What is the deadline to file a mechanic’s lien in Maryland?

In Maryland, a contractor must establish the lien by filing a petition in the circuit court for the county where the land is located within 180 days after the work was finished or the materials furnished. The written notice of intention to claim a lien, due within 120 days, is required only of subcontractors, not of a contractor who contracted with the owner. The right to enforce an established lien expires one year after the petition to establish it was first filed, unless a petition to enforce it is filed within that year. A repaired or improved building is subject to a lien only if the work reaches 15 percent of its value, and no lien may be established once legal title has passed to a bona fide purchaser for value. A subcontractor or supplier often has different notice requirements and deadlines. This is Md. Code, Real Prop. §§ 9-105, 9-109, 9-104, 9-102.

WhatMaryland
Deadline to file the lienCourt petition within 180 days after work finished
Who this deadline is forA contractor hired directly by the owner

Source

Md. Code, Real Prop. §§ 9-105, 9-109, 9-104, 9-102

Read the statute in the Maryland Code (Maryland General Assembly): mgaleg.maryland.gov.

Checked against the statute on November 13, 2026.

This is a summary of a published statute, not legal advice. Rules change, local ordinances can add to them, and the terms of a specific lease may differ. Check the citation and speak to a lawyer before acting.

How Seayora uses this rule

A contractor on Seayora keeps every job’s dates, its estimate, its invoices and its payments in one record, so the date work was last performed and the amount still owed are on file when a lien deadline is counted.

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