A Lien On Your House
ORS 87.035 and ORS 87.055 — a claim within 75 days, and a suit within 120 days or it lapses
Anyone who performs labor on, transports or furnishes material for, or rents equipment used in the construction of an improvement at the request of the owner or the owner's construction agent has a lien on the improvement for it. So does an architect, engineer or surveyor whose plans or supervision the owner asked for.
Notice of right to a lien. Someone furnishing labor, materials or equipment who was not hired by the owner directly gives the owner a notice of right to a lien, and the lien can be perfected only for what was furnished after a date eight days, not counting weekends and holidays, before that notice was delivered or mailed. On a commercial improvement, labor and equipment providers need not give it.
| Step | Deadline |
|---|---|
| StepFiling the claim of lien with the county recording officer | DeadlineNot later than 75 days after the claimant stopped furnishing labor, materials or equipment, or after construction was completed, whichever is earlier |
| StepMailing notice of the filing, with a copy of the claim, to the owner and mortgagee | DeadlineNot later than 20 days after filing |
| StepSuing to enforce the lien | DeadlineWithin 120 days after the claim is filed, or the lien no longer binds the improvement |
An agreement to extend payment can stretch the 120 days, but no lien continues longer than two years from filing that way. A claimant who does not mail the notice of filing loses costs and attorney fees. Releasing a lien by bond, and the notice an owner receives before a residential job, are in sections not on this page. Whether a particular lien is valid is a question for a licensed Oregon attorney.
Sources for this section (5)
- ORS 87.010 — Construction liens
- ORS 87.021 — Notice to owners
- ORS 87.035 — Perfecting lien
- ORS 87.039 — Notice of filing claim of lien
- ORS 87.055 — Duration of lien
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Oregon attorney.