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A mechanics lien is a legal claim against a property by contractors, subcontractors, or material suppliers who have not been paid for work performed or materials furnished. In Texas, mechanics liens are governed by Chapter 53 of the Texas Property Code, which sets specific notice and filing deadlines based on your role and project type.

Texas does not use one universal preliminary notice for every claimant. Original contractors generally do not send the monthly notice required from derivative claimants. A claimant other than an original contractor generally must send notice to the owner or reputed owner and the original contractor by the 15th day of the third month after the applicable work or delivery month on a nonresidential project, or by the 15th day of the second month on a residential project. Retainage, homestead, and other requirements can add separate steps.

A fund-trapping notice (also called a notice of unpaid balance) is a written notice sent by derivative claimants — subcontractors, suppliers, and laborers — to the property owner and general contractor. It informs the owner that a balance is owed and serves to 'trap' funds in the owner's hands, preventing the owner from paying the general contractor until the claim is resolved.

Yes. The Texas Lien Deadline Calculator is completely free and requires no account or login. Enter your role, project type, and last work date to instantly calculate your key deadlines under Texas Property Code Chapter 53.

Maybe. If the calculated date for a particular unpaid month has passed, you may be past it for that month. Other unpaid months on the same job can have different Chapter 53 notice or filing dates, so check each work month and talk with Texas construction counsel.

It depends on your role, project type, and work month. Original contractors generally file by the 15th day of the fourth month after completion on commercial projects and the 15th day of the third month on residential projects. Subcontractors and suppliers generally use fourth-month commercial and third-month residential affidavit dates, with notices often due earlier.

It can be too late for one unpaid month while another month on the same job still has time. If the calculator shows an overdue date, do not assume there is a rescue path; ask Texas construction counsel about that month and check the rest of the job.

Collect the contract, invoices, change orders, delivery proof, payment records, and work-month dates. If Chapter 53 deadlines are still open, send required notices or discuss filing with counsel. Chapter 28 may also provide prompt-payment remedies, but BuilderMaxPro computes Chapter 53 deadlines and does not track Chapter 28 prompt-payment clocks.

The subcontractor should check Chapter 53 notice and affidavit dates by unpaid work month, because notices to the owner or reputed owner and original contractor may be required. If the general contractor has received owner payment, Chapter 28 generally creates a separate seven-day downstream payment clock.

They run from when the unpaid labor was performed or materials were furnished, not from when the invoice was sent. Texas Chapter 53 uses the work month, per unpaid month, so an invoice sent later can already be too late for older work.