Mechanics liens are one of the most powerful tools available to Nevada contractors, subcontractors, and material suppliers to ensure payment for work performed or materials supplied to a project. But that power is only as strong as your ability to follow through with the pre-recording deadlines under Nevada law.
If you miss just one deadline, you could lose your lien rights entirely — even if you’re owed tens of thousands of dollars.
Here’s what every contractor needs to know to protect its right to get paid from the property owner.
🔧 1. Serve the Preliminary Notice (Notice of Right to Lien)
Deadline: Within 31 days of first furnishing labor or materials.
Under NRS 108.245, most contractors (except those with a direct contract with the owner) must serve a Notice of Right to Lien on the property owner and general contractor. This notice must be personally served or sent via certified mail.
Helpful hint: Always include in your Preliminary Notice a request to be informed if the Owner records a Notice of Completion.
⏱ Miss this 31-day deadline? You could lose your lien rights for any work performed before the notice was served.
🏁 2. Watch for a Notice of Completion at the end of a project
When a property owner records a Notice of Completion (allowed under NRS 108.228), it drastically shortens your time to record a lien:
- If a Notice of Completion is recorded:
→ You must record your lien within 40 days of that recorded notice. - If no Notice of Completion is recorded:
→ You have 90 days from the last date you provided labor or materials, or the completion of the Project, whichever is later.
💡 Pro Tip: Always check the County Recorder’s Office regularly toward the end of a project to see if a Notice of Completion has been recorded.
🛠 3. Record the Mechanic’s Lien
Deadline: Within 90 days of You last providing work or materials, or the completion of the Project, whichever is later — unless shortened to 40 days by a recorded Notice of Completion.
In addition, your lien must be recorded with the county recorder in the county where the property is located. This recorded lien must include specific statutory required information such as the lien amount, the nature of the work, and a legal description of the property.
⚖️ 4. Enforce the Lien (Lien Foreclosure Lawsuit)
Deadline: Within 6 months of recording the lien.
To enforce your lien rights, you must file a lien foreclosure lawsuit in the appropriate Nevada district court under NRS 108.226(6). If you fail to file suit within six months of recording your lien, your lien becomes void and unenforceable.
🚫 No exceptions. This deadline is strictly enforced — even if the property owner is negotiating or promising payment. Here, you are better off filing the lawsuit and continuing negotiations in order to protect the profound leverage you acquire from maintaining your lien rights.
📋 Missed a Deadline? Consider These Alternatives
Even if you’ve missed a deadline, you might still have other legal remedies, including:
- Breach of contract claims
- Unjust enrichment actions
- Bond claims (for public works)
But these lack the strong security of a lien recorded against real property — which is why preserving lien rights from the beginning is critical.
🧠 Final Thoughts
Nevada’s mechanics lien laws can be unforgiving. You can do all the work, submit your invoices, and still walk away empty-handed if you miss just one critical step. Protect your rights — and your bottom line — by tracking these deadlines from the very first day you step on the jobsite. Maintaining these rights on a continual basis may be the difference between keeping your company or going out of business.
📞 Need Help With a Lien? We’re Here.
If you’re unsure whether your lien rights are still intact or need help preparing or enforcing a mechanic’s lien, the attorneys at May Brock Law Group are here to help.
Contact us today at 702-388-0404 or email [email protected] to schedule a consultation.