Claim of Lien Services in Florida

Take Action Before Your Lien Rights Expire

If you've completed work or supplied materials on a Florida construction project and haven't been paid, a Claim of Lien may be an important next step. Sunshine Notices helps prepare and record Claims of Lien while keeping critical deadlines at the center of the process.

Serving Florida Since 1994 • All 67 Counties • Dedicated Account Support

Don't Let Your Claim of Lien Deadline Expire

In Florida, a Claim of Lien generally must be recorded no later than 90 days after the lienor’s final furnishing of labor, services, or materials to the project.

Determining the correct deadline is important, and waiting until the final days can create unnecessary risk. The closer you are to your deadline, the more important it is to act quickly.

Already Close to Your Deadline?

Don’t wait to submit your project. Additional rush charges may apply when expedited research, preparation, or recording is required.

What Is a Claim of Lien in Florida?

A Claim of Lien is a document recorded in the public records that asserts a lienor’s claim for unpaid labor, services, or materials provided to a construction project.

Florida’s construction lien laws contain specific requirements regarding who may have lien rights, notices, deadlines, and the information contained in a Claim of Lien.

Recording a Claim of Lien is different from filing a lawsuit to enforce the lien. It is an important step in the lien process, but additional deadlines and requirements may apply after the lien is recorded.

Who May Need to File a Claim of Lien?

Contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, and other qualifying parties who remain unpaid for work or materials provided to a Florida construction project may have lien rights.

Contractors

Contractors in direct contract with a property owner may have lien rights when payment remains due for qualifying work.

Subcontractors

Unpaid subcontractors may have lien rights, but required notices and deadlines can affect those rights.

Material Suppliers

Suppliers who provide materials for a project may have lien rights depending on their role in the contracting chain and compliance with applicable notice requirements.

Other Construction Professionals

Certain other parties providing qualifying labor, services, or materials may also have lien rights under Florida law.

Lien rights depend on the facts of each project. Sunshine Notices is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.

The Information Behind Your Claim Matters

A Claim of Lien isn’t something we want to prepare from incomplete or assumed information. Before preparing the document, we review the project information available to us and work with you to obtain the details needed for the claim.

PROJECT INFORMATION

The Property Matters We review available property and ownership information associated with the project.

NOTICE HISTORY

Prior Notices Matter When applicable, we review information related to the Notice to Owner and other available project records.

YOUR WORK

Your Dates Matter We need accurate information regarding your furnishing of labor, services, or materials to help prepare the Claim of Lien.

AMOUNT DUE

Your Claim Amount Matters You provide the total amount of the contract including change orders and the outstanding balance. If something can't be verified through our research, we'll work with you to obtain the information needed rather than simply guessing.

We Handle the Claim of Lien Process With You

1. Submit Your Claim Information

Provide the project, customer, work dates, amount due, and other requested information.

2. We Research the Project

Our team reviews available property, ownership, Notice of Commencement, prior notice, and project information.

3. We Work With You When Information Is Missing

If information can’t be verified through our research, we’ll contact you for additional details needed to complete the document.

4. We Prepare & Record the Claim of Lien

Once the necessary information is available, your Claim of Lien is prepared and submitted for recording in the appropriate Florida county.

5. Your Recorded Document Is Returned

Once recording is completed, your recorded Claim of Lien is made available for your records.

Why Contractors Choose Sunshine Notices

When money is already outstanding and a lien deadline is approaching, experience and process matter. Sunshine Notices has served Florida’s construction industry since 1994.

Serving Florida Since 1994

More than 30 years working with Florida construction notices and lien documents.

Comprehensive Project Research

We review available project and property information before preparing your Claim of Lien.

Experienced People

Your lien isn't simply generated by an automated form. Experienced team members are involved in the process.

Deadline-Focused Process

Our workflow keeps critical recording deadlines at the center of the process.

Dedicated Account Support

When information is missing or you have questions about our process, you have real people available to help.

Recording Throughout Florida

We help prepare and record Claims of Lien throughout Florida

Sunshine Notices isn’t built to be the cheapest lien service. We’re built to provide the research, service, support, and process our clients rely on when their payment rights are on the line.

Straightforward Claim of Lien Pricing

Our standard Claim of Lien service is $295, plus applicable mailing costs. Rush fees may apply when a claim is submitted close to the filing deadline.

What's Included

Project and property research
Review of available project records
Claim of Lien preparation
Recording of the Claim of Lien
Recorded document stored for your records
Dedicated account support

Mailing Costs

After recording, copies of the Claim of Lien must be served on the appropriate parties. Mailing costs vary based on the number of required recipients and delivery method. A typical Claim of Lien may require two Priority Mail pieces and one Express Mail piece.

