Texas Mechanics Lien Deadlines With Statute Citations

12 deadlines NoticeGuard models for Texas: what each one counts from, the statute it was read from, and the statute text.

Deadlines at a glance

Deadline	Counted from	Applies to	Statute
Original contractor's lien affidavit (commercial)	The 15th day of the 4th month after final completion of the original contract	Original contractor only when you do not tick "This is a residential construction project" and you do not tick "The original contract was signed before January 1, 2022 (an earlier Texas statute governs it, and this app does not cover that one)"	Texas Property Code § 53.052 (a)(1)
Original contractor's lien affidavit (residential)	The 15th day of the 3rd month after final completion of the original contract	Original contractor only when you tick "This is a residential construction project" and you do not tick "The original contract was signed before January 1, 2022 (an earlier Texas statute governs it, and this app does not cover that one)"	Texas Property Code § 53.052 (a)(2)
Subcontractor's or supplier's lien affidavit (commercial)	The 15th day of the 4th month after last furnishing (last day on site)	Subcontractor, Supplier, Preconstruction service only when you do not tick "This is a residential construction project" and you do not tick "The original contract was signed before January 1, 2022 (an earlier Texas statute governs it, and this app does not cover that one)"	Texas Property Code § 53.052 (b)
Subcontractor's or supplier's lien affidavit (residential)	The 15th day of the 3rd month after last furnishing (last day on site)	Subcontractor, Supplier, Preconstruction service only when you tick "This is a residential construction project" and you do not tick "The original contract was signed before January 1, 2022 (an earlier Texas statute governs it, and this app does not cover that one)"	Texas Property Code § 53.052 (c)
Retainage claim's lien affidavit	The 15th day of the 3rd month after final completion of the original contract	Subcontractor, Supplier, Preconstruction service only when you do not tick "The original contract was signed before January 1, 2022 (an earlier Texas statute governs it, and this app does not cover that one)"	Texas Property Code § 53.052 (d)
Notice of claim for unpaid labor or materials (commercial)	The 15th day of the 3rd month after last furnishing (last day on site)	Subcontractor, Supplier, Preconstruction service only when you do not tick "This is a residential construction project" and you do not tick "The original contract was signed before January 1, 2022 (an earlier Texas statute governs it, and this app does not cover that one)"	Texas Property Code § 53.056 (a-1)(1)
Notice of claim for unpaid labor or materials (residential)	The 15th day of the 2nd month after last furnishing (last day on site)	Subcontractor, Supplier, Preconstruction service only when you tick "This is a residential construction project" and you do not tick "The original contract was signed before January 1, 2022 (an earlier Texas statute governs it, and this app does not cover that one)"	Texas Property Code § 53.056 (a-1)(2)
Notice of claim for unpaid retainage	30 days after final completion of the original contract	Subcontractor, Supplier, Preconstruction service only when you do not tick "The original contract was signed before January 1, 2022 (an earlier Texas statute governs it, and this app does not cover that one)"	Texas Property Code § 53.057 (a-1)
Suit to foreclose the lien (original contractor, commercial)	The 15th day of the 16th month after final completion of the original contract	Original contractor only when you do not tick "This is a residential construction project" and you do not tick "The original contract was signed before January 1, 2022 (an earlier Texas statute governs it, and this app does not cover that one)"	Texas Property Code § 53.158 (a)
Suit to foreclose the lien (original contractor, residential)	The 15th day of the 15th month after final completion of the original contract	Original contractor only when you tick "This is a residential construction project" and you do not tick "The original contract was signed before January 1, 2022 (an earlier Texas statute governs it, and this app does not cover that one)"	Texas Property Code § 53.158 (a)
Suit to foreclose the lien (subcontractor or supplier, commercial)	The 15th day of the 16th month after last furnishing (last day on site)	Subcontractor, Supplier, Preconstruction service only when you do not tick "This is a residential construction project" and you do not tick "The original contract was signed before January 1, 2022 (an earlier Texas statute governs it, and this app does not cover that one)"	Texas Property Code § 53.158 (a)
Suit to foreclose the lien (subcontractor or supplier, residential)	The 15th day of the 15th month after last furnishing (last day on site)	Subcontractor, Supplier, Preconstruction service only when you tick "This is a residential construction project" and you do not tick "The original contract was signed before January 1, 2022 (an earlier Texas statute governs it, and this app does not cover that one)"	Texas Property Code § 53.158 (a)

Each deadline, with the statute

Original contractor's lien affidavit (commercial)

Filed with the county clerk, due the 15th day of the 4th month after the month the original contractor's work was completed, terminated, or abandoned.

What it counts from. The 15th day of the 4th month after final completion of the original contract.

