Louisiana Contractor Payment Disputes and Mechanic's Lien Attorney
Payment fights move fast in Louisiana construction — and the deadlines are unforgiving. Whether you finished the job and haven't seen a dollar, or a lien just landed on your property and you're not sure it's even valid, I can tell you exactly where you stand and what to do next. I've been a licensed general contractor since 2003. I know how pay applications work, how change orders get abused, and how the Private Works Act actually operates in practice — not just on paper.
Louisiana's Private Works Act: What You Need to Know Before the Clock Runs Out
The Private Works Act is Louisiana's statutory framework governing payment rights and lien claims on private construction projects. It creates specific rights for contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, and laborers to file a claim of privilege — commonly called a mechanic's lien — against the property where work was performed. But those rights come with strict deadlines, and missing them can extinguish your claim entirely.
Key points every party to a Louisiana construction project should understand:
- A general contractor typically has 60 days from substantial completion or the owner's filing of a Notice of Termination to file a lien.
- Subcontractors and suppliers generally have 30 days from the filing of an owner's Notice of Acceptance or Notice of Termination.
- Lien claims must be filed in the parish where the property is located — filing in the wrong parish is a fatal defect.
- A lien that is filed incorrectly, untimely, or for an amount that cannot be substantiated can be challenged and cancelled.
- Once a valid lien is filed, the property cannot be sold or refinanced without resolving the claim.
These deadlines are not flexible. If you think you may have a lien claim — or if a lien has already been filed against your property — contact me before you assume you have time to wait.
Three Disputes I Handle Regularly — and How I Approach Each
Construction payment disputes tend to cluster around three core conflicts. Here is how I think about each one.
The Contractor Who Finished the Work and Isn't Getting Paid
This is one of the most common situations I see, and it is also one of the most time-sensitive. You completed the scope, you submitted your pay application, and the owner is stalling, disputing the amount, or simply not responding. The Private Works Act gives you a path to force the issue — but only if you act within the filing window. I analyze your contract, your pay applications, and your completion timeline to determine whether a lien is available, calculate the correct amount, and file it in the right parish before the deadline closes. If the dispute doesn't resolve after the lien is filed, I take it to court.
The Property Owner Who Received a Lien They Believe Is Wrong
A lien on your property is not automatically a valid lien. Liens get filed with inflated amounts, after the deadline has passed, by parties who have no contractual relationship with the owner, or with procedural defects that make them legally defective. If a contractor filed a lien on your house and you believe it is improper, I review the filing against the statutory requirements and the underlying contract to determine whether grounds exist to challenge it. A defective lien can be cancelled through a summary proceeding — and in some cases, a contractor who files a lien they know is invalid can face liability for the costs of removing it.
The Change Order and Scope Dispute That Has Turned Into a War
Change orders are where most construction relationships break down. The owner says the work was part of the original scope. The contractor says it was clearly extra. Neither side has clean documentation. I've been on both sides of this as a licensed general contractor, and I know exactly how change order disputes get manufactured and how they get resolved. I read the contract, the scope of work, the original bid, the change order log, and the field conditions together — because that's the only way to reconstruct what was actually agreed to. When the documentation supports your position, I argue it. When it doesn't, I tell you that too.
Why a Licensed General Contractor in the Courtroom Changes Everything
Thirty-one years of legal practice gives me the courtroom skills. Twenty-plus years as a licensed general contractor gives me something most construction litigators don't have: the ability to read a construction dispute from the inside. I can look at a set of plans, a pay application, a change order log, or a project schedule and understand what actually happened — not just what the documents say happened. That matters when you're trying to explain a construction dispute to a judge or jury who has never been on a job site. I translate the field reality into legal arguments, and I do it because I've lived on both sides of that translation.
Who I Represent in Construction Payment Disputes
I work with clients across the full range of construction payment conflicts, including:
- General contractors and subcontractors pursuing non-payment claims under the Private Works Act
- Property owners and homeowners challenging improper or inflated mechanic's liens
- Contractors and owners in breach of construction contract disputes
- Parties fighting over change order scope, amounts, or authorization
- Subcontractors and suppliers seeking payment from a general contractor who has been paid by the owner
- Contractors and owners in disputes involving substantial completion, punch lists, and final payment
I serve clients in Jefferson Parish, Orleans Parish, and St. Tammany Parish — including Metairie, New Orleans, Covington, Mandeville, and Slidell.
How These Cases Typically Move
Every construction payment dispute is different, but most follow a recognizable sequence. I review your contract, pay applications, change orders, and project history to identify the strongest available claims and the most significant vulnerabilities. If you're a contractor pursuing payment, I determine whether a lien is available, calculate the correct amount, and file before the deadline. If you're an owner challenging a lien, I analyze the filing for defects and pursue cancellation through the appropriate proceeding. In either case, if the dispute doesn't resolve through negotiation or demand, I take it to court. I've handled construction litigation through trial, and I don't settle cases just to close them.
Frequently Asked Questions About Louisiana Contractor Payment Disputes
How do I file a lien for unpaid construction work in Louisiana?
Under the Private Works Act, you file a statement of claim or privilege in the mortgage records of the parish where the property is located. The filing must identify the property, the amount owed, and the nature of the work performed. Deadlines vary depending on your role — general contractors have 60 days from substantial completion or the owner's Notice of Termination, while subcontractors and suppliers generally have 30 days from the owner's Notice of Acceptance. Missing the deadline eliminates your lien rights, so the time to act is before you think the clock has run.A contractor put a lien on my house — is it valid?
Not necessarily. A lien can be defective for several reasons: it was filed after the statutory deadline, it was filed by a party with no direct contractual relationship to the owner, the amount claimed is inflated or unsupported, or it contains procedural errors in the filing itself. I review the lien against the statutory requirements and the underlying contract to determine whether grounds exist to challenge it. If the lien is defective, it can be cancelled through a court proceeding.What is the difference between a general contractor's lien rights and a subcontractor's?
A general contractor has a direct contractual relationship with the property owner and files a lien based on the unpaid contract balance. A subcontractor's lien rights run against the property even though the subcontractor has no direct contract with the owner — the Private Works Act creates that right by statute. However, subcontractors typically have a shorter filing window and must meet specific notice requirements. The practical difference matters most when the general contractor has been paid by the owner but hasn't passed payment down to the subcontractors.Can I recover attorney's fees in a Louisiana construction payment dispute?
It depends on the contract and the specific claim. Some construction contracts include fee-shifting provisions that allow the prevailing party to recover attorney's fees. Louisiana law also provides for attorney's fees in certain lien enforcement actions and in claims under specific statutes. I review the contract and the applicable law at the outset of every case to give you a realistic picture of what recovery is available — including fees.How long does a contractor payment dispute take to resolve?
It varies significantly depending on the amount in dispute, the quality of the documentation on both sides, and whether the other party has any interest in settling. Lien claims that are clearly valid and well-documented often resolve through negotiation once the lien is filed and the property owner understands the cloud on title. Disputes that involve contested change orders, scope disagreements, or defective work allegations take longer and are more likely to go to litigation. I give every client a candid assessment of the likely timeline and the realistic range of outcomes before we proceed.