Unpaid on a job in Dallas County? LevelSet Collections prepares, files and serves mechanics liens on Dallas County property for general contractors, subcontractors and suppliers. We're based in Carrollton and file across DFW, usually within 2 business days.
Quick answer: Dallas County liens are recorded with the Dallas County Clerk. Texas deadlines apply: subs and suppliers send notice by the 15th of the 3rd month after unpaid work (2nd on homes) and file by the 15th of the 4th month after their last work (3rd on homes). See all Texas deadlines →
Where Dallas County liens are recorded
Dallas County Clerk, Recording Division, Records Building, 500 Elm Street, Suite 2100, Dallas, TX 75202. County Clerk recording page.
Dallas County accepts e-recording through approved vendors including Simplifile, eRecording Partners Network and CSC. The county says most of its real estate documents are now recorded electronically, which is how we file most Dallas County liens. County e-recording page.
Recorded documents can be searched online through the county's official public records search, which is also how we confirm a lien was recorded and pull the recording number for your file.
Recording fees
The clerk's posted fee schedule lists $25 for the first page and $4 for each additional page for standard recordings. Clerk fee schedule. County fees can change. Our price of $199 to $500 already includes recording fees, so you won't get a separate bill for them.
Finding the legal owner and legal description
A lien has to name the owner and describe the property correctly. In Dallas County we pull that from the Dallas Central Appraisal District (DCAD) property search, then check it against the deed records. The street address on your invoice is often not enough: the record owner may be an LLC, a trust or a builder, not the person who hired you.
Several Dallas County cities spill into Collin, Denton, Tarrant or Rockwall counties. Carrollton, for example, sits in Dallas, Denton and Collin counties, so we confirm the county from the appraisal record before filing.
Cities we file in across Dallas County
Wholly in Dallas County: Irving, DeSoto, Duncanville, Lancaster, Farmers Branch, Balch Springs, University Park, Addison and Highland Park.
Partly in Dallas County: Dallas, Garland, Mesquite, Carrollton, Richardson, Grand Prairie, Rowlett, Cedar Hill, Coppell, Sachse and Seagoville.
How filing works in Dallas County
- Send us the job. Address, who hired you, invoices, and the months you worked.
- We confirm the property. Owner and legal description from DCAD, plus the county where the property actually sits.
- We check your deadlines and notices. We confirm you're inside the Texas deadline and that any required notice of claim went out, or still can.
- We draft the lien affidavit. You review it. On a homestead, we check for the signed, filed contract and add the required warning language.
- We sign, notarize and record. The affidavit is recorded with the Dallas County Clerk.
- We serve it. A copy goes to the owner, and to the original contractor if you're a sub or supplier, within the 5-day window (§ 53.055).
- You get the recorded copy. When you're paid, we file the release.
Lien deadline passed or the lien didn't pay?
The debt is still owed. We collect unpaid construction invoices on contingency, 10% to 33%, with no charge if we don't collect. See construction collections →
Other DFW counties
Tarrant County · Collin County · Denton County · All Texas lien deadlines
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 mechanics lien in Dallas County?
With the Dallas County Clerk, which records liens on property located in Dallas County. The affidavit has to be filed in the county where the property sits, so if the job is in a city that crosses county lines, we confirm the county first.
What are the lien deadlines in Dallas County?
The same as everywhere in Texas. Subs and suppliers send notice by the 15th of the 3rd month after each month of unpaid work (2nd month on homes) and file by the 15th of the 4th month after their last month of work (3rd month on homes). Original contractors count from when the original contract ended.
How do you find the legal owner and legal description in Dallas County?
We pull the property record from the Dallas Central Appraisal District (DCAD) and check it against the county clerk's records before drafting the lien.
How much does it cost and how fast is it filed?
Liens are $199 to $500, including recording fees, notarizing and serving. Pre-lien notices are $100. Typical turnaround is 2 business days, with no minimum claim amount.
This page is general information, not legal advice. LevelSet Collections is not a law firm; we prepare and file liens as agent for the claimant. Deadlines are from Texas Property Code Chapter 53 as amended by HB 2237 for original contracts entered into on or after January 1, 2022. Older contracts may follow the prior rules. Sources: Tex. Prop. Code ch. 53.
Owed money on a Dallas County job?
Liens $199 to $500, recording, notarizing and serving included. Usually filed in 2 business days. Call (469) 694-8003.