Applies to. Original contractor (when you do not tick "This is a residential construction project" and you do not tick "The original contract was signed before January 1, 2022 (an earlier Texas statute governs it, and this app does not cover that one)").

Texas Property Code § 53.052 (a)(1)
Official source · statute text retrieved 2026-09-21

“An original contractor claiming the lien must file an affidavit with the county clerk: (1) for projects other than residential construction projects, not later than the 15th day of the fourth month after the month in which the original contractor's work was completed, terminated, or abandoned...”

If the date is missed (the statute's own terms). The affidavit must be filed by this date to perfect the lien under Chapter 53 - this is the "NECESSARY PROCEDURES" § 53.051 requires to be followed.

Also stated next to this deadline.

Confirmed by the statute's own worked structure: the day-of-month is always 15; only the month count and anchor change by role/property-type.
The claimant's own contractor tier (original contractor vs. other claimant) does not itself change the month count here - residential vs. commercial does. An original contractor and a commercial-project subcontractor both get the 4th month; both get the 3rd month on a residential project.

Original contractor's lien affidavit (residential)

Filed with the county clerk, due the 15th day of the 3rd month after the month the original contractor's work was completed, terminated, or abandoned - one month earlier than the commercial track.

What it counts from. The 15th day of the 3rd month after final completion of the original contract.

Applies to. Original contractor (when you tick "This is a residential construction project" and you do not tick "The original contract was signed before January 1, 2022 (an earlier Texas statute governs it, and this app does not cover that one)").

Texas Property Code § 53.052 (a)(2)
Official source · statute text retrieved 2026-09-21

“for residential construction projects, not later than the 15th day of the third month after the month in which the original contractor's work was completed, terminated, or abandoned.”

If the date is missed (the statute's own terms). The affidavit must be filed by this date to perfect the lien under Chapter 53.

Also stated next to this deadline.

Residential construction projects get one month less across the board - confirmed the same one-month-earlier pattern applies to every § 53.052 track (original contractor, other claimant, and even the retainage track, which uses 3 months regardless of property type).

Subcontractor's or supplier's lien affidavit (commercial)

Filed with the county clerk, due the 15th day of the 4th month after the month this claimant last provided labor or materials.

What it counts from. The 15th day of the 4th month after last furnishing (last day on site).

Applies to. Subcontractor, Supplier, Preconstruction service (when you do not tick "This is a residential construction project" and you do not tick "The original contract was signed before January 1, 2022 (an earlier Texas statute governs it, and this app does not cover that one)").

Texas Property Code § 53.052 (b)
Official source · statute text retrieved 2026-09-21

“Except as provided by Subsection (c) or (d), a claimant other than an original contractor claiming the lien must file an affidavit with the county clerk not later than the 15th day of the fourth month after the later of: (1) the month the claimant last provided labor or materials; or (2) the month the claimant would normally have been required to deliver the last of specially fabricated materials that have not been actually delivered.”

If the date is missed (the statute's own terms). The affidavit must be filed by this date to perfect the lien under Chapter 53.

Also stated next to this deadline.

This app uses only the claimant's own last-furnishing month - the specially-fabricated-materials branch is not modeled; see `limitations`.
A separate, retainage-specific version of this filing deadline exists at § 53.052(d) - see the sibling `tx-lien-affidavit-retainage` rule.

Subcontractor's or supplier's lien affidavit (residential)

Filed with the county clerk, due the 15th day of the 3rd month after the month this claimant last provided labor or materials - one month earlier than the commercial track.

What it counts from. The 15th day of the 3rd month after last furnishing (last day on site).

Applies to. Subcontractor, Supplier, Preconstruction service (when you tick "This is a residential construction project" and you do not tick "The original contract was signed before January 1, 2022 (an earlier Texas statute governs it, and this app does not cover that one)").

Texas Property Code § 53.052 (c)
Official source · statute text retrieved 2026-09-21

“A claimant other than an original contractor claiming a lien arising from a residential construction project must file an affidavit with the county clerk not later than the 15th day of the third month after the later of: (1) the month the claimant last provided labor or materials; or (2) the month the claimant would normally have been required to deliver the last of specially fabricated materials that have not been actually delivered.”

If the date is missed (the statute's own terms). The affidavit must be filed by this date to perfect the lien under Chapter 53.

Also stated next to this deadline.

This app uses only the claimant's own last-furnishing month - the specially-fabricated-materials branch is not modeled; see `limitations`.

Retainage claim's lien affidavit

Filed with the county clerk, due the 15th day of the 3rd month after the month the ORIGINAL CONTRACT (not this claimant's own work) was completed, terminated, or abandoned - the same 3-month period regardless of project type.

What it counts from. The 15th day of the 3rd month after final completion of the original contract.

Applies to. Subcontractor, Supplier, Preconstruction service (when you do not tick "The original contract was signed before January 1, 2022 (an earlier Texas statute governs it, and this app does not cover that one)").

