Every notice, deadline, and recording requirement for a Washington construction lien, drawn from RCW 60.04.031, 60.04.081, 60.04.091, 60.04.141 and the same rule engine that calculates deadlines for our filing customers.
Lien rights depend on where you sit in the contracting chain. Tenant-ordered work can reach the owner's interest in Washington only where the owner consented to or required the improvements. Owner-occupied residential projects carry extra notice requirements in Washington; missing them can cost the lien entirely.
| Claimant | Lien rights in Washington |
|---|---|
| General contractor (direct contract with the owner) | Yes |
| Subcontractor (hired by the general contractor) | Yes |
| Sub-subcontractor (hired by a subcontractor) | Yes |
| Material supplier to the owner | Yes |
| Material supplier to the general contractor | Yes |
| Material supplier to a subcontractor | Yes |
Required for subcontractors, sub-subcontractors, and suppliers. Preliminary notices go to the property owner by any method that proves receipt.
Enter your role and project dates to turn the rules below into calendar dates. For other states, use the mechanics lien deadline calculator.
Choose your role to see which dates you need.
Your deadlines
| Document | Who | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Passed |
liens are filed through the courts by an attorney. Get matched with a lien attorney.
We can prepare and record the lien for you before the deadline. Start your lien.
These dates come from the same rules our lien filing service uses. They are not moved for weekends or holidays. Deadlines turn on facts specific to your project. Confirm with counsel before relying on them.
The notice that preserves lien rights before any payment problem exists.
| Who | Project type | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| All claimants | All projects | Within 10 days after first furnishing labor or materials |
The last day the lien can be recorded against the property.
| Who | Project type | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| All claimants | All projects | Within 90 days after last furnishing labor or materials |
Washington does not require a notice of intent before recording a lien, but sending one is often what gets the invoice paid.
The steps in order, each with the statute behind it. Some steps apply only to certain claimants, and each says so.
Suppliers of materials or equipment and providers of professional services who did not contract directly with the owner must give the owner (and the prime contractor, if the prime has complied with RCW 19.27.095, 60.04.230 and 60.04.261) the statutory written notice of right to claim a lien. Send it by certified or registered mail, or serve it personally with a signed receipt or an affidavit of service. There is no fixed deadline, but the lien only covers what was furnished in the 60 days before the notice was given, or the 10 days before on new construction of a single-family residence. Laborers, those who contract with the owner, and subcontractors who contract directly with the prime contractor are generally exempt.
RCW 60.04.031(1)-(3)
Prepare a notice of claim of lien that states the claimant's name, phone number and address; the first and last dates of furnishing; the name of the person indebted to the claimant; a description of the property; the owner or reputed owner (or 'unknown'); and the principal amount claimed. The statute supplies a short form titled 'Claim of Lien' that is sufficient.
RCW 60.04.091(1)
The claimant or an authorized agent signs, stating they have read the claim and believe it true and correct under penalty of perjury, and the signature is acknowledged before a notary under chapter 64.08 RCW. The statutory form's oath also states that the claim is not frivolous, is made with reasonable cause, and is not clearly excessive.
RCW 60.04.091(2)
File the claim for recording in the county where the property is located no later than 90 days after you last furnished labor, professional services, materials or equipment (or the last date employee benefit contributions were due). The county auditor (in King County, the Recorder's Office) records it. The 90 days is a strict limitation period. Washington lets each county accept electronic recording, and the large counties do through vendors such as CSC, ePN, Indecomm and Simplifile.
RCW 60.04.091; RCW 65.04.030; RCW 65.24.020
Within 14 days after the claim is filed for recording, mail a copy to the owner or reputed owner by certified or registered mail, or serve it personally. Missing this step does not void the lien, but you forfeit any right to recover attorney fees and costs from the owner.
RCW 60.04.091
File an action to enforce the lien in superior court in the county where the property is located within eight calendar months after recording, and serve the owner within 90 days after filing. If the claim states credit terms, the eight months run from the end of the credit period. An owner's bankruptcy filing tolls the period. A case not brought to judgment within two years may be dismissed.
RCW 60.04.141
Washington law requires the claim of lien (notice of claim of lien) to include the following (RCW 60.04.091).
