Selling a House With a Contractor Lien in Washington: Deadlines and How to Clear It (2026)

Short answer: You can sell a Washington house with a contractor’s lien on it, but the lien usually has to be paid, settled, bonded off or released by the court before the buyer’s title insurer will close. Washington’s lien law has short deadlines: a lien has to be recorded within 90 days after the work ended, and it expires eight months after recording unless the contractor sues. Get a copy of the recorded lien early, find out which deadlines have passed, and talk to escrow and an attorney before you list or as soon as it turns up.

This is general information, not legal advice. Federal and state rules can change, so confirm the requirements for your sale with your agent, escrow, or a Washington real estate attorney.

How you find out about a lien

Sometimes you get a letter. Often the first sign is the preliminary title commitment the buyer’s title company issues after you accept an offer. A recorded claim of lien shows up as an exception the buyer won’t accept, and escrow needs to know how it will be cleared.

Washington’s mechanics’ lien law, RCW 60.04, lets people who supply labor, professional services, materials or equipment to improve your property claim a lien for what they’re owed (RCW 60.04.021). That includes the contractor you hired, and it can include subcontractors, suppliers and workers you never met.

The deadlines that matter

Based on: RCW 60.04.021, 60.04.031, 60.04.081, 60.04.091 and 60.04.141.

Check the dates on the recorded claim against these deadlines. A lien recorded too late, or one where the eight months ran out with no lawsuit, may be easier to clear than it looks. Title and your attorney make that call, not the seller.

If you paid your contractor and a sub filed anyway

This is the "paying twice" problem, and Washington has a specific rule for it. For the repair, alteration or remodel of an existing house you own and live in, RCW 60.04.031 says:

• The contractor you hired directly doesn’t have to send a notice and has a lien for the full amount due under your contract.
• Suppliers and others who didn’t contract with you have to send you a notice of right to claim a lien. Their lien can only be paid from amounts you hadn’t yet paid your contractor when you received the notice.
• "Received" means actual receipt by personal service or registered or certified mail, or three days after mailing by registered or certified mail, not counting weekends and legal holidays.

RCW 60.04.031 also says laborers whose claim is based only on labor don’t have to send a notice. So gather your contract, invoices, proof of payment, any lien notices you got and the dates you got them.

Look for the contractor’s disclosure statement too. Under RCW 18.27.114, a contractor on a residential job of $1,000 or more for four or fewer units has to give you a written notice before starting work. It warns "YOUR PROPERTY MAY BE LIENED" and suggests asking for lien release documents from each supplier and subcontractor. A contractor subject to that rule can’t bring or keep a lien for the job without showing it gave you the statement. Contractors have to keep a signed copy for at least three years.

Ways to clear a lien before closing

Based on: RCW 60.04.161, RCW 60.04.081 and RCW 60.04.141.

Keep in mind that the frivolous-lien route cuts both ways. Under RCW 60.04.081, if the court decides the lien isn’t frivolous and isn’t clearly excessive, you pay the claimant’s costs and attorney fees. Get legal advice before you file.

If the contractor is still around, check its registration and bond on L&I’s contractor lookup. Under RCW 18.27.040, contractors carry a bond of $30,000 (general) or $15,000 (specialty), and the lookup shows lawsuits against the bond.

What to tell your buyer

Form 17 asks about past remodeling and whether permits were obtained (Item 4C). Answer it accurately. If the disputed work wasn’t permitted, see our guide to unpermitted work. RCW 64.06.020 currently has two versions on the Legislature’s site: one marked effective until January 1, 2027, and one effective January 1, 2027. The questions quoted here appear in both. If your sale runs across the new year, check which form is being used.

A lien that’s being paid at closing doesn’t usually scare buyers off, as long as escrow has a clear plan. If you’d rather sell without finishing the project, our guide to selling a house as-is in Washington walks through that. The payoff will show up on your settlement statement like any other lien; see the true cost of selling a house in Washington and the closing process.

FAQ

Can I sell my house if a contractor put a lien on it?