Texas Property Code § 53.052 (d)
Official source · statute text retrieved 2026-09-21

“A claimant other than an original contractor claiming a lien for retainage must file an affidavit with the county clerk not later than the 15th day of the third month after the month in which the original contract under which the claimant performed was completed, terminated, or abandoned.”

If the date is missed (the statute's own terms). The affidavit must be filed by this date to perfect a lien for the unpaid retainage specifically.

Also stated next to this deadline.

Genuinely different anchor from the sibling ordinary-claim rules above: this one runs from the ORIGINAL CONTRACT's completion (the whole project), not this claimant's own last furnishing - confirmed from the statute's own text.
Gets the 3-month (residential-style) period regardless of whether the project is residential or commercial - confirmed no flag condition on this rule.
Applies only "to the extent that a claim for unpaid retainage is not included wholly or partly" in the § 53.056 notice - an overlap this app does not check.

Notice of claim for unpaid labor or materials (commercial)

Sent to the owner and the original contractor, due the 15th day of the 3rd month after the month labor or materials were provided. Shown for this claimant's LAST month of work - the statute actually requires one notice per month worked, not a single deadline; see this rule's notes.

What it counts from. The 15th day of the 3rd month after last furnishing (last day on site).

Texas Property Code § 53.056 (a-1)(1)
Official source · statute text retrieved 2026-09-21

“For all unpaid labor or materials provided, the claimant must send a notice of claim for unpaid labor or materials to the owner or reputed owner and the original contractor. The notice must be sent: (1) for projects other than residential construction projects, not later than the 15th day of the third month after the month during which: (A) the labor or materials were provided; or (B) the undelivered specially fabricated materials would normally have been delivered...”

If the date is missed (the statute's own terms). § 53.056(a): "a claimant other than an original contractor must give the notice ... for the lien to be valid" - this is a genuine precondition to lien validity, not merely a payment-priority step.

Also stated next to this deadline.

This is a RECURRING, per-month obligation - one notice cycle for every calendar month the claimant worked, each with its own 3-month-later deadline. This app shows only the deadline for the last such month; see `limitations`.
The original contractor never owes this notice (§ 53.056(a): "a claimant other than an original contractor") - modeled here by excluding that role entirely.
§ 53.056(a-2) prescribes an exact "NOTICE OF CLAIM FOR UNPAID LABOR OR MATERIALS" form - not yet templated by this app; see `limitations`.

Notice of claim for unpaid labor or materials (residential)

Sent to the owner and the original contractor, due the 15th day of the 2nd month after the month labor or materials were provided - one month earlier than the commercial track. Shown for this claimant's LAST month of work; see this rule's notes.

What it counts from. The 15th day of the 2nd month after last furnishing (last day on site).

Texas Property Code § 53.056 (a-1)(2)
Official source · statute text retrieved 2026-09-21

“for residential construction projects, not later than the 15th day of the second month after the month during which: (A) the labor or materials were provided; or (B) the undelivered specially fabricated materials would normally have been delivered.”

If the date is missed (the statute's own terms). § 53.056(a): this notice is required "for the lien to be valid" - a genuine precondition, not merely a payment-priority step.

Also stated next to this deadline.

This is a RECURRING, per-month obligation - this app shows only the deadline for the claimant's last month of work; see `limitations`.

Notice of claim for unpaid retainage

Sent to the owner and the original contractor, due 30 days after this claimant's own contract (or, if earlier, the original contract) is completed, terminated, or abandoned.

What it counts from. 30 days after final completion of the original contract.

Texas Property Code § 53.057 (a-1)
Official source · statute text retrieved 2026-09-21

“The claimant must send the notice of claim for unpaid retainage to the owner or reputed owner and the original contractor not later than the earlier of: (1) the 30th day after the date the claimant's contract is completed, terminated, or abandoned; or (2) the 30th day after the date the original contract is terminated or abandoned.”

If the date is missed (the statute's own terms). § 53.057(a): required "for a lien for unpaid retainage to be valid" - a genuine precondition to that specific claim, not merely a payment-priority step.

Also stated next to this deadline.

A genuine unit shift from every other rule in this state: this is a simple 30-DAY offset, not a month/day formula - confirmed from the statute's own text.
The statute states the earlier of two 30-day counts (from the claimant's own contract, or from the original contract, whichever is earlier) - this app anchors to `finalCompletionOfOriginalContract` alone as the more conservative (never-later-than-true) choice, the same simplification style used elsewhere in this app for "latest/earliest of" facts it does not separately collect.
§ 53.057(a-2) prescribes an exact "NOTICE OF CLAIM FOR UNPAID RETAINAGE" form - not yet templated by this app; see `limitations`.