Close to Your Deadline?

Don’t wait until the final days. A $100 rush fee applies when expedited handling is required due to an approaching lien deadline. Submitting your information early gives our team more time to research, prepare, record, and serve your Claim of Lien.

Trusted by Florida Construction Professionals

For more than 30 years, Florida contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, and construction professionals have trusted Sunshine Notices to help manage critical construction notices and documents.

Recording the Claim of Lien Isn't the End of the Process

Once your Claim of Lien is recorded, additional deadlines and requirements may apply. A recorded lien does not remain enforceable indefinitely, and recording the lien does not automatically result in payment.

You Get Paid

If the lien is satisfied, a Satisfaction of Lien may need to be recorded to release the lien from the property. Learn About Satisfaction of Lien Services →

Payment Is Still Outstanding

Depending on the circumstances, a demand letter or consultation with a Florida construction attorney may be an appropriate next step. Learn About Demand Letters →

The Dispute Continues

If legal action is necessary, we recommend speaking with a qualified Florida construction attorney.

Florida Claim of Lien FAQs

What is a Claim of Lien in Florida?

A Claim of Lien is a document recorded in the public records that asserts a lienor’s claim for unpaid labor, services, or materials provided to improve a property. Florida law requires the Claim of Lien to contain specific information about the project, the parties involved, the work or materials provided, relevant dates, and the amount that remains unpaid.

Recording a Claim of Lien is not the same as filing a lawsuit and does not automatically result in payment. It is an important step in preserving and asserting lien rights, and additional deadlines and requirements may apply after the lien is recorded.

Because lien rights depend on the specific circumstances of a project, Sunshine Notices prepares and records Claims of Lien as your agent but does not provide legal advice or determine whether a particular party has a legal right to lien.

How long do I have to file a Claim of Lien in Florida?

In Florida, a Claim of Lien generally must be recorded no later than 90 days after your final furnishing of labor, services, or materials to the project. “Final furnishing” has a specific meaning under Florida law and generally does not include returning to correct deficiencies in previously completed work.

Don’t wait until day 90. Sunshine Notices begins charging a rush fee after the 75th day because there is less time available to research, prepare, sign, and record your Claim of Lien.

We will still make every effort to get a lien recorded when it is submitted close to the deadline. However, during the final five days, electronic recording may not provide enough certainty. If necessary, we may recommend that you have a wet-signed original delivered directly to the appropriate county recorder to help ensure it is recorded before the deadline. We’ll keep you updated on the status of any electronic recording submission.

If you’re approaching your deadline, call Sunshine Notices at 954-934-0970 as soon as possible.

Who can file a Claim of Lien?

Florida lien rights may be available to contractors, subcontractors, material suppliers, laborers, and certain other parties who provide labor, services, or materials for the improvement of real property. However, not everyone who performs work or is owed money on a construction project automatically has lien rights. Requirements can depend on your role in the project, who hired you, the type of work performed, licensing requirements, and whether required notices were properly served.

Sunshine Notices will not knowingly prepare or record a Claim of Lien for someone who does not have lien rights. If your right to lien is unclear, we’ll let you know. Filing a fraudulent lien can have serious consequences, so it’s important to determine your rights before moving forward.

Sunshine Notices cannot provide legal advice or make a legal determination in a disputed or unclear situation. When necessary, we can refer you to an experienced Florida construction attorney who can review your specific circumstances.

Not sure if you can file a lien?
Contact Sunshine Notices before your deadline.

Do I need to send a Notice to Owner before filing a lien?

It depends on your role in the project. In Florida, many subcontractors, suppliers, and other parties who are not in direct contract with the property owner must timely serve a Notice to Owner to preserve their lien rights. A contractor in direct contract with the property owner generally does not have the same Notice to Owner requirement.

When Sunshine Notices prepares your Claim of Lien, we’ll review your first furnishing date and the date your Notice to Owner was sent. If Sunshine Notices prepared your NTO, we already have that information in your account. If your NTO was prepared elsewhere, we’ll ask you to provide those dates. You can also upload a copy of the NTO to your account, although a copy is not required.

We rely on the information you provide when preparing the Claim of Lien. If the dates indicate that a required Notice to Owner was not timely served, Sunshine Notices will not prepare and record the Claim of Lien.

Learn about your next steps
➡️ Explore our Construction Notice Services

What information does Sunshine need to prepare my lien?

The information we need depends on whether Sunshine Notices prepared your original Notice to Owner.

