How to File a Mechanics Lien in Michigan
Step 1 — Confirm you have lien rights in Michigan
Michigan's recorded rules cover general contractors, subcontractors and suppliers, design professionals (MCL § 570.1108). Each of those roles has its own filing window — see Step 3. Michigan rule detail: REQUIRED: Serve 'Notice of Furnishing' on owner and GC within 20 days of first furnishing. Late service only covers work done after notice is served.
Step 2 — Send the Michigan preliminary notice
Michigan requires a preliminary notice 20 days, notice of furnishing (MCL § 570.1111). It is a precondition, not a formality. It must reach County Register of Deeds and Owner and GC and Principal Contractor and Principal Contractor AND the governmental unit involved (NOT the surety) and Prime Contractor and Contractor / Owner (personally liable). Delivery: Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested, Certified Mail, postage prepaid, addressed to the principal contractor at any place at which it maintains a business or residence, Certified Mail, postage prepaid, addressed to the principal contractor and the governmental unit at any place at which those parties maintain a business or residence. Michigan rule detail: File claim of lien within 90 days of last furnishing of labor or materials.
Step 3 — Your Michigan filing deadline
Michigan sets the window by claimant role: • General contractors: within 90 days of your last day of work or materials. • Subcontractors and suppliers: within 90 days of your last day of work or materials. • Design professionals: within 90 days of your last day of work or materials. The clock runs from last date of furnishing — not your invoice date. Punch-list and warranty callbacks generally do not restart it. Michigan rule detail: File claim of lien within 90 days. Must have served Notice of Furnishing first.
Step 4 — Prepare and record the lien in Michigan
Record in the county where the property sits, under MCL § 570.1117. The document must identify the property, the owner of record, the amount actually owed, and what you furnished. Overstating the amount can void the claim outright. Michigan rule detail: File suit to enforce lien within 1 year of recording. Lien expires after 1 year without enforcement.
Step 5 — Serve the recorded Michigan lien
Michigan requires service on County Register of Deeds and Owner and GC and Principal Contractor and Principal Contractor AND the governmental unit involved (NOT the surety) and Prime Contractor and Contractor / Owner (personally liable). Use Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested or Certified Mail, postage prepaid, addressed to the principal contractor at any place at which it maintains a business or residence or Certified Mail, postage prepaid, addressed to the principal contractor and the governmental unit at any place at which those parties maintain a business or residence and keep the receipt. In many states an unserved lien is unenforceable even though it appears on title. Michigan rule detail: FIRST OF TWO NOTICES, and the one that kills Michigan claims. A claimant WITHOUT a direct contractual relationship with the principal contractor has no right of action on the bond unless it has, WITHIN 30 DAYS AFTER FURNISHING THE FIRST of such material or performing the FIRST of such labor, SERVED ON THE PRINCIPAL CONTRACTOR a written notice. It falls while the job is running and no invoice is past due, so it cannot live in a collections process - it belongs in job setup alongside the certificate of insurance. Serving it late is functionally the same as not serving it. The surety is NOT a recipient.
Step 6 — Enforce before the Michigan deadline expires
You must sue to foreclose within 1 year (filing) (MCL 129.207). Miss it and the lien expires and title clears, leaving only a contract claim. Michigan rule detail: SECOND OF TWO NOTICES. Written notice of the claim to THE PRINCIPAL CONTRACTOR AND THE GOVERNMENTAL UNIT INVOLVED within 90 days from the date on which the claimant performed the last of the labor or furnished or supplied the last of the material. The GOVERNMENTAL UNIT is a required recipient - templates imported from neighboring states address the prime alone and the omission only surfaces when the claim is contested. Bonds required before award of a contract exceeding $50,000 (129.201); payment bond not less than 25% of the contract amount (129.203). No mechanic's lien on public property in Michigan.
Retainage rules that affect your Michigan claim
Michigan treats retainage on its own schedule (MCL § 570.1115), so money still held back may have a different due date than your progress billings. Michigan rule detail: No action shall be commenced after the expiration of 1 YEAR FROM THE DATE ON WHICH FINAL PAYMENT WAS MADE TO THE PRINCIPAL CONTRACTOR - a transaction between the governmental unit and the prime, recorded in their books and NOT in the claimant's, so this deadline CANNOT be computed from the claimant's own last day and must be confirmed in writing with the public entity. It can fail in both directions: a long closeout pushes final payment well past the claimant's assumed date, and a fast closeout can consume most of the year before the claimant looks. VENUE is mandatory: the action shall be brought ONLY in the appropriate court in the political subdivision in which the contract was to be performed.
Other Michigan requirements that void liens
• Second-tier claimants only. No notice = no bond claim. • File no sooner than 90 days AND no later than 1 year. • Prime must pay sub within 7 days of receiving payment from owner. Interest at 2%/month on amounts wrongfully withheld. • Retainage released within 30 days of substantial completion. 10% maximum retainage on private projects.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to file a mechanics lien in Michigan?
Michigan requires the lien to be recorded within 90 days, measured from last date of furnishing. The exact window depends on your role — general contractors: within 90 days of your last day of work or materials.
Do I need to send a preliminary notice before filing in Michigan?
Yes. Michigan requires a preliminary notice 20 days (notice of furnishing). Failing to send it on time generally forfeits your lien rights entirely, regardless of how much you are owed.
Where do I file a mechanics lien in Michigan?
File with the county recorder's office in the county where the property is located. Filing in the wrong county does not preserve your deadline, and re-filing in the correct county after the deadline will not save the claim.
What happens if I miss the Michigan filing deadline?
Your lien rights are extinguished. Michigan courts do not grant extensions for missed mechanics lien deadlines. You would be left with a breach-of-contract claim against whoever hired you, which carries no security interest in the property and is far harder to collect.
How long does a mechanics lien last in Michigan?
Once recorded, you must file suit to enforce within 1 year (filing). If you do not, the lien expires automatically and no longer clouds the property's title.