The statute sets out a form ('A claim of lien substantially in the following form shall be sufficient') in RCW 60.04.091 at https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=60.04.091. Its sworn statement adds that the claim is not frivolous, is made with reasonable cause and is not clearly excessive. Recorded documents must also meet county auditor formatting rules (cover sheet, margins). The pre-claim notice form is prescribed in RCW 60.04.031.
The Claim of Lien our filing service prepares, with every field left blank. PDF, free, no sign-up. Fill in your own facts and check them against the list above before you sign.
Record with the county auditor (the county's recording officer). Electronic recording is available in participating counties. The lien must be notarized. The lien claim must be sworn to under oath.
A copy of the recorded lien must be served on the property owner within 14 days of recording. To keep the lien alive it must be enforced by lawsuit within 8 months after the lien is recorded.
In Washington, a wrongful lien claimant can be ordered to pay the owner's attorney fees and costs. An owner or other interested party may move in superior court on 6 to 15 days' notice to release a frivolous lien made without reasonable cause or reduce a clearly excessive one; the losing side pays costs and reasonable attorney's fees, which runs both ways (the claimant recovers fees if the lien is upheld).
Washington's lien law is in RCW chapter 60.04. Suppliers, equipment providers and design professionals who do not contract directly with the owner must give the owner a written notice of the right to claim a lien (RCW 60.04.031). There is no fixed deadline, but the notice only protects what was supplied in the 60 days before it was given, or the 10 days before on new construction of a single-family home. Sending it right after first delivery protects the whole job. Subcontractors hired by the prime contractor and laborers are generally exempt. On a remodel of an existing owner-occupied home, anyone without a direct contract with the owner must send notice, and the lien can only reach money the owner still owed the prime when the notice arrived. A claim of lien must be recorded with the county auditor in the county where the property is located within 90 days after you last furnished labor, services, materials or equipment (§ 60.04.091). It is signed under penalty of perjury and acknowledged. Mail or hand a copy to the owner within 14 days after recording, or you lose the right to recover attorney's fees and costs from the owner. To enforce, file suit in superior court within eight months after recording and serve the owner within 90 days after filing (§ 60.04.141). An owner can ask the court to release a frivolous lien or reduce an excessive one on short notice, and the loser pays the other side's attorney's fees (§ 60.04.081). Confirm with counsel on credit terms that extend the eight months.
These notes summarize the statute as we read it.
Statutory sources: RCW 60.04.031, 60.04.081, 60.04.091, 60.04.141. Read the Washington lien statute. Deadlines turn on facts specific to your project. Confirm with counsel before relying on them.
Washington claims of lien are recorded with the county auditor, or in King County with the Recorder's Office. Since July 27, 2025, the standard recording fee in the counties that publish it is $303.50 for the first page and $1 for each additional page. All ten accept e-recording.
The 10 most populous Washington counties, the office that takes liens in each, whether it accepts e-recording, and the fee it publishes. Liens on property in any other county go to that county's office.
