Unpaid on a job in Harris County? LevelSet Collections prepares, files and serves mechanics liens on Harris County property for general contractors, subcontractors and suppliers. We're based in Carrollton and file in any Texas county, usually within 2 business days.
Quick answer: Harris County liens are recorded with the Harris 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 Harris County liens are recorded
Harris County Clerk's Office, Real Property Department, 201 Caroline, Suite 320, Houston, TX 77002. County Clerk recording page.
Harris County takes e-recording only through approved providers and only from filers allowed under Texas Local Government Code § 195.003, such as attorneys, lenders and title companies. We handle recording for you so you don't have to sort that out.
Recorded documents can be searched online through the county's public records search, which is also how we confirm a lien was recorded and pull the recording number for your file.
Finding the legal owner and legal description
A lien has to name the owner and describe the property correctly. In Harris County we pull that from the Harris Central Appraisal District (HCAD) records, 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.
Harris County's own budget office reports more than two million residents living outside any city, and most of its growth since 2000 has been in unincorporated areas. A "Houston" mailing address often isn't in the City of Houston at all, so we use the HCAD legal description, not the mailing city.
Cities we file in across Harris County
Wholly in Harris County: Pasadena, La Porte, Deer Park, Bellaire, Humble, Tomball, Jersey Village, Webster, South Houston and West University Place.
Partly in Harris County: Houston, Baytown, Katy, Pearland, Missouri City, Stafford, Friendswood, League City and Waller.
How filing works in Harris County
- Send us the job. Address, who hired you, invoices, and the months you worked.
- We confirm the property. Owner and legal description from HCAD, 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 Harris 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 Texas counties we file in
DFW: Dallas County · Tarrant County · Collin County · Denton County · Ellis County · Johnson County · Parker County · Wise County · Rockwall County · Kaufman County · Hunt County
Statewide: Bexar County · Travis County · Williamson County · Fort Bend County · Montgomery 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 Harris County?
With the Harris County Clerk, which records liens on property located in Harris 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 Harris 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 Harris County?
We pull the property record from the Harris Central Appraisal District (HCAD) 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 Harris County job?
Liens $199 to $500, recording, notarizing and serving included. Usually filed in 2 business days. Call (469) 694-8003.
