Oregon Notice of Right to a Lien Deadline Calculator
Oregon subcontractors, material suppliers, and equipment lessors must deliver a Notice of Right to a Lien within 8 business days of first furnishing labor, materials, equipment, or services to a construction project, per ORS 87.021. This is the smallest lien notice deadline window of any state in the U.S. — and Oregon applies an all-or-nothing rule: missing the deadline forfeits lien rights for the work performed. Slow payments cost the U.S. construction industry an estimated $280 billion in 2024 according to Rabbet's 2024 Construction Payments Report. With Oregon's 8-day window, there is no second chance.
Smallest Deadline Window in the U.S.
Compare: Florida 45 calendar days, Washington 60 calendar days, Nevada 31 calendar days, California and Arizona 20 calendar days. Oregon: 8 BUSINESS days — roughly 12 calendar days when weekends are factored in. The clock starts on Day 1 of work and runs faster than any state we serve. File on the same day you start work to be safe.
Calculate Your Deadline
How the Oregon 8-Business-Day Deadline Works
ORS 87.021 requires any claimant not in direct privity with the property owner to deliver a Notice of Right to a Lien within 8 BUSINESS days of first furnishing labor, materials, equipment, or services. Business days mean Monday through Friday — weekends are excluded from the count.
Practical translation: If you start work on a Monday, your deadline is the Wednesday of the following week (8 business days = Tue/Wed/Thu/Fri of week 1 + Mon/Tue/Wed of week 2). That's 12 calendar days — roughly half of California's or Arizona's window, and barely a fifth of Florida's.
The clock starts on the day of first physical furnishing — not contract signing, not bidding, not first invoice. Day 1 is the first day you set foot on site with labor or materials. By Day 8 (business days), your notice must be delivered.
Notice must be delivered to the property owner, the mortgagee (if known), and the construction agent (if any). Failure to serve any required recipient can invalidate lien rights against that party.
Who Must File an Oregon Notice
Per ORS 87.021 and ORS 87.018, the following parties must serve the Notice of Right to a Lien:
- Subcontractors who contract with an original contractor
- Sub-subcontractors who contract with subcontractors
- Material suppliers who furnish materials to anyone other than the owner
- Equipment lessors who lease equipment to a contractor or subcontractor
- Laborers employed by a contractor or subcontractor
Original contractors with direct owner contracts are exempt. They have direct contractual privity with the owner and do not need the notice to preserve their lien rights.
Oregon's All-or-Nothing Rule
Oregon does NOT apply a partial-loss rule like California, Arizona, or Nevada. The 8-business-day deadline under ORS 87.021 is all-or-nothing — the same model as Florida's 45-day rule but with a far smaller window. Missing the deadline forfeits mechanics lien rights for the work performed. No partial recovery. No sliding scale. No exception for "I tried" or "I didn't know."
Practical implication: The "file today" instinct that works in CA, AZ, and NV when you're past the deadline does NOT help in Oregon. Once Day 8 passes, the lien window is closed for that work. The next best step is to consult an Oregon construction attorney about alternative remedies (breach of contract, payment bond claims if applicable, stop notices in some scenarios).
Best practice for Oregon work: File the Notice of Right to a Lien on Day 1 of work. Treat it as part of mobilization. Filing on Day 1 eliminates the timing risk entirely.
Related Oregon Lien Statutes
- ORS 87.018 — Notice of right to lien required: Establishes who must serve a Notice of Right to a Lien.
- ORS 87.021 — Notice of right to a lien: The 8-business-day deadline statute.
- ORS 87.025 — Priorities of perfected liens: Governs how perfected liens rank against other claims on the property.
- ORS 87.039 — Notice of intent to file lien: Separate notice required before recording the lien itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Oregon Notice of Right to a Lien deadline?
Oregon subcontractors, material suppliers, and equipment lessors must deliver a Notice of Right to a Lien within 8 business days of first furnishing labor, materials, equipment, or services on a construction project, per ORS 87.021. This is the smallest deadline window of any U.S. state — weekends are excluded from the count.
Does the Oregon 8-day deadline mean calendar days or business days?
Business days. ORS 87.021 explicitly counts business days, excluding weekends. So if you start work on a Monday, your deadline is the following Wednesday (8 business days later, which is 12 calendar days). Compare to Florida which uses 45 CALENDAR days. Oregon's effective deadline is approximately 12 calendar days from start.
What happens if you miss the Oregon 8-business-day deadline?
Oregon applies an all-or-nothing rule like Florida — not a partial-loss sliding scale like California, Arizona, or Nevada. Missing the 8-business-day deadline under ORS 87.021 forfeits mechanics lien rights for the work performed. There is no partial protection. Late filing does not preserve rights for recent work.
Who must file an Oregon Notice of Right to a Lien?
Any claimant who does NOT have a direct contract with the property owner must serve the notice. This includes subcontractors, sub-subcontractors, material suppliers, equipment lessors, and laborers in the chain below the original contractor. Original contractors with direct owner contracts are exempt.
Who must receive the Oregon notice?
Per ORS 87.021, the notice must be delivered to the property owner, the mortgagee (if known), and the construction agent (if any). All required recipients must receive the notice within the 8-business-day window. Names and addresses typically come from public records or the contracting party.
How must the Oregon notice be served?
Valid service methods under Oregon law are: (1) certified or registered mail with return receipt requested, or (2) personal delivery to the recipient. Email, fax, regular first-class mail, and overnight courier are NOT valid service methods. LienFlash uses USPS Certified Mail with Return Receipt as standard practice.
When does the 8-business-day clock start in Oregon?
The clock starts on the day you first furnish labor, materials, equipment, or services to the project — not the day you signed the contract, not the day you bid the job, not the day you sent your first invoice. The first physical day of work on site is Day 1.
How much does it cost to send an Oregon Notice of Right to a Lien with LienFlash?
A single Oregon Notice of Right to a Lien through LienFlash costs $24.99 and includes attorney-reviewed ORS 87.021-compliant form generation, USPS Certified Mail with Return Receipt to all required parties (owner, mortgagee, construction agent), and a Certificate of Mailing PDF as proof of service.
Related Resources
Send Your Oregon Notice in 2 Minutes
LienFlash generates an attorney-reviewed, ORS 87.021-compliant Oregon Notice of Right to a Lien and sends it via USPS Certified Mail with Return Receipt to all required parties — for $24.99. With Oregon's 8-business-day window, every hour counts.
Protect A Job →