Alabama
For Alabama, preliminary notice required is conditional — not required for GC; subs/suppliers must serve Notice of Unpaid Balance on owner before filing the lien; notice name is Notice of Unpaid Balance; notice deadline — gc (days) is not required; notice deadline — sub/supplier (days) is before filing lien (no specific day deadline stated); lien recording deadline — gc (days) is 6 months, recorded from its source on 2026-08-14.
- State
- Alabama verified
- Preliminary notice required
- conditional — not required for GC; subs/suppliers must serve Notice of Unpaid Balance on owner before filing the lien our reading
- Notice name
- Notice of Unpaid Balance verified
- Notice deadline — GC (days)
- not required verified
- Notice deadline — sub/supplier (days)
- before filing lien (no specific day deadline stated)
- Lien recording deadline — GC (days)
- 6 months verified
- Lien recording deadline — sub/supplier (days)
- 4 months verified
- Enforcement deadline (days)
- 6 months after the date the entire amount became due verified
- Lien scope
- unpaid balance our reading
- Late notice consequence
- forfeiture our reading
- Statute
- Alabama Code §35-11-210 et seq.
Values marked our reading are our classification of what the source says — the source does not print them in those words. The quote below is the evidence for each one; judge it yourself.
What the source says
Not required. An original contractor in direct contract with the owner has no preliminary notice obligation. Mechanic Lien: File the Verified Statement of Mechanic Lien with the judge of probate in the county where the property is located within 6 months after the last item of work or labor has been performed. Enforcement: Commence suit to enforce the mechanic lien within 6 months after the date the entire amount became due. Subcontractors & Suppliers Preliminary Notice: A Notice of Unpaid Balance must be served on the owner before filing the mechanic lien. Alabama law does not set a specific deadline; the only requirement is that the notice is delivered before the Verified Statement is filed. Failure to serve it invalidates the lien. Material suppliers have an optional Notice to Owner Before Work. If a material supplier delivers this notice to the owner before furnishing any materials, the supplier obtains full-price lien rights equivalent to an original contractor. Subcontractors cannot use this notice. Best practice is to serve the Notice of Unpaid Balance as early as possible. The lien is limited to the unpaid balance owed by the owner to the original contractor at the time the notice is served, so earlier service protects a larger amount. Mechanic Lien: Subcontractors and materialmen file the Verified Statement of Mechanic Lien within 4 months after the last date of furnishing labor or materials.
— mechanicslien.com, retrieved 2026-08-14
Source
- mechanicslien.comhttps://mechanicslien.com/alabama