| County | Office | E-recording | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| King |
King County Recorder's Office (Department of Executive Services, Records and Licensing Services)
King County Recorder's Office, 201 S. Jackson St., Suite 204, Seattle, WA 98104
|
Yes
Vendors not listed online
|
All other documents: $303.50 first page, $1 each additional page. Fee schedule |
| Pierce |
Pierce County Auditor, Recording Division
Pierce County Auditor's Office, 2401 S. 35th St., Room 200, Tacoma, WA 98409
|
Yes
Through CSC Erecording Solutions, eRecording Partners Network (ePN), Simplifile
|
Standard fee: first page $303.50, each additional page $1.00 (fee sheet effective July 27, 2025). Fee schedule |
| Snohomish |
Snohomish County Auditor, Recording Division
Snohomish County Recording, 3000 Rockefeller Avenue, M/S 204, Everett, WA 98201
|
Yes
Through CSC eRecording Solutions, eRecording Partners Network (ePN), Indecomm Global Services, Simplifile
|
Standard recorded document: $303.50 first page, $1.00 each additional page (schedule effective July 27, 2025). Fee schedule |
| Spokane |
Spokane County Auditor, Recording Department
Spokane County Auditor, Recording Department, PO Box 2353, Spokane, WA 99210-2353 (street: 1116 W Broadway, Spokane, WA 99260)
|
Yes
Through eRecording Partners Network (ePN), CSC Erecording Solutions, Simplifile, Indecomm Global Services
|
Standard fee: first page $303.50, each additional page $1.00 (effective July 27, 2025). Fee schedule |
| Clark |
Clark County Auditor's Office, Recording Department
Clark County Auditor's Office, Attn: Recording Department, PO Box 5000, Vancouver, WA 98666-5000
|
Yes
Through Simplifile, CSC eRecording Solutions, eRecording Partners Network (ePN)
|
Recording basic: first page $303.50, each additional page $1.00 (effective July 27, 2025). Fee schedule |
| Thurston |
Thurston County Auditor's Office, Recording Services
Thurston County Auditor's Office, 3000 Pacific Ave SE, Suite 130, Olympia, WA 98501
|
Yes
Through CSC, eRecording Partners Network (ePN), Indecomm, Simplifile
|
Standard fee: first page $303.50, each additional page $1.00 (effective July 27, 2025). Fee schedule |
| Kitsap |
Kitsap County Auditor, Recording Division
Kitsap County Auditor, Recording Division, 614 Division St. MS-31, Port Orchard, WA 98366
|
Yes
Through Corporation Service Company (CSC), Indecomm Global Services, eRecording Partners Network (ePN), Simplifile
|
Fee not published online; ask the office. |
| Yakima |
Yakima County Auditor, Recording Division
Yakima County Auditor, Recording Division, PO Box 12570, Yakima, WA 98909-2570 (street: 128 N 2nd Street, Room 117, Yakima, WA 98901)
|
Yes
Through eRecording Partners Network (ePN), CSC Erecording Solutions, Simplifile, Indecomm Global Services
|
Standard recorded document: first page $303.50, each additional page $1.00 (effective July 27, 2025). Fee schedule |
| Whatcom |
Whatcom County Auditor's Office, Recording
Whatcom County Auditor, Attn: Recording, 311 Grand Avenue, Suite 103, Bellingham, WA 98225-4038
|
Yes
Through CSC eRecording Solutions, eRecording Partners Network (ePN), Simplifile
|
Recording instruments: first page $303.50, each additional page $1.00 (effective July 27, 2025). Fee schedule |
| Benton |
Benton County Auditor, Recording
Benton County Auditor, 7122 W Okanogan Pl., Ste E120, Kennewick, WA 99336
|
Yes
Through Simplifile, CSC eRecording Solutions, Indecomm, eRecording Partners Network (ePN), Data Services Inc (DSI), Nationwide Title Clearing (NTC)
|
Fee not published online; ask the office. |
Collected from each office's website on October 2, 2026. Fees and filing methods change. Confirm them with the office before you record.
Changes since 2022 that affect lien deadlines, notices, forms or filing.
Effective January 1, 2024
Beginning January 1, 2024, county auditors collect an extra $100 on most recorded documents, raising the standard first-page fee for a claim of lien from $203.50 to $303.50 (plus $1 per additional page).
2SHB 1474 (2023), covenant homeownership program assessment
Effective July 23, 2023
On private construction projects (other than single-family residential projects under 12 units), retainage is capped at 5% of the contract price of work completed, and a retainage bond may be tendered instead. Not a change to lien deadlines, but relevant to payment disputes that lead to liens.
Laws of 2023, ch. 373; RCW 60.30.010, 60.30.020
Effective June 6, 2024
Adds suppliers to the private-project retainage rules, requires contractors who receive a bond in lieu of retainage to accept similar bonds from subcontractors and suppliers, and makes bond proceeds subject to claims and liens in the same priority as retained funds.
Laws of 2024, ch. 101; RCW 60.30.010, 60.30.020
We calculate the Washington deadlines from your project dates, prepare the lien on the correct form, and handle recording. Self-serve from $99, or full service with recording and notices handled for you from $299.
This page summarizes Washington lien law for general information and is not legal advice. Deadlines depend on your role, project type, and dates; confirm them against the statute or with counsel before relying on them.