Mechanic's Lien Deadlines & Notice Requirements in Wyoming
At a glance
| Governing law | W.S. Title 29, chapters 1 and 2 govern private construction liens; definitions and perfection appear in chapter 1, with claimant and timing rules in chapter 2 (§§ 29-1-201, 29-1-312, 29-2-101, 29-2-106). |
|---|---|
| Who can claim a lien | Contractors, subcontractors, and materialmen furnishing work or material under contract may claim a lien (§ 29-2-101(a)-(b)). A directly contracted architect, engineer, or surveyor is a contractor; subcontractors may work for another subcontractor, and materialmen may furnish to an owner, contractor, or subcontractor (§ 29-1-201(a)). |
| Preliminary notice | Every contractor, subcontractor, and materialman must send the owner or agent a written right-to-lien notice: contractor before receiving any owner payment; subcontractor or materialman within 30 days after first furnishing. Missing it bars the lien (§ 29-2-112(a)). A separate notice of intention to file, stating the amount and debtor, must be sent at least 20 days before filing (§ 29-2-107(a)). |
| Deadline to file the lien | A contractor files within 150 days and every other claimant within 120 days of the earlier of last contract work/materials or substantial completion; a subcontractor also has the last day of directed work as a statutory trigger (§ 29-2-106(a)). A signed, acknowledged, recorded agreement may extend filing time up to twice the ordinary period, without affecting nonsigners (§ 29-2-106(e)). |
| Notice of completion effect | An owner may record a substantial-completion notice. Its recording date is presumed to be substantial completion and the notice must warn that the filing period presumptively begins then; the presumption is rebuttable (§ 29-2-106(c)-(d)). The notice cannot extend an otherwise earlier deadline, and failure to send a copy does not change the filing time. |
| Serving the lien on the owner | The lien claimant must send the last record owner or agent notice within 30 days after filing; failure to send this notice does not invalidate the lien (§ 29-1-312(c)). |
| Deadline to sue to foreclose | Start an action to foreclose or enforce within 180 days after filing; without suit, the lien does not continue beyond that period (§ 29-2-109). |
| Homestead/residential extras | A Wyoming resident has a homestead exemption of up to $100,000 from execution and attachment (§ 1-20-101); property is not exempt from execution for its purchase money (§ 1-20-108(a)). These provisions do not state how that exemption applies to a construction-lien foreclosure. |
Requirements one by one
Governing law
Wyoming's lien provisions appear in Title 29, chapters 1 and 2. The former § 29-1-301 is expressly repealed; the operative notice and deadline provisions are in chapter 2.
Who can claim
Section 29-1-201(a)(i) includes directly contracted architects, professional engineers, and surveyors in the definition of contractor. A subcontractor can work for another subcontractor, while the materialman definition covers material furnished to an owner, contractor, or subcontractor (§ 29-1-201(a)(vi), (ix)). Section 29-2-101(b) requires work or material under a contract.
Preliminary notice
The first notice preserves the right to assert a lien: § 29-2-112(a)(iii) says missing its deadline "shall bar" that right. Subcontractors and materialmen must also copy the contractor for whom they furnish work or material. The later § 29-2-107(a) notice tells the owner the amount claimed and who owes it, at least 20 days before the lien statement is filed.
Deadline to file the lien
Section 29-2-106(a)(i) measures the 150- or 120-day period from the earlier of the claimant's last work or material under contract and the project's substantial completion. Subsection (a)(ii) separately addresses a subcontractor's last day of work at the direction of the contractor or another authorized person. An extension under subsection (e) must be signed by the owner, contractor, and other parties to the contract, acknowledged before a notarial officer, and recorded with the county clerk; it does not affect a nonsigner's lien rights.
Notice of completion effect
Under § 29-2-106(c)-(d), an owner-recorded notice creates a rebuttable presumption that the filing period begins on the recording date. The notice must carry the statutory warning and the owner must send a copy within five days to claimants who supplied preliminary notice. Failing to send a copy does not change the filing time; recording cannot extend an earlier deadline.
Serving the lien on the owner
Section 29-1-312(c) calls for notice to the last record owner or agent within 30 days after filing. It expressly says failure to send that notice does not affect the lien's validity.
Deadline to sue to foreclose
Under § 29-2-109, an enforcement action must begin within 180 days after filing; without an action, the lien ceases to continue after that period.
Homestead/residential extras
Section 1-20-101 grants a resident a homestead exemption up to $100,000. Section 1-20-108(a) expressly removes the exemption for execution for purchase money. Those provisions do not themselves decide a construction lien's treatment in a homestead foreclosure.
What trips people up
Older section numbers can mislead: § 29-2-108 addresses a contractor's duty to defend an action, while § 29-2-110 is repealed. The notice duties and filing periods appear in §§ 29-2-107, 29-2-112, and 29-2-106.
Common questions
Does a subcontractor working for another subcontractor qualify? Yes. Section 29-1-201(a)(vi) includes work for a contractor or subcontractor under contract.
Does missing post-filing notice cancel the lien? No. Section 29-1-312(c) requires notice within 30 days but says failure does not affect lien validity.
Statutes and sources
- W.S. § 29-1-301 (repealed) — https://wyoleg.gov/statutes/compress/title29.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06).
- W.S. § 29-2-101 — https://wyoleg.gov/statutes/compress/title29.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06).
- W.S. § 29-1-201 — https://wyoleg.gov/statutes/compress/title29.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06).
- W.S. § 29-2-112 — https://wyoleg.gov/statutes/compress/title29.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06).
- W.S. § 29-2-107 — https://wyoleg.gov/statutes/compress/title29.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06).
- W.S. § 29-2-106 — https://wyoleg.gov/statutes/compress/title29.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06).
- W.S. § 29-1-312 — https://wyoleg.gov/statutes/compress/title29.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06).
- W.S. § 29-2-109 — https://wyoleg.gov/statutes/compress/title29.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06).
- W.S. § 1-20-101 — https://wyoleg.gov/statutes/compress/title01.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06).
- W.S. § 1-20-108 — https://wyoleg.gov/statutes/compress/title01.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06).
- W.S. § 29-2-108 — https://wyoleg.gov/statutes/compress/title29.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06).
- W.S. § 29-2-110 (repealed) — https://wyoleg.gov/statutes/compress/title29.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06).
Source links
Every statute quoted above, linked, with the date we checked it.
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