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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 Kentucky's mechanic's lien laws to help you protect your right to payment.
Not required
Not required
Not required
Not required
Must provide a Notice to the Owner within 75 days (claims of less than $1,000/residential property) or 120 days (claims exceeding $1,000) of last furnishing
Must provide a Notice to the Owner within 75 days (claims of less than $1,000/residential property) or 120 days (claims exceeding $1,000) of the last day of work
Within 6 months after last furnishing of labor/materials
Within 6 months after last furnishing of labor/materials
Within 6 months after last furnishing of labor
Within 12 months of the lien filing date
Within 12 months of the lien filing date
Within 12 months of the lien filing date
Unpaid contract balance (subject to the original contract price cap)
Amount due for unpaid labor/materials
Amount due for unpaid labor
Kentucky's mechanic's lien laws are exclusively available to contractors, suppliers, and laborers working on private construction projects. If you're working on a public project exceeding $40,000, the original contractor must provide a surety bond instead.
The specific requirements for filing liens, providing notices, and meeting deadlines are outlined in Kentucky Revised Statutes Chapter 376. Since these procedures vary depending on your role, it's important to understand how the law applies to your particular situation. Let's go over the details.
In Kentucky, mechanic's lien rights extend to parties who provide lienable labor or materials on a private project. This typically includes:
- General (original) contractors
- Subcontractors and lower-tier subcontractors
- Material suppliers and vendors
- Laborers and workers
- Equipment rental providers
- Certain design professionals (including professional engineers, licensed architects, licensed landscape architects, and professional land surveyors), generally when contracted directly with the owner (KRS 376.075)
Kentucky liens apply to labor and materials furnished for the erection, altering, or repairing of structures and for the improvement in any manner of real property, including certain sitework and specified materials (KRS 376.010(1)).
Here are some examples of what’s considered lienable and what isn’t.
Lienable Work in Kentucky
- Building, altering, or repairing a house or structure
- Excavation of cellars, cisterns, vaults, wells, and similar improvement work
- Materials furnished for improving real property (including enumerated items like gravel for roads or driveways and fencing materials)
- Certain work done by teams, trucks, machinery, and mechanical equipment
- Certain “supplies,” small tools (subject to per-item limit), and qualifying equipment rental/repairs (subject to statutory caps) (KRS 376.010(6))
- Machinery and equipment used on the job, including repair parts and rental costs
Non-Lienable Work in Kentucky
- Work on public property
- Amounts that exceed Kentucky’s statutory limits for certain “supplies” or equipment rentals (KRS 376.010(6))
Before filing a lien in Kentucky, make sure you’ve met any notice requirements that apply to your role (see table above).
Deadline to File
All lien claimants—including GCs, subs, suppliers, laborers, engineers, and architects—must file a lien within 6 months after the last day of work or the last date on which materials were delivered.
Filing Requirements
- Filing location: File the statement of lien in the county clerk’s office where the property is located.
- Form requirements: The statement of lien form (as outlined under KRS § 376.080 for GCs, subs, suppliers, laborers) must include:
- The amount of the lien claim after all credits have been given
- A property description sufficient for identification (e.g., address)
- The owner’s name
- A note on whether the services were contracted with the owner, contractor, subcontractor, or architect
- The claimant’s name and address
- Verification: A Kentucky statement of lien must be verified under oath and notarized.
- Filing fee: Yes, but specific fees vary by county.
Service Requirements
Claimants must send a copy of the filed lien statement to the property owner by regular mail within seven days after filing a lien, or the lien is dissolved (KRS 376.080(1)).
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 Kentucky.
Enforcement Requirements
- Enforcement deadline: You must bring an action to enforce the lien within 12 months from the date the lien statement was filed with the county clerk.
- Filing location: The action must be filed with the circuit court in the county where the property is located.
- Lien priority: Kentucky liens generally relate back to the commencement of labor or furnishing of materials and are superior to most mortgages or encumbrances created after that point.
Lien Release Requirements
Once the debt is paid or otherwise resolved, claimants typically record a written release or satisfaction in the same county clerk’s office where the lien was filed.
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Kentucky’s mechanic’s lien statutes aren’t super clear on whether an unlicensed contractor can file a lien. That said, licensing can still matter in other ways (including enforceability of the underlying contract or defenses raised in litigation). If licensing is in play on your scope, get legal advice before relying on lien rights.
To claim a mechanic’s lien in Kentucky, parties need to be in contract with their payer or receive written consent from the owner, but they don’t need to be contracted with the owner.
No. Kentucky lien deadlines are set by statute and cannot be shortened by contract or owner action.
Often, yes, if you do not have a direct contract with the owner (or the owner’s authorized agent).
To that end, subcontractors, lower-tier subcontractors, and laborers generally must send the property owner a written Notice to Owner to preserve lien rights. Depending on the situation, that notice is due within 75 days (for claims less than $1,000 or certain residential projects) or within 120 days (for claims exceeding $1,000) after date of last furnishing (KRS 376.010(3)–(4)).
The notice should share the intention to hold the owner liable for the lien claim amount (KRS 376.010(3)–(4)).
No. Kentucky doesn’t require any party to submit a preliminary notice before filing a lien.
No, Kentucky does not require specific lien waiver forms. Clearly state the amount being waived and the applicable property for work performed. For more information, review our Kentucky lien waiver guide here.
Kentucky liens generally secure the amount due for lienable labor and/or materials, and the statute recognizes interest and costs as part of the secured amount in the lien framework (see KRS 376.010(1)).
That said, there are two big lien caps to remember:
- Overall project cap: All liens on the project combined can’t add up to more than what the owner agreed to pay the original contractor. If total liens go over that number, everyone shares the money pro rata (each lienholder gets a percentage, not the full amount).
- Owner-occupied residential limitation: For certain owner-occupied single/double family dwellings and related improvements, a lower-tier claimant can’t lien for amounts the owner already paid to the contractor before the owner received the required notice. If the owner paid first and received a notice later, that portion is off the table (KRS 376.010(4)).
Not always. Kentucky lien rights typically arise from a contract with someone in the project chain or from the owner’s written consent in the situations covered by the statute (KRS 376.010(1)). Even when a written contract isn’t strictly required, it’s best practice as written terms make it much easier to prove scope, timing, and the amount 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.