Rhode Island Lien Laws

In Rhode Island, existing lien laws are placed in state code and statutes for the benefit of laborers, contractors, and materials suppliers involved in construction and building projects in the state. These lien laws ensure working parties are paid for their service, labor, and materials during a given project through being able to place a lien on their actual project property in the event of non-payment. Ensuring these rights are in place throughout the entire building process involves adhering to a strict schedule of filing and notices dates, which should be known to anyone involved in the construction industry in the state of Rhode Island.

Primary Contractors in Rhode Island

Primary contractors in the state of Rhode Island must provide a notice of commencement to owners and file this notice no later than ten (10) days after starting work. Primary contractors must provide notice of intention to make claims on lien and provide owners a copy of this notice no more than two hundred (200) days after finishing work. No later than forty (40) days after filing notice of intention to lien, primary contractors must file the statutory form of notice of lis pendens and file the petition to enforce lien claims no more than seven (7) days after filing notice of lis pendens. To notify all appropriate parties, primary contractors must give notice through advertising, which appropriate channels to do so are noted in code.

Sub Contractors in Rhode Island

Unlike primary contractors in Rhode Island, sub contractors are not required by law to give a notice of commencement to owners. However, following the notice period, sub contractors follow the exact same schedule and process for securing lien enforcement rights as prime contractors, including:

• Notice of intention to claim on lien and serve owners notice within two hundred (200) days of finishing project
• Statutory form of lis pendens filed less than forty (40) days after notice of intention to claim on lien
• Petition to enforce lien claims no more than seven (7) days after filing notice of lis pendens
• Notice issued through noted advertising channels

Materials Suppliers in Rhode Island

Unless directly contracted by owner, materials suppliers are not required by law to provide preliminary notice. Following this, any other scheduled action to enforce or protect rights to lien claims follows the same schedule as prime and sub contractors, which are noted in detail above.