Free tool · Texas · English & Español
Texas lien deadlines, worked out for your job.
Tell it who you are on the job and when you worked. It returns every notice, affidavit and lawsuit deadline under Texas Property Code chapter 53 — each one quoted from the statute, in English or Spanish. No signup, nothing stored.
Your deadlines
Next deadline: Tue, September 15, 2026
Tue, September 15, 2026
UpcomingSend notice of claim for unpaid labor or materials — work in June 2026
Last day to send the notice of claim for unpaid labor or materials for this month's work to BOTH the owner (or reputed owner) and the original contractor: the 15th day of the third month after the month the labor or materials were provided. Send a separate notice for each month that is still unpaid; without it the lien is not valid. Use the form in § 53.056(a-2); you may attach an invoice. Deliver it in person, by certified mail, or by another traceable private delivery service that can confirm receipt (§ 53.003(b)). With certified mail, depositing it in the U.S. mail by this date complies (§ 53.003(c)); with other methods, plan for delivery by this date.
Send or file with: Owner or reputed owner · Original contractor
Thu, October 15, 2026
UpcomingSend notice of claim for unpaid labor or materials — work in July 2026
Last day to send the notice of claim for unpaid labor or materials for this month's work to BOTH the owner (or reputed owner) and the original contractor: the 15th day of the third month after the month the labor or materials were provided. Send a separate notice for each month that is still unpaid; without it the lien is not valid. Use the form in § 53.056(a-2); you may attach an invoice. Deliver it in person, by certified mail, or by another traceable private delivery service that can confirm receipt (§ 53.003(b)). With certified mail, depositing it in the U.S. mail by this date complies (§ 53.003(c)); with other methods, plan for delivery by this date.
Send or file with: Owner or reputed owner · Original contractor
Mon, November 16, 2026
UpcomingFile lien affidavit (subcontractor/supplier, commercial) — last work July 2026
Last day to file your lien affidavit with the county clerk in the county where the property is located: the 15th day of the fourth month after the last month you provided labor or materials (or, if later, the month undelivered specially fabricated materials would normally have been delivered). The affidavit must list the date and delivery method of each notice of claim you sent (§ 53.054(a)(8)).
Statutory date falls on Sunday, November 15, 2026 (weekend); extended to Monday, November 16, 2026 under § 53.003(e).
Send or file with: County clerk of the county where the improvements are located (§ 53.052(e))
Source: Tex. Prop. Code § 53.052(b)
Mon, November 23, 2026
UpcomingSend copy of filed lien affidavit to owner and original contractor
Send a copy of your filed lien affidavit to BOTH the owner (or reputed owner) and the original contractor, at their last known business or residence addresses, no later than the 5th day after the date you file it. The date shown assumes you file on the last allowed day; if you file earlier, count 5 days from your actual filing date. Deliver it in person, by certified mail, or by another traceable private delivery service that can confirm receipt (§ 53.003(b)). With certified mail, depositing it in the U.S. mail by this date complies (§ 53.003(c)); with other methods, plan for delivery by this date.
Statutory date falls on Saturday, November 21, 2026 (weekend); Sunday, November 22, 2026 (weekend); extended to Monday, November 23, 2026 under § 53.003(e).
Send or file with: Owner or reputed owner, at the owner's last known business or residence address · Original contractor, at its last known business or residence address
Source: Tex. Prop. Code § 53.055(a)-(b)
Mon, November 15, 2027
UpcomingConfirm with an attorneyLast day to file suit to foreclose the lien
If you are still unpaid, a lawsuit to foreclose the lien must be filed no later than one year after the last day you could have filed your lien affidavit. After this date the lien cannot be enforced. The owner and you may extend it by a recorded written agreement signed before this date (§ 53.158(a-2)). Talk to a Texas construction attorney well before this date.
The affidavit deadline itself was moved by § 53.003(e). This date counts one year from the unextended affidavit date (2026-11-15); a literal reading could allow one year from the extended date. Use the earlier date.
Send or file with: Court of competent jurisdiction (suit to foreclose, § 53.154)
Source: Tex. Prop. Code § 53.158(a)
Rules v2026-09-10 · tx-lien-rules.json
What this is, and what it is not
A calculator, not legal advice. Every date comes from a rule quoted word for word from the statute, and the rules were checked against the current text of chapter 53 on September 10, 2026, including the 2025 change that moves a deadline falling on a weekend or legal holiday to the next business day.
Where the statute can honestly be read two ways, the result says so with a “confirm with an attorney” label and uses the earlier date. If a lot of money depends on one deadline, have a Texas construction attorney look at it before the date.
Una calculadora, no asesoría legal. Cada fecha sale de una regla citada textualmente de la ley. Si hay mucho dinero en juego, consulte a un abogado de construcción en Texas antes del plazo.
Not covered · No incluido
- Contracts signed before January 1, 2022Contratos firmados antes del 1 de enero de 2022
- Homestead requirements (§ 53.254) — a homestead lien can fail even when every date is metRequisitos de vivienda familiar protegida (homestead, § 53.254)
- Public projects and payment bond claims (Tex. Gov't Code ch. 2253)Obras públicas y reclamos contra fianzas de pago (cap. 2253)
- Lien waivers and releases (§§ 53.281–53.287, § 53.152)Renuncias y liberaciones de gravamen (§§ 53.281–53.287)
- Drafting the notice or affidavit itself, or checking the amount claimedRedactar el aviso o la declaración jurada, o revisar el monto reclamado
- Owner affidavits of completion or termination (§§ 53.106–53.107), which can change retainage datesDeclaraciones del dueño de terminación o rescisión (§§ 53.106–53.107)
The rules behind this page are free to reuse: download tx-lien-rules.json, with the quoted statute sentence, citation and a confidence flag for every rule.
Keeping these dates for every job by hand is exactly the kind of thing that slips. The back-office app for trade contractors keeps jobs, subs, invoices and deadlines in one place, in English and Spanish.