Construction lien mortgage —
clear a contractor's lien
from your title.
A contractor or supplier registered a lien on your property? We refinance against your equity to pay it out or vacate it — fast — so your build and your title move forward.
Built for the urgency
construction liens demand.
Statutory deadlines don't wait. Neither do we — equity-first, disclosure-forward, exit-mapped from day one.
Equity-based approval
Approval is driven by your home's value, not just income or credit score. If you have equity, we can move — regardless of how your file got here.
Built for lien deadlines
Construction liens run on strict statutory deadlines. Private capital can fund in days once an appraisal is done and your lawyer is instructed. Tell us the key dates immediately.
Pays out or vacates the lien
If the debt is valid, we pay the claimant in full and the lien is discharged. If you dispute the claim, we fund the full amount plus security (25% of the claim, up to $250,000) into court to vacate it.
All fees disclosed upfront
Every lender, broker and legal fee is disclosed in writing before you commit. Nothing is deducted without your written consent. Then we map your exit back to A-lender pricing.
From lien registered
to title cleared —
three steps.
Snapshot first, options second, decision last.
Tell us the deadline immediately.
Title + lien snapshot
Send the property address and the lien details — claimant, amount, and the registration/expiry dates. We estimate available equity and map options quickly. If a deadline is close, tell us — construction liens don't wait.
Pay out or vacate
If the debt is valid, we size financing to pay the claimant and discharge the lien. If it's genuinely disputed, your lawyer can vacate it — pay the full amount claimed plus security for costs (25% of the claim, up to $250,000) into court — so title clears while the dispute is litigated separately.
Clear title + plan exit
Your lawyer registers the discharge or the vacating order, your title comes back clean, and the project resumes. We set a refinance trigger to move you back to A-lender pricing as your file heals.
Every lien scenario.
One proven path out.
Tap your situation below to see how we approach it.
If you’re…You owe the contractor — work was done and the invoice is valid
You owe the contractor — work was done and the invoice is valid
We size an equity refinance to pay the claimant in full at closing. The discharge is registered, your title clears, and you're left with one clean mortgage. We map the exit back to A-lender pricing once the file heals.
Check my equityIf you’re…You dispute the claim — defective work, inflated amount, or already paid
You dispute the claim — defective work, inflated amount, or already paid
You don't have to hand over money you don't owe. Your lawyer applies to vacate: we fund the full amount claimed plus security for costs (25% of the claim, up to $250,000) into court. Title clears; the dispute runs separately.
Explore my optionsIf you’re…A subcontractor you never hired registered a lien on your property
A subcontractor you never hired registered a lien on your property
Often legal under construction-lien statutes — subcontractors can lien the property they worked on without a direct contract with you. Your exposure is usually capped at the 10% holdback. We help you clear it or vacate it fast.
Get lien clarityIf you’re…You're mid-renovation and the project has stalled
You're mid-renovation and the project has stalled
A stalled build means carrying costs on two fronts — the lien and the unfinished property. We clear the lien so the renovation can restart and the project resumes its value trajectory.
Restart my projectIf you’re…Multiple liens from several trades and suppliers
Multiple liens from several trades and suppliers
We bundle multiple lien payouts into a single refinance — one mortgage that pays every claimant at closing and clears all the liens simultaneously. Cleaner than dealing with each one separately.
Bundle my liensIf you’re…You want to sell or refinance but the lien is blocking it
You want to sell or refinance but the lien is blocking it
No bank will lend on clouded title and no buyer's lawyer will let a sale close with a lien registered. We clear it first — fast equity refinance — so you can sell or refinance at market terms.
Clear my titleThe cost of waiting
vs. the cost of clearing.
A stalled project and a lien on title both accumulate costs. Here's what clearing it can look like on a typical Ontario file.
- Home value$800,000
- First mortgage balance$380,000
- Contractor's lien$95,000 claimed
- Monthly legal costs~$2,000–$3,000
- Project statusStalled
- Can refinance or sell?No
- Private 2nd mortgage$110,000
- Combined LTV~61%
- Monthly interest (private)~$875
- Ongoing legal costs$0
- Project statusResumed
- Can refinance or sell?Yes
Illustrative only — your home value, lien amount, LTV and rate will differ. Private rate sourced from CMHC Residential Mortgage Industry Report Q3 2025. Get your file assessed.
Common questions,
clear answers.
Pay out vs. vacate, deadlines, equity needed, cost — answered plainly.
Can I refinance with a construction lien on my title?
Not with a bank — a lien clouds your title and A-lenders won't fund. But an alt-A or private lender will refinance against your equity specifically to pay the lien out (or fund the full amount claimed plus security for costs, 25% of the claim up to $250,000, to be paid into court to vacate it), so it's discharged at closing and your title clears.
What's the difference between paying out and vacating a lien?
Paying out means you owe the money and the claimant is paid in full, then the lien is discharged. Vacating means you dispute the claim — your lawyer pays the full amount claimed in the lien plus security for costs (25% of the claim, up to $250,000) into court; once the court order is obtained and registered, the lien comes off title so you can refinance or sell, while the dispute is litigated separately. We size the financing for whichever applies.
How fast can this close?
Private construction-lien files can often fund within days once an appraisal is done and the lawyer is instructed. Because construction liens run on strict statutory deadlines, tell us the key dates immediately — the more runway, the cheaper and wider your options. No honest broker can promise a timeline sight-unseen; it depends on your equity, the property and the deadline.
How much equity do I need?
Generally the new mortgage (existing balance + payout + costs) needs to stay under about 80% of value at alt-A, or 65–75% on private. Illustrative and varies by file. A home with meaningful equity can usually clear a lien and sometimes consolidate other debt at the same time.
A subcontractor I never hired put a lien on my house — is that legal?
Often, yes. Construction-lien statutes let subcontractors and suppliers down the chain lien the property they worked on, even without a direct contract with you — which is exactly why these liens surprise homeowners. The remedy is the same: pay a valid claim out, or vacate a disputed one into court. Your exposure to a subcontractor is usually limited to the 10% holdback you were required to keep from your contractor — ask a construction-lien lawyer before paying a subcontractor's claim in full.
What does it cost?
Alt-A runs roughly 100–200 bps over A-lender pricing; private is higher — CMHC put the average single-family rate at the 25 largest private mortgage investment entities at 9.6% in Q3 2025 — plus a lender and broker fee, all disclosed in writing. It's temporary, and it's almost always cheaper than a stalled project, mounting legal costs, or a forced sale.
Can I get back to a normal mortgage afterward?
Yes — that's the plan. Once title is clean and your file heals, we refinance you back to A-lender pricing, typically in 12–24 months.
Is this the same as your judgment and lien service?
It's the construction-lien-specific version of it. For other liens and judgments — writs, tax liens, court judgments — see our judgment & lien mortgage page. The financing mechanism is the same; construction liens just move faster and have their own statutory rules.
We’ll try to beat your rate.
If we can’t, we pay you $500.¹
¹ Rate Beat: eligible Big-6 bank written offers only · same product, term & amount · $500 paid to you or your nominated charity at closing · conditions apply
Find a specialist in your city
Construction lien financing is equity-first — how much your home is worth matters more than where you live. But the market, the appraiser, and the legal requirements vary by city.