Rhode Island Construction Lien Resources
Direct contractors: give the Notice of Possible Mechanic’s Lien before work starts. Everyone: mail and record the Notice of Intention within 200 days. Sue and record lis pendens within 40 days after recording. Everything a contractor, subcontractor or supplier needs to protect lien rights in Rhode Island.
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Direct contractors give the Notice of Possible Mechanic’s Lien before starting work
Mail and record the Notice of Intention after doing the work or furnishing materials
File the complaint and lis pendens after recording the Notice of Intention
Public jobs: second-tier claimants notify the prime contractor after last labor or materials
Rhode Island deadline calculator
Enter your dates and see every deadline in order. Red rows are the ones that can cost you the lien.
How a Rhode Island lien comes together
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Before work or delivery starts
Notice of Possible Mechanic’s Lien (direct contractors)
A party contracting directly with the owner, lessee or tenant, other than a material supplier, must give this notice. It goes conspicuously in the written contract or by certified mail, return receipt requested.
R.I. Gen. Laws 34-28-4.1
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Within 200 days after the work or materials
Mail the Notice of Intention
Mail the notice to the owner of record (or to the lessee or tenant, for a lien on their interest) by prepaid registered or certified mail, return receipt requested. It may also be sent before the work.
R.I. Gen. Laws 34-28-4
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Within the same 200 days
Record the Notice of Intention
File a copy in the land evidence records of the city or town where the land sits. The recorded notice covers work in the 200 days before filing and after, plus unpaid retainage back to the start of work.
R.I. Gen. Laws 34-28-4; 34-28-5; 34-28-9
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Within 30 days after a mailed notice comes back
Re-file a returned notice
If the mailed notice is returned undelivered, file it with the returned envelope within 30 days of its return. This must be no more than 200 days after the mailing.
R.I. Gen. Laws 34-28-4
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Within 40 days after recording
File the complaint and lis pendens
File a complaint to enforce in superior court for the county where the land sits. Record a notice of lis pendens in the land records. File the complaint the same day or within 7 days after, and both within the 40 days.
R.I. Gen. Laws 34-28-10(a)
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10+ days before the citation return day
Mail the advertisement
The court clerk issues a citation and publishes a newspaper advertisement. The plaintiff mails a copy of the advertisement to each person who filed a notice of intention at least 10 days before the return day.
R.I. Gen. Laws 34-28-14
The Rhode Island rules, abstracted
A working summary of the Rhode Island Mechanics’ Lien Law for notice, recording and enforcement.
Who has lien rights
Any person who does work or furnishes materials for an improvement under a contract with, or at the request of, the owner can claim a lien. Liens can also arise from work for a tenant, lessee or owner of less than the fee (34-28-2, 34-28-3). Equipment rental is treated as materials (34-28-3.1). Architects and engineers have their own section (34-28-7).
Pre-lien notice: Notice of Possible Mechanic’s Lien
Only parties contracting directly with the owner, lessee or tenant need this notice. Material suppliers are exempt. Give it before you start work or deliver materials. Put it conspicuously in the written contract or send it by certified mail, return receipt requested. Without it, the direct contractor cannot claim a lien. Lower-tier subs and suppliers keep their lien rights. The direct contractor must also hold the owner harmless from their liens, unless the owner has not paid the direct contractor. Subcontractors and suppliers have no statutory preliminary notice on private jobs.
Notice of commencement or completion
Rhode Island’s lien chapter has no notice of commencement or notice of completion. Deadlines run from when you do the work or furnish the materials.
The lien: Notice of Intention
The lien is perfected by mailing a Notice of Intention and filing a copy in the land evidence records of the city or town where the land sits. Do both before or within 200 days after the work or materials. The notice lists the owner of record’s name and address in the upper left corner, a land description, the work and its approximate value, who you dealt with, your name and address, and a statement that you have not been paid. The town clerk may refuse a notice that does not name the owner of record or lessee (34-28-5). The recorded notice covers work in the 200 days before filing and after, plus unpaid retainage from the start of work (34-28-9).
Service of the lien
Service is the prepaid registered or certified mailing of the Notice of Intention, return receipt requested. It goes to the owner of record at the time of mailing, or to the lessee or tenant for a lien on their interest. If no address is known, it goes to the property. If the post office returns it undelivered, file the notice with the returned envelope within 30 days of the return, and no more than 200 days after the mailing.
Enforcement deadline
File a complaint to enforce in superior court for the county where the land sits. Also record a notice of lis pendens in the city or town land records. File the complaint the same day as the lis pendens or within 7 days after. Both must be filed within 40 days after recording the Notice of Intention. If you miss this, the lien is void. It stays void as to work before the 200-day period even if you do more work on the same job later.
Owner protections
The direct contractor’s Notice of Possible Mechanic’s Lien warns the owner that lower tiers can lien. The owner, lessee or tenant can release the property by paying cash into the court registry or depositing a surety company bond to cover the claims, costs, interest and attorney’s fees (34-28-17). Contract clauses that bar filing a notice of intention or enforcing a lien are void. The lien chapter does not set separate residential deadlines.
State quirks
Rhode Island uses a two-step filing: mail the notice and record it, both inside 200 days. The 40-day window to sue is short. Liens do not attach to improvements built for the state, a city or town, or their agencies, or to land they own (34-28-31). If a bond secures payment, a claimant may sue on it in its own name even without a notice of intention (34-28-30).
Where Rhode Island liens go wrong
- Direct contractor skips the Notice of Possible Mechanic’s Lien before starting work.
- Recording the Notice of Intention but not mailing it by registered or certified mail to the owner of record.
- Missing the 40-day window to file the complaint and record the lis pendens.
- Ignoring a returned envelope instead of filing it within 30 days.
What do I need to send?
- Track the dates you do work or furnish materials on each job.
- Mail the Notice of Intention to the owner of record by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, within 200 days.
- Record a copy in the city or town land evidence records within the same 200 days.
- File the complaint and record the lis pendens within 40 days after recording.
- State bonded jobs: if you have no contract with the prime, send certified mail notice to the prime within 90 days after your last labor or materials.
- Give the Notice of Possible Mechanic’s Lien before starting work, in the contract or by certified mail, return receipt requested.
- Mail and record the Notice of Intention within 200 days after the work.
- File the complaint in superior court and record the lis pendens within 40 days after recording.
- Advance lien waiver clauses are void. Written waivers given at or after payment are allowed.
- State bonded jobs: second-tier claimants may send you certified mail notice within 90 days after their last work.
- Keep the contractor’s Notice of Possible Mechanic’s Lien with the contract file.
- Check the city or town land evidence records for recorded Notices of Intention.
- Know that lower-tier subs and suppliers can lien even if the direct contractor gave no notice.
- A lien can be released by paying cash into the court registry or depositing a surety bond under 34-28-17.
- Lien waivers given at or after payment are allowed. Advance waiver clauses are void.
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 Rhode Island’s Little Miller Act (R.I. Gen. Laws 37-12-1 et seq.). Mechanics’ liens do not attach to state or municipal improvements or land..
- A payment bond is required on Department of Transportation or Department of Administration contracts over $150,000. Since June 24, 2024, the chief purchasing officer may waive bonding for state-certified MBE or WBE contractors on projects up to $250,000.
- Anyone not paid in full 90 days after their last labor or materials may sue on the payment bond.
- A claimant with a contract with a subcontractor but none with the prime must give written notice to the prime within 90 days after the last labor or materials. Send it by certified mail to the prime’s office, place of business or residence. State the amount claimed and who the work was for.
- Suit must be filed within 2 years after the last labor or materials, or within the bond’s own time limit if longer.
R.I. Gen. Laws 37-12-1, 37-12-2, 37-12-5; 34-28-31
Lien waivers
Rhode Island’s lien chapter has no statutory waiver form. Any contract term that bars filing a notice of intention or enforcing a lien is void as against public policy. A party may still require a written lien waiver signed and delivered at the same time as payment or after payment.
R.I. Gen. Laws 34-28-1(b)
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 Rhode Island 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 7, 2026.
- R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 34-28, Mechanics’ Liens (index)Open ↗
- R.I. Gen. Laws 34-28-4, Notice of intention to claim lienOpen ↗
- R.I. Gen. Laws 34-28-10, Complaint to enforce lien and lis pendensOpen ↗
- R.I. Gen. Laws 37-12-2, Public project payment bond claimsOpen ↗
- Miller Act, 40 U.S.C. 3133 (federal jobs)Open ↗
Rhode Island 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Notice of Possible Mechanic’s Lien (prime contractor) | Starting at $55 | Starting at $90 |
| Notice of intention (lien): prepare, record and serve | Starting at $225 | Starting at $395 |
| Lien release / discharge | Starting at $110 | Starting at $165 |
| Public job bond notice or claim | Starting at $210 | Starting at $375 |
| Notice to prime contractor (second-tier) | Starting at $75 | Starting at $110 |
| 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.
Rhode Island lien questions
Do subcontractors in Rhode Island need to send a preliminary notice?
No statutory preliminary notice applies to subcontractors or suppliers on private jobs. The Notice of Possible Mechanic’s Lien in 34-28-4.1 applies only to parties contracting directly with the owner, lessee or tenant, other than material suppliers.
How long do I have to file a mechanics' lien in Rhode Island?
Mail the Notice of Intention to the owner of record by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested. Record a copy in the city or town land evidence records. Both must happen before or within 200 days after doing the work or furnishing the materials.
What happens after I record the Notice of Intention?
Within 40 days after recording, file a complaint to enforce in superior court and record a notice of lis pendens. File the complaint the same day as the lis pendens or within 7 days after. If you miss this, the lien is void.
Can I lien a public project in Rhode Island?
No. Liens do not attach to state, city or town improvements or land. On covered state contracts over $150,000, claimants use the payment bond under 37-12. Second-tier claimants give certified mail notice to the prime within 90 days. Suit is due within 2 years, or the bond’s longer limit.
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The information on this page is general information about Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island attorney about your specific situation.