Filing deadline

Claim of Lien is recorded with the county Recorder where the project sits, any time after the claimant's own work is done but no later than 90 days after completion of the entire work of improvement (completion = actual completion, owner occupancy plus labor cessation, 60 days' continuous cessation, or recorded notice of cessation after 30 days). A recorded Notice of Completion or Cessation shortens the window to 60 days for the direct contractor and 30 days for everyone else (owner must notify preliminary-notice claimants within 10 days of that recording).

Notice prerequisites

All lien claimants except direct (prime) contractors and wage laborers must serve a Preliminary Notice on the owner, direct contractor, and any construction lender within 20 days of first furnishing; even a direct contractor must serve it on the construction lender if one exists. A late notice only reaches back 20 days before service. Service is by personal/substituted service or certified/registered/express/overnight mail with affidavit proof; a supplier working under multiple subcontractors must notice each one.

Service on the owner

The Claim of Lien must also be served on the owner or reputed owner (registered, certified, or first-class mail with certificate of mailing; lender or direct contractor as fallback addresses), with a proof-of-service affidavit included in the recorded claim; failure to serve makes the lien unenforceable.

Enforcement

Foreclosure complaint must be filed within 90 days of recording the lien (extendable via a recorded Notice of Credit, but never beyond 1 year after completion), in the county of the property, naming all owners and security-interest holders; a Notice of Pendency of Action (lis pendens) must be recorded within 20 days of filing. Case may be dismissed if not brought to trial within 2 years.

Cal. Civ. Code secs. 8400-8494 (with definitions and waivers at 8000-8154); Cal. Const. art. XIV, sec. 3