Massachusetts mechanic's liens

Who and what this applies to

Private-property written-contract liens under chapter 254, sections 2 and 4.

Thresholds and scope

Project completion and termination notices may shorten the filing period.

The rules

• For an owner-contract lien, record notice of contract by the earliest of 60 days after substantial-completion notice, 90 days after termination notice, or 90 days after the last furnishing by the claimant or anyone through or under the claimant. Source
• Section 4 claimants record notice and give the owner actual notice; their lien is subject to upstream unpaid-balance limits. The section provides the project-based notice deadline and a 30-day notice-of-identification route for claimants without a direct relationship with the original contractor, with the stated labor exception. Source
• For sections 2 and 4 liens, the statement of account is due by the earliest of 90 days after substantial-completion notice, 120 days after termination notice, or 120 days after the specified project furnishing event. Source
• Commence the enforcement civil action within 90 days after filing the section 8 statement or the lien dissolves. Source

Primary sources

• M.G.L. c.254 §2
• M.G.L. c.254 §4
• M.G.L. c.254 §8
• M.G.L. c.254 §11

Sources reviewed 2026-09-30. This guide covers the projects and rules stated above.

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