The County Book, Anne Arundel County

Construction

Mechanic's lien, reminder material only

Dates change; confirm with the official source before you act on one.

Every entry below names its official source and the date it was checked against that source.

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Reminder material only. This page does not work out your deadline. Your own records and your attorney set that.

Lien reminders

No Maryland lien exists until a court orders one

Reminder material only: in Maryland there is no lien document recorded in the land records. A claimant establishes a mechanic's lien only by circuit-court proceedings; no lien exists until a court orders one.

Jurisdiction: Maryland

Source: Md. Code, Real Property §§ 9-105, 9-106

Checked against this source on 2026-10-30

Reminder material only. This page does not work out your deadline. Your own records and your attorney set that.

Contractor vs. subcontractor is defined by who you signed with

Reminder material only: for Maryland lien purposes, a contractor has a contract with the owner. Anyone whose contract is with anyone else, including a supplier selling to a subcontractor, is a subcontractor.

Jurisdiction: Maryland

Source: Md. Code, Real Property § 9-101(d), (g)

Checked against this source on 2026-10-30

Reminder material only. This page does not work out your deadline. Your own records and your attorney set that.

Subcontractor Notice of Intent to Claim a Lien within 120 days

Reminder material only: subcontractors must give the owner written Notice of Intent to Claim a Lien within 120 days after doing the work or furnishing the materials, using the statutory form, by certified mail or personal delivery. Direct contractors skip this step.

Jurisdiction: Maryland

Source: Md. Code, Real Property § 9-104

Checked against this source on 2026-10-30

Reminder material only. This page does not work out your deadline. Your own records and your attorney set that.

Single-family owner-occupied limit on a subcontractor's lien

Reminder material only: on a home being built on the owner's own land for the owner's own residence, a subcontractor's lien cannot exceed what the owner still owes the contractor when the notice arrives, and an owner who already paid the contractor in full before receiving notice is protected.

Jurisdiction: Maryland

Source: Md. Code, Real Property § 9-104(a)(2), (f)

Checked against this source on 2026-10-30

Reminder material only. This page does not work out your deadline. Your own records and your attorney set that.

Petition to Establish a Mechanic's Lien within 180 days

Reminder material only: every claimant must file the Petition to Establish a Mechanic's Lien within 180 days after work was finished or materials were last furnished.

Jurisdiction: Maryland

Source: Md. Code, Real Property § 9-105(a)

Checked against this source on 2026-10-30

Reminder material only. This page does not work out your deadline. Your own records and your attorney set that.

Lien enforcement expires 1 year from the day the petition was filed

Reminder material only: enforcement of a Maryland mechanic's lien expires 1 year from the day the petition was filed.

Jurisdiction: Maryland

Source: Md. Code, Real Property § 9-109

Checked against this source on 2026-10-30

Reminder material only. This page does not work out your deadline. Your own records and your attorney set that.

15 percent improvement threshold, no minimum dollar amount

Reminder material only: every building erected, and every building repaired, rebuilt, or improved to the extent of 15 percent of its value, is subject to lien, with no minimum dollar amount in the statute. Sodding, seeding, grading, landscaping, and paving are expressly covered work.

Jurisdiction: Maryland

Source: Md. Code, Real Property § 9-102(a)

Checked against this source on 2026-10-30

Reminder material only. This page does not work out your deadline. Your own records and your attorney set that.

Prompt-payment clocks: 7 days / 30 days, with a home improvement carve-out

Reminder material only: on private construction contracts, undisputed amounts are due 7 days after the contract's stated payment date (or within 30 days of occupancy permit or possession if no date is stated), and contractors must pay subcontractors within 7 days of receiving payment. Section 9-302 does not apply to home improvement contracts by MHIC-licensed contractors.

Jurisdiction: Maryland

Source: Md. Code, Real Property §§ 9-302, 9-305

Checked against this source on 2026-10-30

Reminder material only. This page does not work out your deadline. Your own records and your attorney set that.