Mechanic’s liens can be filed within 20 days of commencement of work here in San Diego and across California.  Early notice must be filed when the contract associated with the mechanic’s lien is not directly between the contractor filing the lien and the owner of the property being developed. The failure to file “primary notice” is the most common pitfall contractors run into.  Mechanic’s liens must also be “perfected” in order to be enforced.  In order to perfect a lien for our clients, we must file appropriate paperwork with the court, and the timeframe to accomplish this once the work associated with the lien on the property is completed is very short.  Once the project is completed, or if the owner of the property records a notice of completion, this “statute of limitations” or time limit begins to run and the contractor only has a few days to perfect the mechanic’s lien, and protect their financial position in the project.