Suit to foreclose the lien (original contractor, commercial)

Must be brought within the first anniversary of the original contractor's own lien-affidavit deadline - computed here as the 15th day of the 16th month after the month the original contractor's work was completed, terminated, or abandoned (4 months + 12).

What it counts from. The 15th day of the 16th month after final completion of the original contract.

Texas Property Code § 53.158 (a)
Official source · statute text retrieved 2026-09-21

“Except as provided by Subsection (a-2), suit must be brought to foreclose the lien not later than the first anniversary of the last day a claimant may file the lien affidavit under Section 53.052.”

If the date is missed (the statute's own terms). The statute states plainly: past this date, without a timely-filed suit, "the lien claimant's rights to pursue a suit to foreclose a lien are not revived" (§ 53.158(a-1)).

Also stated next to this deadline.

This is genuinely the SAME calendar day, one year later, as the sibling `tx-lien-affidavit-original-contractor-commercial` rule's own deadline - confirmed from the statute's own text ("the first anniversary of the last day a claimant may file the lien affidavit"), which is why this rule reuses the identical anchor and day, adding exactly 12 months.
Extendable to a second anniversary of the actual filing date (not the deadline date) by a written agreement recorded with the county clerk before the first deadline expires (§ 53.158(a-2)) - an optional, claimant-initiated extension this app does not model.

Suit to foreclose the lien (original contractor, residential)

Must be brought within the first anniversary of the original contractor's own lien-affidavit deadline - computed here as the 15th day of the 15th month after the month the original contractor's work was completed, terminated, or abandoned (3 months + 12).

What it counts from. The 15th day of the 15th month after final completion of the original contract.

Texas Property Code § 53.158 (a)
Official source · statute text retrieved 2026-09-21

If the date is missed (the statute's own terms). Past this date, without a timely-filed suit, the lien claimant's foreclosure rights are not revived (§ 53.158(a-1)).

Also stated next to this deadline.

One year after the sibling `tx-lien-affidavit-original-contractor-residential` rule's own deadline - same anchor, same day, +12 months.

Suit to foreclose the lien (subcontractor or supplier, commercial)

Must be brought within the first anniversary of this claimant's own lien-affidavit deadline - computed here as the 15th day of the 16th month after the month this claimant last provided labor or materials (4 months + 12).

What it counts from. The 15th day of the 16th month after last furnishing (last day on site).

Texas Property Code § 53.158 (a)
Official source · statute text retrieved 2026-09-21

If the date is missed (the statute's own terms). Past this date, without a timely-filed suit, the lien claimant's foreclosure rights are not revived (§ 53.158(a-1)).

Also stated next to this deadline.

One year after the sibling `tx-lien-affidavit-other-claimant-commercial` rule's own deadline - same anchor, same day, +12 months.

Suit to foreclose the lien (subcontractor or supplier, residential)

Must be brought within the first anniversary of this claimant's own lien-affidavit deadline - computed here as the 15th day of the 15th month after the month this claimant last provided labor or materials (3 months + 12).

What it counts from. The 15th day of the 15th month after last furnishing (last day on site).

Texas Property Code § 53.158 (a)
Official source · statute text retrieved 2026-09-21

If the date is missed (the statute's own terms). Past this date, without a timely-filed suit, the lien claimant's foreclosure rights are not revived (§ 53.158(a-1)).

Also stated next to this deadline.

One year after the sibling `tx-lien-affidavit-other-claimant-residential` rule's own deadline - same anchor, same day, +12 months.

Weekend and holiday rollover

NoticeGuard does not model a weekend or holiday extension for Texas. The dates above are the plain count from the date you enter. Check whether a Saturday, Sunday or holiday changes your date.

What this rule set does not cover

Keep track of the dates

NoticeGuard is an app that turns a job's dates into a countdown for each statutory step, shows the statute text each date was read from, exports a calendar file (.ics) and sends reminders 14, 7 and 1 day before each deadline. It tracks and reminds; it does not file anything for you.

Texas mechanics lien deadlines

Deadlines at a glance

Each deadline, with the statute

Original contractor's lien affidavit (commercial)

Original contractor's lien affidavit (residential)

Subcontractor's or supplier's lien affidavit (commercial)

Subcontractor's or supplier's lien affidavit (residential)

Retainage claim's lien affidavit

Notice of claim for unpaid labor or materials (commercial)

Notice of claim for unpaid labor or materials (residential)

Notice of claim for unpaid retainage

Suit to foreclose the lien (original contractor, commercial)

Suit to foreclose the lien (original contractor, residential)

Suit to foreclose the lien (subcontractor or supplier, commercial)

Suit to foreclose the lien (subcontractor or supplier, residential)

Weekend and holiday rollover

What this rule set does not cover

Keep track of the dates

Other states