Unpaid on a West Michigan job? LevelSet Collections prepares, records and serves Kent County mechanics liens, Michigan’s claim of lien, for contractors, subcontractors and suppliers on jobs in Grand Rapids, Wyoming, Kentwood, Walker, Grandville, Rockford and the surrounding townships. Since 2020 we have filed more than 1,100 liens, and the whole Kent filing is one all-inclusive price.
Quick answer: A Kent County mechanics lien is a claim of lien recorded with the Kent County Register of Deeds at 300 Monroe Avenue NW in Grand Rapids, which accepts e-recording that meets the Michigan eRecording Standards. It has to be recorded within 90 days of last furnishing and served within 15 days. See the full Michigan deadlines and statutes.
Where Kent County liens are recorded
Kent County liens are recorded by the Kent County Register of Deeds, part of the office of County Clerk/Register Lisa Posthumus Lyons, at 300 Monroe Avenue NW in Grand Rapids. The office records deeds, mortgages, land contracts, liens and other documents affecting real property in the county. Office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. weekdays, but recording stops at 4:30 p.m.
Kent accepts electronic recording through three major e-recording vendors, processes e-filed documents from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on business days, and returns them electronically. Documents that don’t meet the Michigan eRecording Standards or the Michigan Recording Act can be rejected, so the claim has to be right the first time.
Finding the legal owner and legal description in Kent County
Kent’s cities and townships each assess their own property, so a Grand Rapids job and a Gaines Township job start with different assessors. We get the owner and parcel number from the local assessor and then confirm the vesting deed in the Register of Deeds records.
We also check those records for a Notice of Commencement on commercial jobs. It names the designee who has to receive the Notice of Furnishing and the claim of lien, and a claim served on the wrong person can fail.
Cities we file in across Kent County
Kent County has 9 cities: Grand Rapids, Wyoming, Kentwood, Walker, Grandville, East Grand Rapids, Rockford, Lowell and Cedar Springs. It also has 5 villages (Caledonia, Casnovia, Kent City, Sand Lake and Sparta) and 21 townships, including Ada, Cascade, Gaines, Plainfield, Byron, Caledonia and Grand Rapids Charter Township.
A lot of West Michigan growth is just over the line. Hudsonville and Jenison are in Ottawa County, so a “Grand Rapids area” job west of Grandville may need to be recorded in Ottawa County, not Kent.
Kent work runs from hospital and university projects in downtown Grand Rapids to warehouses and manufacturing in the southern suburbs and subdivisions in the townships. Downtown, Pioneer Construction is building the 12,000-seat Acrisure Amphitheater, with 7,000 fixed seats and 5,000 lawn seats; the county commissioners toured the site on January 30, 2026.
What sinks liens in Kent County
- Showing up at 4:40. Recording stops at 4:30 p.m., even though the office stays open until 4:45.
- An e-filing that doesn’t meet the state standards. Kent can reject documents that don’t comply with the Michigan eRecording Standards.
- An Ottawa County job filed in Grand Rapids. Hudsonville and Jenison are in Ottawa County.
- Serving the wrong person. On commercial jobs, the designee named in the Notice of Commencement gets the claim.
- No lis pendens within the year. Foreclosure has to start within one year after recording. See the Michigan deadline table.
How LevelSet handles a Kent County lien
- Intake. You send the job address, who hired you, your invoices, your furnishing dates and any Notice of Furnishing you served.
- Statutory form. We confirm the owner through the local assessor and the recorded deed, check for a Notice of Commencement, and prepare the Michigan claim of lien.
- Notarization. Matt Rush, as agent for the claimant, signs the claim before a notary.
- Recording. We e-record it with the Kent County Register of Deeds in a format that meets the Michigan eRecording Standards.
- Service. We serve the designee or owner by certified mail inside 15 days after recording and send the general contractor a copy.
Example: a Kent County deadline walk-through
Example: A general contractor hired directly by the owner finishes a restaurant build-out in Kentwood on September 3. As a contractor in privity with the owner, it doesn’t need a Notice of Furnishing. Its claim of lien has to be recorded with the Kent County Register of Deeds by December 2 (90 days), served within 15 days after recording, and foreclosed within one year after recording.
Missed the Kent County deadline?
The lien may be lost, but you’re still owed. We collect unpaid West Michigan construction invoices through construction collections on contingency, 10% to 33%, and charge nothing if we don’t collect.
Other Michigan counties we file in
Wayne County · Oakland County · Macomb County
Statewide notice and filing deadlines, with statute citations, are on our Michigan construction lien page. We file across Michigan, county by 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 Kent County mechanics lien?
With the Kent County Register of Deeds, 300 Monroe Avenue NW, Grand Rapids. Recording hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays, and the office also accepts e-recording.
Does Kent County accept e-recorded liens?
Yes, through three major e-recording vendors. E-filed documents must meet the Michigan eRecording Standards and are returned electronically.
Is a Hudsonville or Jenison job a Kent County lien?
No. Both are in Ottawa County. We confirm the county before drafting.
Does a general contractor need a Notice of Furnishing in Kent County?
Not if it contracted directly with the owner. Subs and suppliers do, within 20 days after first furnishing.
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 West Michigan job?
Kent County liens $199 to $500, all-inclusive of recording, notarizing and serving. E-recorded in Grand Rapids, usually in 2 business days. Call (469) 694-8003.
