Construction liens and filing deadlines
A construction lien (called a builders' lien in several provinces) is a charge against the improved land that secures payment for work or materials supplied. It is one of the oldest and most powerful tools a contractor or supplier has, but it is governed by an unforgiving deadline.
Miss the lien-filing window and the right to lien is lost, no matter how strong the underlying claim.
What a lien secures
A lien attaches to the owner's interest in the land that was improved. If the claim is not paid, the lien can ultimately be enforced through sale of the interest. The statutory holdback fund is the first source the law looks to in order to satisfy liens.
The filing deadline is strict
A lien must be preserved or registered within a fixed number of days, measured from a triggering event such as substantial performance, completion, or the last day work or materials were supplied. The window is short and the courts apply it strictly.
Tiercord derives the lien-filing deadline for each contract from the project's jurisdiction and surfaces it alongside the prompt-payment clocks.
Liens and prompt payment work together
Prompt payment governs when money must move; liens and holdback secure the money if it does not. A complete compliance posture tracks all three at once.
Construction liens, by province
The model above is common to the provinces that have enacted prompt payment. The law, its status and the exact day-counts, citations and forms are provincial. Pick yours:
Frequently asked questions
How long do I have to file a construction lien?
It varies by province, from roughly 40 to 60 days from the triggering event. Check the province page for the exact window and the statute section.
What triggers the lien deadline?
Usually substantial performance or completion of the contract, or the last day on which the claimant supplied work or materials, depending on the province and the claimant's role.