Missouri Construction Lien Resources
Original contractors: Notice to Owner before the first payment. Subs and suppliers: 10-day notice before filing. File the lien within 6 months. Sue within 6 months of filing. Everything a contractor, subcontractor or supplier needs to protect lien rights in Missouri.
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Subs and suppliers: notice to owner before filing the lien
File the lien after the debt accrues
Sue to enforce after the lien is filed
Public jobs: remote supplier notice to the contractor
Missouri deadline calculator
Enter your dates and see every deadline in order. Red rows are the ones that can cost you the lien.
How a Missouri lien comes together
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Before any payment
Original contractor gives Notice to Owner
The original contractor gives the statutory notice in ten-point bold type to the person it contracts with, or to the owner if there is no contract. It goes out at contract signing, at delivery, at the start of work, or with the first invoice.
Mo. Rev. Stat. 429.012.1
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Within 15 business days after rental use starts
Rental equipment notice (equipment rental claims only)
A party claiming a lien for rental machinery or equipment must notify the owner in writing within 15 business days after use starts. Rental liens apply only on commercial property and to claims over $5,000.
Mo. Rev. Stat. 429.010
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At least 10 days before filing
Subs and suppliers serve notice to the owner
Everyone except the original contractor gives the owner or agent 10 days’ notice before filing. The notice states the amount and who owes it.
Mo. Rev. Stat. 429.100
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Within 6 months after the debt accrues
File the lien with the circuit clerk
File a verified account and a property description with the circuit court clerk in the county where the property sits. Rental equipment claims must be filed within 60 days after the equipment was last removed.
Mo. Rev. Stat. 429.080
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Within 6 months after filing
Start the enforcement suit
File suit to enforce the lien within six months after filing it. If no suit is filed in time, the lien stops existing.
Mo. Rev. Stat. 429.170
The Missouri rules, abstracted
A working summary of the Missouri Mechanic’s Lien Law for notice, recording and enforcement.
Who has lien rights
Anyone who performs work, rents or uses rental machinery or equipment, or furnishes materials, fixtures or machinery for an improvement on land has lien rights. The work must be under a contract with the owner or the owner’s agent, trustee, contractor or subcontractor. This includes landscapers and outdoor irrigation installers. Registered architects, engineers, landscape architects and land surveyors have lien rights under a separate section, 429.015.
Original contractor’s Notice to Owner
Every original contractor must give a written notice in ten-point bold type before receiving any payment. It goes to the person the contractor contracts with, or to the owner if there is no contract. It can go out at contract signing, at delivery, at the start of work, or with the first invoice. The notice is a condition precedent to the original contractor’s lien. It does not apply to new residences where the buyer gets lien protection through a Missouri-registered title insurance company.
Subcontractor and supplier notice before filing
Missouri has no general preliminary notice at the start of a job. Instead, every claimant other than the original contractor must give the owner or agent 10 days’ notice before filing the lien. The notice states the amount claimed and who owes it. Any officer authorized to serve civil process may serve it, and the officer’s return is the proof. Any person who would be a competent witness may also serve it, and that person signs an affidavit of service.
Filing the lien
File the lien with the clerk of the circuit court in the county where the property is located. The deadline is six months after the debt accrued. The filing includes a just and true account after all credits, a property description, and the owner’s or contractor’s name if known. It must be verified by oath. Rental equipment claims must be filed within 60 days after the equipment was last removed from the property.
Enforcing the lien
The claimant must start a lawsuit within six months after filing the lien. If no suit is filed in that window, the lien no longer exists.
Owner-occupied residential repairs and remodels
This rule covers repairs, remodels and additions to owner-occupied homes of four units or less. On these jobs, anyone other than the original contractor has no lien unless the owner signed a separate Consent of Owner in the statutory form and a copy is attached to the lien. Without the consent, full payment to the contractor is a complete defense. The rule does not apply to building the original residential unit.
Residential real property sales: notice of rights
Section 429.016 covers residential real property as that section defines it. It does not cover owner-occupied repairs and remodels, which 429.013 governs. An owner may record a notice of intended sale at least 45 calendar days before the earliest intended closing date. Claimants must then record a notice of rights with the county recorder of deeds at least five calendar days before the stated closing date. A claimant who fails to record forfeits its lien rights against that property.
Missouri quirks
An advance lien waiver given in exchange for being awarded a contract or subcontract is against public policy and unenforceable. A contract may still require lien waivers as a condition of payment. On public projects, a payment bond bars mechanic’s liens by subs and suppliers. A lien filed in violation is void. Since August 28, 2025 (HB 199), a local public entity may record its consent to mechanic’s liens on a project intended to be leased mainly to a private entity for nongovernmental use. If it does, no bond is required.
Where Missouri liens go wrong
- Original contractors skipping the bold-type Notice to Owner before taking the first payment.
- Subs and suppliers filing the lien without serving the owner at least 10 days ahead.
- Letting six months pass after filing without starting the enforcement suit.
- Subs on owner-occupied home remodels filing without a signed Consent of Owner attached.
What do I need to send?
- Ask the original contractor for any signed Consent of Owner on owner-occupied remodels.
- Serve the owner or agent at least 10 days before filing, stating the amount and who owes it.
