Blog

Construction Liens and Roofing: Protect Yourself

Oregon
law allows anyone who performs labor, furnishes materials, or rents equipment
used in construction to file a construction lien if they are properly licensed.
An Information Notice to Owner must be given by the original contractor who
contracts for residential construction or improvements in excess of $1000.

Oregon
law allows anyone who performs labor, furnishes materials, or rents equipment
used in construction to file a construction lien if they are properly licensed.
An Information Notice to Owner must be given by the original contractor who
contracts for residential construction or improvements in excess of $1000.

There
are many ways to protect yourself from an unwarranted lien. The first and best
protection is to deal with a company that follows the rules: Did you receive
from
your
roofing contractor an Information Notice to Owner About Construction Liens?

If
you didn’t receive the required preconstruction lien notice from your roofing
contractor, you are off to a poor start in the bidding process and the
relationship should stop there.

Once
you believe you have found a quality contractor, find out how many
subcontractors they will use during your roofing installation. The lower the
number of 
subs,
the better. Remember, he or she may not even have employees. Subs may do all or
most of the actual work. They may also sub out the dumping, materials,
porta-potty and other roofing related jobs. Anyone who has not been paid for
labor, material, equipment, or services on your project may have the right to
record a lien against your property.

You
can protect yourself best by using a roofing contractor that has its own
installers and by getting a Release of Lien from the material supplier stating
that they give-up the right to lien your property, even if they do not receive
payment in full from your contractor. Why would the material supplier give up
the right to lien?  Because they a long
time relationship with the roofing contractor along thousands of successful
jobs.  You on the other hand  have no prior experience with the contractor
and don’t have the bankroll to take the chance.

Finding
a professional and honest roofing contractor has many pieces to the puzzle.
If
you have been presented with a Consumer Lien Notification, are confident 
that
your roofing contractor has his own roofing employees and have received a
Release
of Lien from the material supplier, then you’ve got a big piece of the puzzle 
solved.