Florida Construction Liens and Notices of Commencement (2026)
A contractor who is not paid records a claim of lien against the parcel, and a job that stalls leaves a notice of commencement with no termination behind it. Both are public, both are early, and both point at an owner who has run out of money or patience. This report counts the construction-lien cases and notices DLRadar has indexed in Florida.
- 82,612 construction-lien cases across 19 counties, 10,085 filed in the last twelve months.
- 53,301 notices of commencement indexed alongside the claims.
- 23,296 parcels in the pool carry an open construction or mechanic's lien flag.
- Newest claim date: October 19, 2026.
CL-signal: the CL signal figures as of 2026-10-20; Florida official-record construction lien cases and notices of commencement.
| County | Claims on file | Filed last 12 months |
|---|---|---|
| Okaloosa County | 54,662 | 2,233 |
| Seminole County | 8,403 | 4,067 |
| Pinellas County | 7,976 | 308 |
| Hillsborough County | 3,880 | 1,601 |
| Citrus County | 3,745 | 287 |
| Collier County | 1,448 | 798 |
| Polk County | 1,158 | 439 |
| Pasco County | 559 | 243 |
| Manatee County | 353 | 0 |
| Marion County | 201 | 10 |
| Volusia County | 60 | 24 |
| Gadsden County | 48 | 14 |
Construction-lien cases by county.
Counties with the most claims
Okaloosa County 54,662 (2,233 new); Seminole County 8,403 (4,067 new); Pinellas County 7,976 (308 new); Hillsborough County 3,880 (1,601 new); Citrus County 3,745 (287 new); Collier County 1,448 (798 new).
Claim of lien versus notice of commencement
A notice of commencement opens a job and protects lienors; it is normal on any permitted project. A claim of lien is the contractor's statement that the bill is unpaid, and it must be enforced within a year or it dies. DLRadar sets the CL flag on the claim, not the notice, and shows notices as context.
Reading the ranking
Counties with high notice counts and low claim counts are building; counties where claims rise against flat notices are stalling. The table pairs the counts so the two can be read together.
Work the CL signal
Construction-lien parcels are listed on the leads hub by county, and replacement-cost figures show what finishing the job would take.
CL parcels update as the records refresh.
Florida Construction Liens and Notices of Commencement (2026): questions
Does a construction lien survive a sale?
A recorded claim of lien attaches to the parcel and must be paid or bonded off at closing unless it has expired or been released.
Are residential and commercial jobs both included?
Yes. The index does not separate them; the parcel's property use on the board tells you which it is.
How do I find the contractor who filed?
The lienor is named on the recorded instrument, which the source link on each event opens.
More on the CL signal
Florida Construction Liens and Notices of Commencement (2026) (CL-signal) is fed by Florida official-record construction lien cases and notices of commencement and is not legal advice. Nothing in the CL signal is tax or investment advice; verify every CL-signal record with the issuing office before acting.