Florida construction problems run on a clock. Let's beat it.
Liens, unpaid invoices, abandoned jobs, defective work — Florida construction law is unforgiving about deadlines, and a missed date can wipe out a six-figure claim. Truestead Law helps contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, and owners protect their money and their projects under Florida's Construction Lien Law.
Serving Florida contractors, suppliers & property owners statewide.
Florida's construction-lien clock.
(§ 713.06)
(§ 713.08)
(§ 713.22)
Miss the 45-day Notice to Owner and you generally lose lien rights entirely — regardless of how much you're owed. These deadlines are the single most common reason Florida contractors and suppliers go unpaid. The fix is simple: get the paperwork right, on time, every job. See how Florida construction liens work →
Florida construction matters we take on.
Notices to Owner, claims of lien, and foreclosure suits to get contractors, subs, and suppliers paid under Chapter 713. Lien guide →
For owners and GCs: contesting invalid or inflated liens, fraudulent-lien claims, lien transfers to bond, and clearing title for closing or refinance.
Non-payment, change-order fights, abandonment, and breach — for both sides of the contract. Contractor disputes →
Defective or non-conforming work, with the required Chapter 558 pre-suit notice and right-to-cure process. Defect claims →
Florida bars unlicensed contractors from enforcing contracts or liens (§ 489.128) — a decisive issue we raise or defend.
Construction and subcontract agreements that allocate risk, payment, and lien rights before the dispute — the cheapest insurance in the business.
Move first, document everything, leverage the lien.
Deadlines are the whole game. The lienor who serves notices and records on time holds the leverage; the one who waits loses it. The moment a payment problem appears, the clock is already running — we calendar every statutory date and act on it.
The lien is leverage, the lawsuit is the backstop. A properly perfected Florida construction lien clouds the owner's title and very often produces payment without a trial. When it doesn't, the lien is the foundation of the foreclosure case.
Clear scope and fees. Most construction matters are quoted hourly or, where appropriate, on a flat-fee basis for defined work (a lien package, a demand, a contract). You'll know the plan and the cost before we start.
Whether you have a valid lien or claim, and what it may be worth, depends on facts only an attorney can evaluate after reviewing your contract, notices, and project records. Deadlines are strict and fact-specific. This page is general information, not legal advice, and is not a substitute for prompt action on your specific dates.
A construction lawyer who also knows the dirt.
Construction lives where contracts meet real property — liens, title, easements, and closings. Truestead is also a Florida real estate firm led by a licensed real estate broker, so we read the title, the survey, and the deal the way the dispute actually plays out. For builders and investors, we connect the project, the property, and the plan in one place.
Common Florida construction-law questions.
Record the claim of lien within 90 days of your last work or delivery (§ 713.08). If you're not in direct contract with the owner, you must also serve a Notice to Owner within 45 days of first furnishing (§ 713.06). After recording, you generally have one year to enforce the lien by lawsuit (§ 713.22).
If you don't have a direct contract with the owner (most subs and suppliers), yes — you must serve a Notice to Owner within 45 days of first furnishing labor or materials, or you lose the right to lien. Direct contractors don't need an NTO but do need a final payment affidavit before foreclosing.
You have options: demand the lienor file suit (a Notice of Contest shortens their deadline to 60 days), transfer the lien to a bond to clear title, challenge an invalid or fraudulent lien, or negotiate a release. The right move depends on whether the lien is valid and whether you need clean title soon.
For defective work you generally must first serve a Chapter 558 pre-suit notice, giving the contractor a chance to inspect and offer to repair or settle, before filing suit. Florida allows roughly four years to sue for a defect (from completion or discovery of a hidden defect), subject to a statute of repose. Document everything and act before the deadlines run.
Often decisively. Under § 489.128, a contractor who should have been licensed but wasn't generally cannot enforce the contract or a lien against you. Licensing is one of the first things we check in any Florida construction dispute.
Don't let the clock cost you the claim.
Whether you need to perfect a lien, defend against one, or resolve a payment or defect dispute, the time to act is now — before a deadline decides it for you.