- File the verified lien with the circuit clerk within six months after the debt accrues.
- Start the enforcement suit within six months after filing.
- On bonded public jobs, remote suppliers send written nonpayment notice to the contractor within 90 days after last supplying materials.
- Give the statutory Notice to Owner in ten-point bold type before receiving any payment.
- Keep copies of the notice and any signed owner consent.
- File the verified lien with the circuit clerk within six months after the debt accrues.
- Start the enforcement suit within six months after filing.
- On public works estimated to cost over $50,000, furnish the required payment bond.
- Expect the original contractor’s Notice to Owner before the first payment.
- Contracts may require lien waivers as a condition of payment.
- On owner-occupied home remodels, signing a Consent of Owner opens the door to sub and supplier liens.
- Before selling residential real property covered by 429.016, an owner may record a notice of intended sale at least 45 days before closing.
- Watch for 10-day notices from subs and suppliers before they file.
Public projects: payment bonds
You can’t lien public property. On state and local jobs, your security is the contractor’s payment bond under the Missouri public works bond statute, Mo. Rev. Stat. 107.170 and 522.300.
- Public entities must require a payment bond on public works estimated to cost over $50,000. The bond covers materials, insurance premiums and labor. Claimants sue on the bond in the name of the public entity.
- A remote supplier is a supplier with a contract with a second-tier or lower subcontractor, or with another supplier of any tier. A remote supplier must give the contractor written nonpayment notice within 90 days after last supplying materials.
- A bond under 107.170 bars mechanic’s liens by subs and suppliers. A lien filed in violation is void and unenforceable.
- Since August 28, 2025 (HB 199), no bond is required if the public entity executes and records a consent to mechanic’s liens under 513.455.
Mo. Rev. Stat. 107.170; 522.300; 513.455
Lien waivers
The Chapter 429 sections reviewed set no statutory lien waiver form. An agreement to waive lien rights in advance, in exchange for being awarded a contract or subcontract, is against public policy and unenforceable. A contract may still require lien waivers as a condition of payment. Under 429.016, a claimant who recorded a notice of rights and was paid in full must give an unconditional final lien waiver no later than five calendar days after a written request.
Mo. Rev. Stat. 429.005; 429.016
Federal projects
The Miller Act governs federal jobs in every state. Second-tier claimants give written notice to the prime contractor within 90 days after last furnishing; suit within 1 year after last furnishing.
40 U.S.C. 3133
Read the Missouri law
We link to the official statute instead of hosting a copy, so you always read the current version. Our summaries were last checked against these sources on October 6, 2026.
Missouri services
Flat pricing per document. Premium members pay less on every filing.
Basic: free with signup. Premium: $299 per year.
Basic Membership
Create your free LienNow account to access all our services at standard pricing. No cost, no commitment. Sign up in minutes and start filing right away at our standard pricing. It’s a good fit for contractors and suppliers who file occasionally.
Premium Membership
Premium includes everything in Basic, plus discounted pricing across our service offerings. If you file notices or liens regularly, the savings can quickly cover the annual fee.
| Service | Premium | Basic |
|---|---|---|
| Rental equipment notice to owner | Starting at $55 | Starting at $90 |
| Notice to owner (original contractor) | Starting at $55 | Starting at $90 |
| 10-day notice before filing | Starting at $75 | Starting at $110 |
| Mechanic’s lien statement: prepare, record and serve | Starting at $250 | Starting at $425 |
| Lien release / discharge | Starting at $110 | Starting at $165 |
| Public job bond notice or claim | Starting at $210 | Starting at $375 |
| Miller Act bond notice or claim (federal jobs) | Starting at $195 | Starting at $350 |
| Title search and legal description | Starting at $300 | Starting at $350 |
| Rush service (within 7 business days) | Starting at $75 | Starting at $150 |
| Same-day service (24-hour turnaround) | Starting at $125 | Starting at $200 |
| Electronic recording (e-file) | Starting at $45 | Starting at $75 |
Prices are LienNow service fees per document. County recording fees, state registry or portal fees, certified mail, postage and notary fees are billed at cost. Court actions to enforce a lien are handled by an attorney and are not included.
Missouri lien questions
Does Missouri require a preliminary notice at the start of a job?
Not for most subs and suppliers. Original contractors must give a Notice to Owner before receiving any payment. Subs and suppliers must give the owner 10 days’ notice before filing a lien. Rental equipment lien claimants on commercial jobs must notify the owner within 15 business days after use starts.
How long do I have to file a Missouri mechanic's lien?
Six months after the debt accrued. File it with the circuit court clerk in the county where the property sits. Rental equipment claims must be filed within 60 days after the equipment was last removed.
How long does a Missouri lien last?
Six months after filing, unless a suit to enforce it is started within that time.
Can a subcontractor lien an owner-occupied home remodel?
Only if the owner signed a separate Consent of Owner in the statutory form and a copy is attached to the lien. This applies to repairs, remodels and additions on owner-occupied homes of four units or less.
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The information on this page is general information about Missouri law as of the review date shown. It is not legal advice, and LienNow is not a law firm. Deadlines depend on the facts of each project. Consult a licensed Missouri attorney about your specific situation.