VTVermont
Vermont Lien Law Deadlines for Suppliers and Subcontractors
In Vermont, a supplier or subcontractor hired by a contractor or subcontractor has a lien only after giving the owner written notice that it will claim one, and the lien reaches only the contract price still unpaid when the owner receives that notice. Record the lien with the town clerk within 180 days after payment for your last labor or materials became due, then sue and attach the property within 180 days of recording.
Public date calculations cover Florida and Kansas. Vermont dates require qualified review.
Risk context
Vermont is High Risk for Suppliers
Vermont's recording deadline does not run from your last delivery. It runs 180 days from when payment for your last labor or materials became due. Before any of that matters, a supplier or subcontractor hired by someone other than the owner needs a written notice to the owner, and the lien covers only the contract price still unpaid when the owner receives it, so a late notice can leave little to claim. Liens are recorded with the town clerk, not a county office.
Deadline schedule
Vermont Mechanics Lien Deadlines (Updated 2026)
Scroll sideways to see all deadline details.
| Deadline Type | Timing | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Preliminary Notice | No set deadline; send it as early as you can | Required to preserve your right to file a lien later if your contract is with a contractor, subcontractor, or the owner's agent rather than the owner. Give the owner, or the owner's agent in charge of the property, written notice that you will claim a lien for labor or materials, including the date payment is due if known. The lien reaches only the part of the contract price still unpaid when the owner receives the notice (9 V.S.A. § 1921(b)). |
| Lien Filing Deadline | 180 days from when payment became due for your last labor or materials | Record a signed written memorandum asserting the lien in the clerk's office of the town where the property is located. Vermont's statute uses the town clerk, not a county office (9 V.S.A. §§ 1921(c), 1923). |
| Enforcement Deadline | 180 days from filing | Lawsuit to foreclose on the lien must be filed by this date. In Vermont that means starting a lawsuit for the amount due and attaching the property within 180 days after recording; foreclosure follows the judgment. If payment was not yet due when you recorded, the 180 days run from when it becomes due (9 V.S.A. §§ 1924, 1925). |
| Record the Judgment | Within 5 months after judgment | Record a certified copy of the judgment with the town clerk. The property is then held for the judgment as if mortgaged, and you can foreclose as on a mortgage (9 V.S.A. § 1925). |
| Construction Lender Notice | Optional; covers later advances | A construction mortgage recorded before your lien normally comes first. Once the lender receives written notice that a lien will be claimed, your lien takes priority over its later advances, except money it shows went into completing the improvements (9 V.S.A. § 1921(d)). |
| Statutes | Governing statutes | 9 V.S.A. §§1921-1925 |
Supplier pitfalls
Common Supplier Mistakes in Vermont
Supplying without notifying the owner
If you were hired by a contractor or subcontractor, your lien exists only after you give the owner written notice that you will claim one, and it reaches only the contract price still unpaid when the owner receives it. Send the notice when you start supplying, not when the account goes past due.
Recording with the wrong office
Vermont liens are recorded in the clerk's office of the town where the property is located, within 180 days after payment for your last labor or materials became due. The statute points to the town clerk, not a county office.
Suing without attaching the property
Recording is not the last step. Within 180 days after recording, or after payment becomes due if it was not yet due when you recorded, start the lawsuit and have the property attached. After judgment, record it with the town clerk within 5 months to foreclose.
Deadline calculator
Not Sure Which Vermont Deadline Applies?
Use this Vermont guide and collect your project facts for qualified review.
Review Vermont project factsThe public calculator provides dates only for reviewed Florida and Kansas scenarios; it does not calculate a Vermont date.
Common questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Vermont lien law deadlines?
If you were hired by a contractor or subcontractor, first give the owner written notice that you will claim a lien. Record a lien memorandum with the town clerk within 180 days after payment for your last labor or materials became due, then start a lawsuit and attach the property within 180 days after recording. After judgment, record it with the town clerk within 5 months.
Does Vermont require a preliminary notice?
Yes, if you were hired by a contractor, subcontractor, or the owner's agent rather than the owner. Your lien exists only after you give the owner, or the owner's agent in charge of the property, written notice that you will claim a lien, including the payment due date if known. The statute sets no deadline, but the lien reaches only the contract price still unpaid when the owner receives the notice (9 V.S.A. § 1921(b)). See our preliminary notice deadline guide for how states compare.
How long do I have to enforce a Vermont lien?
180 days after you record the memorandum if payment was already due, or 180 days after payment becomes due if it was not. Within that window, start the lawsuit and have the property attached (9 V.S.A. § 1924). See how long a mechanics lien lasts for how expiration works.
Can a contract waive my Vermont lien rights in advance?
No. A Vermont lien cannot be waived before the labor is performed or the materials are furnished, and a contract clause calling for an advance waiver is unenforceable (9 V.S.A. § 1921(f)).
Are these the 2024 Vermont lien law deadlines?
Yes. 9 V.S.A. §§ 1921 and 1924 were last amended in 2004, and the official text of §§ 1923 and 1925 lists no amendments, so the notice, 180-day recording, and 180-day enforcement rules applied in 2024. The official statutes, updated through the 2025 session, still show them unchanged.
Important note