Yes, but the lien has to be dealt with before or at closing for the buyer to get clear title. Most often it’s paid from your sale proceeds and released, or you negotiate a lower amount. If you dispute it, Washington law lets you record a bond in place of the lien or ask a court to release a frivolous or clearly excessive lien.

How long does a contractor have to file a lien in Washington?

Under RCW 60.04.091, the claim of lien has to be recorded no later than 90 days after the claimant last furnished labor, services, materials or equipment. Then, under RCW 60.04.141, it stops binding the property eight calendar months after recording unless the claimant files suit within that time and serves the owner within 90 days of filing.

A subcontractor I never hired filed a lien. Do I have to pay twice?

Not always. For a remodel of an existing house you live in, RCW 60.04.031 says suppliers and subcontractors who didn’t contract with you have to send you a notice of right to claim a lien, and their lien can only reach money you hadn’t yet paid your contractor when you got that notice. Laborers are an exception and don’t have to send notice. Talk to an attorney about your facts.

How do I get a lien removed so I can close?

Common routes are: pay or settle and get a recorded release; record a surety bond under RCW 60.04.161 (the greater of $5,000 or twice the lien if it’s $10,000 or less, or 1.5 times if it’s more); ask the court under RCW 60.04.081 to release a frivolous lien; or, if the deadline passes without a lawsuit, have title confirm the lien no longer binds the property. Escrow and title will tell you what they need.

What is the contractor disclosure statement?

RCW 18.27.114 requires a registered contractor on a residential job of $1,000 or more to give you a notice before starting work. It includes the warning "YOUR PROPERTY MAY BE LIENED" and says you may ask for lien release documents from suppliers and subcontractors. A contractor who didn’t provide it may be barred from keeping a lien for that job.

Talk it through with a local agent

Peter Kim and Odigo Real Estate Club can help you get ahead of title issues before you list and keep escrow, title and your attorney on the same timeline, with 25+ years combined experience, 593+ closings, and 122 five-star Zillow reviews. See our home selling services or ask for a property valuation.

Odigo Real Estate Club · REAL Brokerage, WA #112064 · 16108 Ash Way, Suite 201, Lynnwood, WA 98087 · (425) 409-3823 · Mon–Sat 9 AM–6 PM, closed Sunday

Sources

• Washington State Legislature, RCW 60.04.021 (lien for labor, professional services, materials or equipment), https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=60.04.021 , accessed Nov 3, 2026.
• Washington State Legislature, RCW 60.04.031 (notice of right to claim a lien; 60 days, 10 days for new construction; owner-occupied remodel rule; laborers exempt), https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=60.04.031 , accessed Nov 3, 2026.
• Washington State Legislature, RCW 60.04.091 (claim of lien recorded within 90 days; contents), https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=60.04.091 , accessed Nov 3, 2026.
• Washington State Legislature, RCW 60.04.141 (eight calendar months unless suit filed and owner served within 90 days), https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=60.04.141 , accessed Nov 3, 2026.
• Washington State Legislature, RCW 60.04.081 (frivolous or clearly excessive lien; hearing 6 to 15 days after service; attorney fees), https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=60.04.081 , accessed Nov 3, 2026.
• Washington State Legislature, RCW 60.04.161 (bond in lieu of lien; amounts), https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=60.04.161 , accessed Nov 3, 2026.
• Washington State Legislature, RCW 18.27.114 (contractor disclosure statement for residential jobs of $1,000 or more; prerequisite to lien claim; three-year retention), https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=18.27.114 , accessed Nov 3, 2026.
• Washington State Legislature, RCW 18.27.040 (contractor bond: $30,000 general, $15,000 specialty), https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=18.27.040 , accessed Nov 3, 2026.
• Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, Verify a contractor, tradesperson or business (registration, workers’ comp account, lawsuits against the bond), https://lni.wa.gov/licensing-permits/contractors/hiring-a-contractor/verify-contractor-tradesperson-business , accessed Nov 3, 2026.
• Washington State Legislature, RCW 64.06.020 (seller disclosure statement form; version effective until Jan 1, 2027 and version effective Jan 1, 2027), https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=64.06.020 , accessed Nov 3, 2026.

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