.svg)
A mechanic's lien is a legal document used by contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers to secure payment for work completed on a construction project. Filing a mechanic's lien essentially states that:
- You're owed money for services provided
- You're expecting payment by a specific date
- You'll proceed with litigation if you don't receive payment by that date
While a lien is in place, it restricts the owner from selling, refinancing, or transferring the property without paying you. That pressure makes liens one of the most powerful payment tools available—especially for subcontractors and suppliers.
Mechanic's lien laws vary significantly by state, with different rules governing who can file a lien, what notices are required, and timelines for filing and enforcement. This guide covers the essentials of Arizona's mechanic's lien laws to help you protect your right to payment.
Required; must serve within 20 days of starting work or delivering materials to preserve full lien rights
Required; must serve within 20 days of starting work or delivering materials to preserve full lien rights
Not required
Not required
Not required
Not required
Standard: Within 120 days after last work
If owner files Notice of Completion: Within 60 days from filing date
Standard: Within 120 days after last work
If owner files Notice of Completion: Within 60 days from filing date
Standard: Within 120 days after last work
If owner files Notice of Completion: Within 60 days from filing date
Within 6 months after filing a lien; must also record a Lis Pendens within 5 days of filing lawsuit
Within 6 months after filing a lien; must also record a Lis Pendens within 5 days of filing lawsuit
Within 6 months after filing a lien; must also record a Lis Pendens within 5 days of filing lawsuit
Full contract amount
Reasonable value of unpaid labor, materials, or equipment furnished (limited to owner's unpaid balance)
Wages owed
Mechanic's lien rights in Arizona are governed by A.R.S. §§ 33-981 to 33-1008. These laws give contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, and design professionals the ability to secure payment by recording a lien—but only on private property improvements. (Public projects cannot be liened; instead, payment protection comes through the project's bond claim process under Arizona's "Little Miller Act" (A.R.S. § 34-222).)
The most important step in preserving your rights in Arizona is the Preliminary 20-Day Notice. Subcontractors and suppliers must serve it on every project, private or public. On private jobs, it preserves lien rights; on public jobs, it preserves the right to make a bond claim. If you miss this notice, you lose your claim entirely.
Also worth noting is that Arizona owners may record a Notice of Completion, which shortens the lien filing deadline from 120 days after project completion down to 60 days from the recording date.
In Arizona, mechanic's lien rights extend to:
- General (original) contractors with direct contracts
- Subcontractors and lower-tier subcontractors
- Suppliers and equipment lessors (who supplied to project tiers)
- Laborers for wages—exempt from preliminary notice requirements
- Design professionals (architects, engineers) with a written contract or proof of furnishing services
Arizona only allows liens for work and materials that add value to the property, although Arizona courts interpret “improvement” broadly, especially for grading, utility installations, demolition, etc.
Here are examples of what’s considered lienable and what isn’t.
Lienable Work in Arizona
- Labor, materials, or services that improve property value
- Construction, repair, alteration, and demolition
- Any architecture, engineering, or surveying tied to the project
- Materials or equipment incorporated or permanently used in the project
Non-Lienable Work in Arizona
- Work on public property (instead, claim against statutory payment bond)
- Maintenance or work that doesn’t add value
- Materials or services not used or incorporated into the improvement
Before filing a lien in Arizona, make sure you’ve met any notice or preliminary requirements that apply to your role (see table above).
Deadline to File
In Arizona, all project participants—general contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, and laborers—generally have 120 days from “completion” to record their lien.
If a permit was issued, “completion” is the earlier of:
- 30 days after final inspection and written acceptance, or
- 60 days after labor stops (unless the delay is caused by strike, material shortage, or act of God)
If the owner records a Notice of Completion, the filing window shortens to 60 days from the date the notice is recorded.
If no permit was issued (or the permitting authority does not perform final inspections), “completion” instead means the last date any labor, materials, fixtures, or tools were furnished to the project.
