How Long Do You Have To Preserve A Construction Lien?

A construction lien can be a powerful tool to assist with the collection of invoices for the supply of services or materials to an improvement to a property.

Under the Construction Act, the first step to take to obtain the benefit of a construction lien in Ontario is to preserve the lien by registering it against title to the subject property. The Ontario Construction Act imposes a strict 60-day time limit within which this step has to be taken.

Because the preservation period is so short, it is crucial to know exactly what events can trigger the 60-day period in order to know when the 60-days to register the lien will run out.

Triggering Events

For a general contractor who contracts directly with the owner, the following events can trigger the preservation period: