What is the MAXIMUM amount of a lien that can be claimed by a subcontractor who notifies the lien agent for a two-family residential property on August 1 that the subcontractor first provided labor and materials on May 1, billing $4,000 per month through September 30 and was never paid?

What is the MAXIMUM amount of a lien that can be claimed by a subcontractor who notifies the lien agent for a two-family residential property on August 1 that the subcontractor first provided labor and materials on May 1, billing $4,000 per month through September 30 and was never paid?

• A. $4,000
• B. $8,000
• C. $12,000
• D. $16,000

Answer: (B)

In Virginia, the amount you can lien on a private residential project is limited to the value of labor and materials furnished within a look-back period before the lien is recorded. For owner-occupied residential projects, that window is 60 days. On August 1, when the lien is filed, only work done in the 60 days prior is eligible to appear in the lien. That covers roughly June and July for a monthly $4,000 billing, totaling $8,000. The labor and materials from May 1 fall outside this 60-day window, so they cannot be included in the lien at that time. Similarly, anything for August or September isn’t included yet when filing on August 1. So the maximum lien amount is $8,000, reflecting the work performed in the last two months of the 60-day look-back period.

In Virginia, the amount you can lien on a private residential project is limited to the value of labor and materials furnished within a look-back period before the lien is recorded. For owner-occupied residential projects, that window is 60 days.

On August 1, when the lien is filed, only work done in the 60 days prior is eligible to appear in the lien. That covers roughly June and July for a monthly $4,000 billing, totaling $8,000. The labor and materials from May 1 fall outside this 60-day window, so they cannot be included in the lien at that time. Similarly, anything for August or September isn’t included yet when filing on August 1.

So the maximum lien amount is $8,000, reflecting the work performed in the last two months of the 60-day look-back period.