IAIowa
Iowa Lien Law Deadlines for Suppliers and Subcontractors
Iowa suppliers perfect a lien by posting it to the state Mechanics' Notice and Lien Registry. Post within 90 days after your last furnishing for ordinary filing protection, subject to required notices, and sue within 2 years after that 90-day period ends. Notice duties depend on the buyer, residential classification and owner-builder status.
Public date calculations cover Florida and Kansas. Iowa dates require qualified review.
Risk context
Iowa is High Risk for Suppliers
Iowa runs its lien system through an online registry, and the notice rules depend on the job. On qualifying residential work, downstream suppliers and suppliers to owner-builders must post a preliminary notice; an ordinary direct-owner supplier is not automatically subject to that duty. On commercial work, a supplier to a subcontractor must notify the general contractor or owner-builder within 30 days. Posting a lien after 90 days adds notice and unpaid-balance limits.
Deadline schedule
Iowa Mechanics Lien Deadlines (Updated 2026)
Scroll sideways to see all deadline details.
| Deadline Type | Timing | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Lien Filing | 90 days from last providing materials | Must file lien by 90 days from last providing materials. Posting within 90 days keeps full lien rights (Iowa Code § 572.14). A later posting is allowed up to 2 years and 90 days after last furnishing, but you must then serve written notice on the owner, and the lien covers only what the owner still owes the general contractor when served (Iowa Code §§ 572.9-572.11). |
| Special | Online Portal | Posting to Iowa Mechanic’s Notice & Lien Registry online portal. Liens are perfected by posting to the registry, and the registry administrator mails the owner a copy (Iowa Code § 572.8). |
| Preliminary Notice (Residential) | No day count; post it early | A supplier hired by a contractor, subcontractor or owner-builder must post the notice for residential construction under § 572.1, including qualifying condominium property. Failure to post defeats the lien. Recovery is limited by the balance due when posted and, except for owner-builder property, when the owner actually receives notice. A supplier contracting directly with an ordinary owner is treated as a general contractor, not a § 572.13B subcontractor (§§ 572.1, 572.13B). |
| Residential Owner / Supplier Roles | Check owner-builder and own-subcontractor facts | An owner-builder is a defined statutory role, not every owner managing a project. A direct-owner supplier that hires subcontractors can have owner-notice and commencement-posting duties under §§ 572.13 and 572.13A. Where § 572.13A applies, commencement posting is due within 10 days after work begins; a subcontractor may supply the missing commencement notice before posting its preliminary notice. Identify the role before deciding which notice applies. |
| Commercial Notice to General Contractor | Notify general contractor or owner-builder within 30 days | Within 30 days of first furnishing materials, notify the general contractor or owner-builder when you supply a subcontractor on commercial work. Your lien must include a certified statement that notice was given (Iowa Code § 572.33). |
| Enforcement | 2 years after the 90-day period ends | Suit to enforce must be filed within 2 years. The 2 years start when the 90 days after your last furnishing expire. If the owner makes a written demand, you have 30 days to sue (Iowa Code §§ 572.27, 572.28). |
| Statutes | Iowa Code §572.8; §572.9; §572.10; §572.11; §572.27; §572.28 | Also §§ 572.13A, 572.13B, 572.14, and 572.33. |
Supplier pitfalls
Common Supplier Mistakes in Iowa
Missing the residential preliminary notice
When § 572.13B applies, posting is essential and has no fixed day-count deadline. Owner payments before posting or actual receipt can reduce recovery. Keep evidence of both events; the actual-receipt limit differs for owner-builder property. First establish whether you are a downstream supplier, an owner-builder supplier or a supplier contracting with an ordinary owner.
Waiting past the 90-day full-protection window
Iowa lets you post a lien up to 2 years and 90 days after last furnishing, but only a lien posted within 90 days keeps full rights. After that, you must serve the owner, and the lien shrinks to the unpaid general contract balance.
Missing Enforcement Deadline
The 2 years to sue start when the 90 days after your last furnishing run out, not when you post the lien. An owner's written demand can shorten that to 30 days.
Deadline calculator
Not Sure Which Iowa Deadline Applies?
Use this Iowa guide and collect your project facts for qualified review.
Review Iowa project factsThe public calculator provides dates only for reviewed Florida and Kansas scenarios; it does not calculate a Iowa date.
Common questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Iowa lien law deadlines?
Post your lien to the Mechanics' Notice and Lien Registry within 90 days of your last furnishing for full protection, or up to 2 years and 90 days with reduced rights. Sue within 2 years after that 90-day period ends. Residential preliminary notice depends on your statutory role; suppliers to subcontractors on commercial jobs must notify the general contractor or owner-builder within 30 days of first furnishing.
What notices are required in Iowa?
Residential downstream suppliers and suppliers to owner-builders must post a § 572.13B preliminary notice. A direct supplier to an ordinary owner does not have that duty solely because the project is residential, but using its own subcontractors can trigger other notices. On commercial jobs, suppliers to subcontractors must notify the general contractor or owner-builder within 30 days and certify that notice in the lien (§ 572.33).
When must the lien be filed in Iowa?
90 days from last providing materials for full protection. You can post up to 2 years and 90 days after last furnishing, but then you must serve written notice on the owner, and the lien covers only what the owner still owes the general contractor (Iowa Code §§ 572.9-572.11, 572.14).
What is the enforcement period in Iowa?
2 years after the 90-day period that follows your last furnishing (Iowa Code § 572.27). If the owner serves a written demand, you have 30 days to sue or lose the lien (Iowa Code § 572.28).
What statutes apply to Iowa liens?
Iowa Code §572.8; §572.9; §572.10; §572.11; §572.27; §572.28, along with §§ 572.13A, 572.13B, 572.14, and 572.33.
Are these the 2024 Iowa lien law deadlines?
This guide uses the Iowa Code 2026 and was reviewed in October 2026. For a 2024 claim, check the law governing that project and its notice and payment history with an Iowa construction attorney.
Important note