If we prepared your NTO, much of the project information is already in our system. We’ll primarily need your final furnishing date, the amount currently owed, and your contract amount if it wasn’t previously provided. We’ll let you know if any additional information is needed.

If Sunshine did not prepare your NTO—or an NTO wasn’t required—we’ll need more information to research and prepare the Claim of Lien. This typically includes the jobsite address and county, first and final furnishing dates, the date your NTO was mailed if applicable, your customer, contract amount, amount currently owed, and a description of the labor, services, or materials you provided.

From there, our team handles the project and property research needed to prepare the Claim of Lien. If we’re unable to verify something through our research, we’ll contact you for help obtaining the missing information.

How much does a Claim of Lien cost?

Sunshine Notices’ standard Claim of Lien service is $295 plus postage. The service includes our project research, preparation of the Claim of Lien, and the standard electronic recording fee.

Claims submitted after the 75th day from final furnishing are subject to a $100 rush fee because of the limited time remaining to research, prepare, sign, and record the lien before the deadline.

Mailing costs are additional and vary depending on the number of parties who must receive copies and the required delivery methods.

If timing requires the lien to be physically delivered to the courthouse rather than electronically recorded, any courier or in-person delivery costs are the client’s responsibility. We’ll keep you informed if the approaching deadline makes that necessary.

What happens after my lien is recorded?

Once your Claim of Lien is recorded, Sunshine Notices automatically obtains the recorded document and sends the required copies by Express Mail as part of our normal Claim of Lien process. You don’t need to arrange the mailing separately.

Recording the lien, however, doesn’t end the lien process or guarantee payment. Additional deadlines and legal requirements may apply if you remain unpaid. Sunshine Notices does not currently track the deadline to enforce your lien, so it’s important to keep track of the recording date and speak with a qualified Florida construction attorney if enforcement becomes necessary.

If you receive full payment, Sunshine Notices can prepare and record a Satisfaction of Lien. If you agree to installment payments and receive only a portion of the amount owed, we can also prepare a Partial Satisfaction of Lien when appropriate, allowing the public record to reflect the partial payment while the remaining balance is still outstanding. Satisfaction and Partial Satisfaction of Lien services are separate services and additional fees apply.

How long does a Florida Claim of Lien last?

A Florida Claim of Lien generally remains enforceable for one year from the date it is recorded unless an action to enforce the lien is filed within that period. Simply recording the lien does not preserve it indefinitely.

However, that one-year period can be shortened. For example, if the property owner or their attorney files a Notice of Contest of Lien, the time to file an action to enforce the lien can be reduced to 60 days after service of the Notice of Contest. Learn more about what happens when a Florida Claim of Lien is contested.

Sunshine Notices prepares and records Claims of Lien, but we do not file lawsuits to enforce them. If you remain unpaid after recording your lien—or receive a Notice of Contest or other legal document affecting your lien—we recommend contacting a qualified Florida construction attorney promptly.

What happens if I get paid after recording a lien?

If you receive full payment after recording a Claim of Lien, the lien should be properly satisfied in the public records. Sunshine Notices can prepare and record a Satisfaction of Lien in the same county where the original Claim of Lien was recorded.

If you agree to a payment plan or receive only partial payment, Sunshine Notices can also prepare a Partial Satisfaction of Lien when appropriate. This can document the partial payment while leaving the remaining unpaid balance reflected by the lien.

Satisfaction and Partial Satisfaction of Lien preparation and recording are separate Sunshine Notices services, and additional fees apply.

Don’t assume receiving payment automatically removes the recorded lien from the public records. The appropriate satisfaction or release should be recorded to properly document that the lien has been satisfied.

Can Sunshine Notices enforce my Claim of Lien?

No. Sunshine Notices can research, prepare, record, and serve your Claim of Lien, but we are not a law firm and do not file lawsuits or provide legal representation to enforce or foreclose a lien.

If you remain unpaid after your Claim of Lien is recorded, enforcing the lien generally requires filing an action in a court of competent jurisdiction before the applicable deadline. Florida liens generally have a one-year enforcement period, although that period can be shortened in certain circumstances, such as when a Notice of Contest of Lien is served.

If enforcement becomes necessary, Sunshine Notices recommends speaking with a qualified Florida construction attorney. If you don’t already have an attorney, we can provide referrals to construction attorneys familiar with Florida lien matters.

Sunshine Notices can continue assisting with the administrative side of the process, including documents such as a Satisfaction or Partial Satisfaction of Lien if payment is received.

Florida Claim of Lien Resources

Understanding what happens before and after a Claim of Lien can help you make better decisions when payment is delayed. Explore these Florida lien resources for more information about protecting and managing your payment rights.