California Mechanics Lien Attorneys

California mechanics lien law (Civil Code §8000 et seq.) is one of the most detailed lien statutes in the country. Key requirements and nuances: (1) Preliminary Notice — must be served within 20 days of first furnishing labor or materials; direct contractors (those with a direct contract with the owner) are exempt from the preliminary notice requirement but must still record a lien; laborers are also exempt; design professionals have lien rights under Civil Code §8300 et seq. (the design professionals' lien) with different notice requirements. (2) Lien Recording — within 90 days of project completion (or 60 days after a recorded Notice of Completion or Cessation); the lien must include: claimant's name, owner's name, description of work, amount claimed, and legal description of the property. (3) Foreclosure — lawsuit must be filed within 90 days of recording the lien; failure to file results in the lien becoming unenforceable. (4) Lien Waivers — California has four statutory lien waiver forms (conditional/unconditional, progress/final); using non-statutory forms is risky. (5) Release Bond — owners can release a lien by posting a bond for 125% of the lien amount (Civil Code §8424). Project types with unique considerations: residential projects (homeowner's right to post completion bond), public works (no lien rights — use stop notice and payment bond instead).