Unpaid on a Northern Virginia job in Fairfax County? LevelSet Collections prepares and records Fairfax County mechanics liens, Virginia’s sworn memorandum of lien, for contractors, subcontractors and suppliers on jobs from Tysons and Reston to Springfield, Chantilly, Fairfax City, Vienna and Herndon. We have filed more than 1,100 liens since 2020, and one all-inclusive price covers the whole Fairfax filing.
Quick answer: A Fairfax County mechanics lien is a memorandum of lien recorded with the Land Records Division of the Fairfax Circuit Court at 4110 Chain Bridge Road, where the over-the-counter line closes at 3 p.m. It’s due 90 days from the end of the month you last worked and can only reach back 150 days. Falls Church property is recorded in Arlington, not Fairfax. See the full Virginia deadlines and statutes.
Where Fairfax County liens are recorded
Fairfax County memoranda of lien are recorded by the Land Records Division of the Fairfax Circuit Court, on the third floor of the Fairfax County Courthouse, 4110 Chain Bridge Road, Suite 317. The office is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., but over-the-counter recording runs only from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the court says the recording line “closes promptly at 3 p.m.” Filers have to stay while their documents are recorded, documents can’t be left overnight, and every submission needs the Fairfax Land Records cover sheet.
The court runs its own Electronic Filing System for land records, with Simplifile, CSC and ePN as e-recording partners and no added EFS fee. Documents can be sent any time, but Land Records staff process them from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays, and multi-jurisdiction documents and documents with highway plats can’t go through EFS. We e-record Fairfax liens and track them until they’re accepted.
Fairfax, the City of Fairfax and Falls Church
This is the Fairfax-specific trap. The Fairfax Circuit Court records land documents for Fairfax County and the independent City of Fairfax. But property in the City of Falls Church is recorded with the Arlington County Circuit Court, and property in the City of Alexandria with the Alexandria Circuit Court, even though both border Fairfax County. A lien recorded in the wrong clerk’s office isn’t recorded at all for that property.
Owner and parcel information comes from the county’s real estate assessment search. We use it to confirm the owner and parcel, then pull the vesting deed from the Circuit Court’s land records for the legal description.
Where we file across Fairfax County
Most of Fairfax County is unincorporated, so jobs in Tysons, Reston, McLean, Springfield, Chantilly, Centreville, Annandale and Lorton are all recorded in the Fairfax Circuit Court. The towns of Vienna, Herndon and Clifton are also Fairfax County land records, and so is the City of Fairfax.
Fairfax work runs from office, retail and multifamily projects in Tysons and Reston to data center, healthcare and government work and a steady stream of residential remodels. On the public side, construction began August 3, 2026 on the $127.5 million Willard-Sherwood Health and Community Center in the City of Fairfax, a 100,000-square-foot building shared by the county and city with completion expected in late 2029. Public work in Virginia can’t be liened; it runs on payment bonds.
What sinks liens in Fairfax County
- Arriving after 3 p.m. The over-the-counter recording line closes at 3, even though the office is open until 4.
- A Falls Church parcel recorded in Fairfax. Falls Church land records are kept in Arlington Circuit Court.
- No cover sheet. Every Fairfax land records submission needs the court’s cover sheet.
- Charging work past the 150-day lookback. Anything more than 150 days before your last day, other than retainage up to 10%, can sink the whole lien.
- Counting 90 days from your last day. The 90 days run from the last day of the month you last worked. See the Virginia deadline table.
How LevelSet handles a Fairfax County lien
- Intake. You send the job address, who hired you, your contractor license details, an itemized statement with dates and your last day on the job.
- Statutory form. We confirm the parcel is in Fairfax County or the City of Fairfax, trim the claim to the 150-day lookback and prepare the sworn memorandum on the Virginia statutory form.
- Notarization. Matt Rush swears to and signs the memorandum as agent for the claimant before a notary.
- Recording. We e-record it with the Fairfax Circuit Court Land Records Division through its EFS partners.
- Service. We send the owner the notice your tier requires, and the general contractor too for sub-subs, and include the general contractor’s certification of mailing when you’re the GC.
Example: a Fairfax County deadline walk-through
Example: A drywall subcontractor’s last day on a Tysons office fit-out is June 17. The 90 days run from June 30, so the memorandum of lien has to be recorded with the Fairfax Circuit Court by September 28, and earlier if the building was completed sooner. The claim can only include work from January 18 forward (150 days before June 17), plus retainage up to 10%.
Fairfax County lien deadline passed?
The lien may be gone, but the money is still owed, and Virginia’s ban on pay-if-paid clauses limits the usual excuse. We go after the contractor or customer through construction collections on contingency, 10% to 33%, and you pay nothing if we don’t collect.
Other Virginia counties we file in
Prince William County · Loudoun County
Virginia’s notice, recording and suit deadlines, with statute citations, are on our Virginia mechanics lien page. We file in every Virginia county and independent city.
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 Fairfax County mechanics lien?
With the Land Records Division of the Fairfax Circuit Court, Fairfax County Courthouse, 4110 Chain Bridge Road, Suite 317, or through the court’s Electronic Filing System.
What time does Fairfax land records recording close?
The over-the-counter recording line closes promptly at 3 p.m. The office stays open until 4, and EFS submissions are processed from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays.
Is a Falls Church lien recorded in Fairfax?
No. Property in the City of Falls Church is recorded with the Arlington County Circuit Court. The City of Fairfax, though, is recorded in the Fairfax Circuit Court.
Can a lien be e-recorded in Fairfax County?
Yes. The Fairfax Circuit Court’s Electronic Filing System takes land records through Simplifile, CSC and ePN, except multi-jurisdiction documents and documents with highway plats.
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 Fairfax County job?
Liens $199 to $500, recording, notarizing and notice included. Recorded with the Fairfax Circuit Court, usually in 2 business days. Call (469) 694-8003.
