Texas Property Code · Chapter 53
Understand the process under Chapter 53 of the Texas Property Code — or skip the hassle and let a licensed Texas attorney handle it for you, flat fee.
Here is what the law actually requires, in plain language. Every step below has its own deadline, and each one has to be right.
Most claimants must send pre-lien notice to the property owner and, in many cases, the general contractor — within strict statutory deadlines. These notices are not a formality. Miss one, and you can forfeit your lien rights on that money entirely, no matter how solid your invoice is.
Deadlines change depending on whether you are a general contractor, a subcontractor, or a supplier, and again depending on whether the project is residential or commercial. They are counted in a specific, technical way from specific months of work — and they are unforgiving. Most lost liens are lost right here.
The affidavit has to satisfy the statute: a legally sufficient property description, the amount owed, claimant and owner information, the months work was performed, and sworn language. A defective affidavit can be challenged and invalidated — after your deadline has already passed.
The completed affidavit is filed in the real property records of the county where the project sits, with the required filing fees, and within the filing window that applies to your role and project type. Filing in the wrong county or the wrong window ends the claim.
After recording, you must send notice of the filed lien to the owner — and to the original contractor if you are a subcontractor or supplier — within the deadline set by statute. Skipping this final step can undermine an otherwise valid lien.
This process is exact, deadline-driven, and unforgiving of mistakes. Texas Lien Law Firm handles every one of these steps for you — accurately and on time — for a flat fee of $599.
Texas Lien Law Firm represents contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers across the entire state — Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Fort Worth, and every county in between. Wherever your project is located, we handle the process described above so you don't have to navigate it yourself.
Tell us about the project and unpaid work. A licensed Texas attorney will review your deadlines and take it from there.