Filing Requirements
- Where to file: Recorder's office in the county where the property is located
- Form requirements: No state-issued form required, but a Notice of Claim of Lien must include:
- Claimant’s name and address
- Property owner’s name
- Person who contracted for the work
- Terms, time, and conditions of the contract
- Description of the labor, materials, or services furnished
- Legal description of the property
- Amount due after credits
- Copy of the “Preliminary 20-Day Notice” and proof of service
- Notarization: Yes, lien claims must be notarized per A.R.S. § 33-993.
- Filing Fee: Varies by county
Service Requirements
After filing a lien, the claimant must serve a copy of the recorded lien on the property owner within a “reasonable time.” Service is typically made by certified or registered mail, or by personal delivery, to the owner’s last known address. While Arizona law does not set a strict number of days for service, failure to properly serve the owner can impair the enforceability of the lien if challenged (A.R.S. § 33-993(A)).
Recording a lien preserves your rights, but enforcement is how you get paid. Here’s what you must do to ensure you enforce your lien in Arizona.
Enforcement Requirements
- Enforcement deadline: File foreclosure lawsuit within 6 months after the lien is recorded (miss this, the lien expires—no extensions).
- Lis pendens: Must be recorded within 5 days after filing the foreclosure lawsuit (or lien may lose priority if property is sold or refinanced)
- Filing location: Superior Court in the county where the property is located.
- Lien priority: In Arizona, most mechanic’s liens relate to the time construction first commenced on the project, not when the individual lien was recorded. This means properly perfected liens generally have priority over mortgages or deeds of trust recorded after visible construction began (A.R.S. § 33-992).
Lien Release Requirements
Once payment is received or the lien is otherwise resolved, the lien claimant must record a written release of lien in the county where the lien was recorded. Failure to do so may result in the owner recovering statutory damages, attorney fees, and costs from the claimant (A.R.S. § 33-1006).
- Unified workflow: Manage lien rights within your billing and collections workflow to keep payment context in one place.
- Automated compliance: Automatically track critical deadlines and milestones based on each state's lien laws.
- Meaningful visibility: View the lien protection status for each project to identify and mitigate risk.
- Document creation: Generate state-specific lien notices instantly using existing project data
- Integrated delivery: Send notices via certified mail directly from Siteline to streamline delivery.
No. If your role requires a license, you must be properly licensed at the time of contracting to claim lien rights.
Yes. Subcontractors, suppliers, and laborers all have lien rights in Arizona even without a direct contract with the owner, as long as the statutory requirements are met.
Yes, but only for lien filing, not enforcement. If an owner records a Notice of Completion, it cuts all other parties’ lien filing period from 120 days after completion to 60 days from the date of recording.
No. Arizona does not require a Notice of Intent (NOI) before recording your lien.
Yes. Arizona law makes serving a Preliminary 20-Day Notice mandatory for all parties except for laborers. If you miss it, you lose lien rights for work done before it was served (if late) or lose them entirely (if never sent) (see A.R.S. § 33-992.01).
Arizona also requires claimants to prove that the Preliminary 20-Day Notice was properly sent. If the notice is mailed, proof can be established either by a signed acknowledgment of receipt from the recipient or—if no acknowledgment is returned within 30 days—by an affidavit (see A.R.S. § 33-992.02 for more details).
No. Arizona law doesn’t mandate statutory lien waiver forms. However, it’s best practice to use clear, unambiguous language and specify the payment and work period covered by the waiver. Learn more about Arizona lien waivers here.
You can lien for the full contract amount owed for your labor, materials, or services. Attorney’s fees, collection costs, and interest generally cannot be included.
Not always. According to A.R.S. § 33-981:
- GCs, subcontractors, and suppliers don’t necessarily need to have a written contract to file or enforce a lien; they just need to meet preliminary notice and other filing requirements.
- Design professionals (architects, engineers, surveyors, etc.) must have a written agreement—either with the owner or with someone who has a direct contract with the owner—and must hold a valid Arizona Title 32 registration to enforce a lien.
That said, having a written contract in place is widely considered best practice. It makes it much easier to prove what you’re owed.
Disclaimer: This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Always consult with a qualified construction attorney in your state regarding specific legal matters before taking any action that could affect your lien rights.