What is a Design Professionals Lien?

A Design Professional's Lien is a legal tool that allows architects and design professionals to secure payment for their services by placing a lien on the property for which they provided services. This type of lien can indeed be recorded before construction begins, which is crucial for design professionals to ensure they have a legal claim on the property to protect their right to payment.

Such a lien is particularly beneficial because it ensures that the design professional has a mechanism to collect payment even if the property owner fails to pay for their services. This preemptive action sets the lien's priority before any construction activities commence, thus making it easier for the design professional to assert their rights in the event of non-payment. By allowing the lien to be filed prior to the beginning of construction, design professionals are better positioned to safeguard their financial interests in the project.

In the context of the other options, a lien for unpaid wages to subcontractors refers to a different type of lien and is not directly associated with design professionals. The applicability of a lien exclusively to residential projects or its limitation to public projects does not align with the general nature of a Design Professional’s Lien, which is broader and can apply to various types of projects, not just residential or public.