Texas Mechanics Lien Deadlines for Electricians

How the Texas lien works (Property Code Ch. 53)

Texas deadlines aren't day counts — they're calendar anchors: everything lands on the 15th of a month. The first question is who hired you.

• Hired by the owner (prime): no monthly notices — file your lien affidavit by the 15th day of the 4th month after the month your work wrapped (3rd month on residential).
• Hired by a GC or another sub (derivative claimant): you must also send the owner and GC a monthly notice by the 15th of the 3rd month after each month you went unpaid (2nd month on residential). Each missed month generally drops out of your lien.
• Everyone: suit to foreclose within 1 year (§53.158).

Want the full breakdown? We've written a series of Texas lien guides covering the monthly notice, prime-vs-sub deadlines, retainage, and more.

Does electrical work qualify?

Lien rights attach to work that improves real property. For electricians that comfortably covers installations, panel and service upgrades, rewiring, fit-outs, and generator or EV-charger installs. Pure diagnostics or a service call that doesn't leave an improvement behind is shakier ground — if a job mixes both, the improvement work is what carries the lien.

Prove every date and every notice

Send by USPS Certified Mail, return receipt requested — and keep the receipt. It's the safest proof the notice was delivered on time.

• Your last day of workstarts most of these clocks. Daily records — signed T&M tags, timesheets, delivery tickets — are what prove it later.
• Punch-list returns and warranty visits generally do not restart the clock. Count from the last day of real contract work.
• Send every required notice in a way you can prove, and keep the receipts with the job file.