ArtBuild template ArtBuild checklist · All of Canada
Construction lien eligibility checklist
Collect the facts a lawyer needs to decide whether you can register a lien.
- Version
- 2026.1
- Last updated
- October 24, 2026
Prepared by ArtBuild to help you organise your paperwork. It is general information, not legal advice, and it has not been reviewed by a lawyer. Check the rules for your province or territory before you act.
Part of the Unpaid Construction Payment Recovery Kit: start with its guide, and download the whole kit there.
Prepare facts for a qualified review
This is an intake checklist for investigating a possible construction lien or, where relevant, another local security mechanism. It is not a test that returns eligible or ineligible. A completed checklist is not authorization to register a claim.
- Province or territory of the improvement
- Project address and legal property description if known
- Owner legal name and public or private status
- Residential or commercial use
- Your role and party that engaged you
- Contract date and amendment dates
- Describe the labour, services or materials actually supplied and how they relate to the identified improvement.
- Separate invoiced work, unapproved extras, interest and other claimed costs; have claim composition reviewed.
- Identify the land interest and any special ownership circumstances, including Crown or public property.
- Collect contract-chain records rather than assuming the direct customer owns the property.
- Record supply dates, completion certificates, abandonment, termination and notices with their documentary sources.
- Flag insolvency, existing proceedings and any prior security or settlement documents.
Uncertainty requiring urgent attention
If a relevant event date is disputed or missing, record all plausible dates and the evidence for each. Ask an adviser to resolve the issue promptly. Do not use the latest possible date simply because it offers more time.
Separate eligibility from procedure
| Question for reviewer | Answer and source to record |
|---|---|
| Does this claimant and supply qualify? | [provision, project facts and exclusions] |
| What property or fund is involved? | [registration route or alternative process] |
| What starts each applicable time period? | [trigger, evidence and disputed facts] |
| What preserves the claim? | [official form, filing office and service steps] |
| What later enforcement is needed? | [separate action, notice and deadline review] |
| What risks or competing proceedings matter? | [insolvency, releases, wrongful claim or other restrictions] |
- Reviewer identity and jurisdiction
- Review date and documents considered
- Confirmed steps and dates supplied by reviewer
- Unresolved issue and assigned action
The accompanying Lien Deadline Tracker stores separately confirmed dates. It does not calculate a legal filing period. Quebec, public property and federal projects require their own analysis; an Ontario rule must not be copied to another jurisdiction.
The sources above are research starting points, not an eligibility determination.
Before you act: this document is general information prepared by ArtBuild to help you organise facts and paperwork. It is not legal advice and has not been reviewed by a lawyer for your situation. Rules differ by province and territory and change over time. Check the official source for your project, and for deadlines, liens, court or insolvency steps, speak with a lawyer licensed where the project is located.