanics Lien Attorney
Fred Shestopal and the My Lien Lawyer team prepare, serve, and enforce South Carolina mechanics liens, preliminary notices, and public-project bond claims for contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers — directly or with vetted South Carolina local counsel where the state requires it.
What we handle on South Carolina projects
When the owner has filed a Notice of Project Commencement, sub-tier claimants should serve a Notice of Furnishing on the owner and general contractor within 30 days of first furnishing, since failing to do so may limit the lien to work performed after the notice is given. This notice is recommended practice tied to the presence of an NOC rather than an across-the-board mandatory requirement for every project.
A South Carolina mechanics lien must be recorded and served on the owner within 90 days of last furnishing labor or materials, under S.C. Code Ann. § 29-5-90. Service must typically be effected through the sheriff's office rather than by mail or a private process server, and missing either the recording or the service step within the 90 days is fatal to the claim. We verify lien rights under S.C. Code Ann. § 29-5-90 before anything is recorded.
An action to enforce the lien must be commenced within six months of last furnishing labor or materials, under S.C. Code Ann. § 29-5-120. If payment still does not arrive, we take the claim into court rather than handing you a file.
Sub-tier claimants on a South Carolina public project must ensure that the prime contractor actually receives, not merely is sent, written bond claim notice within 90 days of last furnishing. First-tier claimants are not strictly required to give notice but should do so as a matter of best practice, and because the clock runs from receipt rather than mailing, claimants should send notice at least a week early.
Know your South Carolina deadlines first
South Carolina requires both recording and sheriff service of a mechanics lien within 90 days of last furnishing under S.C. Code Ann. § 29-5-90, with public bond claims under § 29-5-10 et seq. The state's unusually strict service-by-sheriff and receipt-based bond notice rules make careful timing essential.
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 South Carolina lien rights, cure a defective claim, respond when an owner demands suit, or appear in court. Every South Carolina matter here is handled under an attorney-client relationship.
- Written analysis of your South Carolina 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.
South Carolina mechanics lien questions
Do I need a South Carolina attorney to file a mechanics lien?
A filing service can mail documents, but it cannot tell you whether you actually hold lien rights in South Carolina, 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 South Carolina mechanics lien deadlines?
A South Carolina mechanics lien must be recorded and served on the owner within 90 days of last furnishing labor or materials, under S.C. Code Ann. § 29-5-90. Service must typically be effected through the sheriff's office rather than by mail or a private process server, and missing either the recording or the service step within the 90 days is fatal to the claim. When the owner has filed a Notice of Project Commencement, sub-tier claimants should serve a Notice of Furnishing on the owner and general contractor within 30 days of first furnishing, since failing to do so may limit the lien to work performed after the notice is given. This notice is recommended practice tied to the presence of an NOC rather than an across-the-board mandatory requirement for every project. Full detail, with statute citations, is on our South Carolina mechanics lien law page.
Can you help on a South Carolina public project?
Yes. Sub-tier claimants on a South Carolina public project must ensure that the prime contractor actually receives, not merely is sent, written bond claim notice within 90 days of last furnishing. First-tier claimants are not strictly required to give notice but should do so as a matter of best practice, and because the clock runs from receipt rather than mailing, claimants should send notice at least a week early. The controlling statute is S.C. Code Ann. § 29-5-10 et seq. (Little Miller Act).
When must a mechanics lien be recorded in South Carolina?
The lien must be recorded and served on the owner within 90 days of last furnishing labor or materials, under S.C. Code Ann. § 29-5-90, with service typically carried out by the sheriff rather than by mail.
Is preliminary notice required in South Carolina?
When the owner has filed a Notice of Project Commencement, sub-tier claimants should serve a Notice of Furnishing on the owner and general contractor within 30 days of first furnishing, or risk limiting the lien to work performed after the notice.
Unpaid on a South Carolina project?
Send us the contract, the last invoice, and your furnishing dates. We will tell you what South Carolina 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).