Unpaid on a job in DeKalb County? LevelSet Collections prepares, eFiles and serves DeKalb County mechanics liens for contractors and suppliers working in Decatur, Brookhaven, Dunwoody, Tucker, Stonecrest and the DeKalb side of Atlanta. We have filed more than 1,100 liens since 2020, and our price covers recording, notarizing and serving.
Quick answer: DeKalb County liens are recorded by the Real Estate Division of the DeKalb County Clerk of Superior Court in Decatur, and every real estate filing has to be eFiled. Watch Atlanta addresses: part of the city is in DeKalb. Georgia's 90-day deadline applies; see the Georgia deadlines and statutes.
Where DeKalb County liens are recorded
DeKalb liens are recorded by the Real Estate Division of the DeKalb County Clerk of Superior Court, in Room G-130 on the ground floor of the Judicial Tower Annex at 556 N. McDonough Street in Decatur. The office handles real estate recording, e-recording, and records maintenance and retrieval.
DeKalb doesn't leave much room for paper. Its Clerk states that all real estate filings are required to be eFiled through approved eFiling sites, tied to HB 1292, effective January 1, 2025. Approved vendors are GSCCCA, Simplifile, eRecording.com, CSC eRecording and ePN.
If the lien has to be enforced, that's a court case, not a recording. DeKalb's Magistrate Court hears civil claims of $15,000 and less, the State Court takes civil filings regardless of amount except where the Superior Court has exclusive jurisdiction, and the Superior Court handles title to land. The Notice of Commencement of Lien Action still comes back to the Clerk's Real Estate Division within 30 days after suit is filed.
Finding the legal owner and legal description in DeKalb County
The DeKalb County Property Appraisal Department, at 325 Swanton Way in Decatur, runs the county's property search, which looks up properties by parcel ID, address or owner name. We use it to confirm the owner of record and the parcel, then pull the legal description from the vesting deed in the Clerk's real estate records.
The parcel record also answers the question that matters most in DeKalb: whether the property is in DeKalb at all. DeKalb lists Atlanta among its cities only partially, and Atlanta's annexation of 744 acres including Emory University and the CDC moved addresses that used to read as unincorporated DeKalb into the city, while the land stayed in DeKalb County.
Cities we file in across DeKalb County
Wholly in DeKalb County: Avondale Estates, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Clarkston, Decatur (the county seat), Doraville, Dunwoody, Lithonia, Pine Lake, Stonecrest, Stone Mountain and Tucker.
Partly in DeKalb County: Atlanta, which is mostly in Fulton. A job with an Atlanta address east of the county line, including the Emory and CDC area, is a DeKalb lien.
DeKalb's public construction is driven by its SPLOST, with about $496 million in estimated revenue: roughly $254 million for transportation, including about 200 miles of road resurfacing, $91.8 million for public safety including new fire stations, and $30.8 million for water, sewer and stormwater. The I-285/I-20 East interchange rebuild near Stonecrest adds collector-distributor and auxiliary lanes. Those public jobs run on payment bonds. Private claims we see in DeKalb are mostly apartment, mixed-use and medical work around Brookhaven, Dunwoody, Decatur and the Emory area, plus new subdivisions in the south of the county.
What sinks liens in DeKalb County
- Recording a DeKalb parcel in Fulton. The most common DeKalb mistake: an Atlanta address assumed to be Fulton County.
- Trying to file on paper. DeKalb requires all real estate filings to be eFiled.
- Using the old unincorporated description for property that was annexed into Atlanta. The county doesn't change, but the owner and parcel details should come from current records.
- Naming the wrong owner on apartment and mixed-use projects, where the owner is often a single-purpose LLC, not the developer you dealt with.
- Missing the 2-business-day owner copy required everywhere in Georgia. See the Georgia deadline table.
How LevelSet handles a DeKalb County lien
- Intake. You send the job address, who hired you, your invoices and your first and last days on the job.
- Property check. We pull the owner and legal description from the DeKalb County Property Appraisal Department's property search and confirm the parcel is actually in DeKalb County.
- Statutory form. We prepare the claim of lien with the Georgia-required 395-day expiration language and the owner's right-to-contest notice, signed by Matt Rush as agent for the claimant and notarized.
- Recording. We eFile it with the DeKalb County Clerk of Superior Court through the GSCCCA eFile portal, with the ID verification Georgia now requires.
- Service. Within 2 business days of filing we mail the owner a copy by certified mail or statutory overnight delivery, and the prime contractor too when a Notice of Commencement is on file.
Example: a DeKalb County deadline walk-through
Example: A plumbing sub finishes on an apartment job with an Atlanta mailing address near Emory on April 21. The parcel record shows it's in DeKalb County, so the claim of lien is eFiled with the DeKalb County Clerk of Superior Court, not Fulton, by July 20 (90 days), and the owner copy is mailed within 2 business days after filing.
Lien deadline passed or the lien didn't pay?
The debt is still owed. We collect unpaid DeKalb County construction invoices through construction collections on contingency, 10% to 33%, with no charge if we don't collect.
Other Georgia counties we file in
Fulton County · Gwinnett County · Cobb County
Deadlines, notices and statute citations for the whole state are on our Georgia mechanics lien page. We file in every Georgia county.
Pricing
Liens $199 to $500, including recording fees, notarizing and serving. Pre-lien notices $100. Typical turnaround 2 business days. No minimum. Call (469) 694-8003, Monday through Friday, 8am to 7pm.
Frequently asked questions
Where do you file a DeKalb County mechanics lien?
With the Real Estate Division of the DeKalb County Clerk of Superior Court, Room G-130 of the Judicial Tower Annex at 556 N. McDonough Street in Decatur. DeKalb requires all real estate filings to be eFiled through approved eFiling sites.
Can an Atlanta address be in DeKalb County?
Yes. DeKalb counts Atlanta among its 13 cities, partially. The City of Atlanta annexed 744 acres including Emory University and the CDC, so a property with an Atlanta address may need to be recorded in DeKalb rather than Fulton. We confirm the county from the parcel before filing.
Which eFiling vendors does DeKalb accept?
DeKalb's Clerk lists GSCCCA, Simplifile, eRecording.com, CSC eRecording and ePN as approved for real estate documents. We eFile every DeKalb lien.
How do you find the owner of a DeKalb property?
Through the DeKalb County Property Appraisal Department's property search, which searches by parcel ID, address or owner name. We pull the owner of record and parcel there, then the legal description from the deed.
This page is general information, not legal advice. LevelSet Collections is not a law firm; we prepare and file liens and notices as agent for the claimant. Deadlines change and depend on the facts of your job. We'll check your dates against the statute before filing. Lien laws are constantly changing. Contact us for the most up-to-date information.
Owed money on a DeKalb County job?
Liens $199 to $500, recording, notarizing and serving included. eFiled with the DeKalb Clerk of Superior Court, usually in 2 business days. Call (469) 694-8003.
