Idaho mechanics lien: what to do when a customer won't pay, the 90-day deadline and the letter to send

Published November 4, 2026 · Idaho Code, court rules and cases checked November 4, 2026

• Free. The demand letter and deadline worksheet come by email.
• Deepsel is our product: free estimate, invoice and scheduling software for contractors (scheduling, quotes, invoicing, card payments). The section before the FAQ says where it fits and where it doesn't.
• Not legal advice. Talk to an Idaho attorney before you record a lien.

If an Idaho customer won't pay, send a written demand now, and decide between a lien and small claims well before day 90. A mechanics lien must be recorded with the county recorder within 90 days after you finished your work. A copy goes to the owner within five business days, and you have six months to sue to enforce it or it dies. On a home job over $2,000, the claim of lien has to include the homeowner's signed 45-525 acknowledgment. For $15,000 or less, small claims court costs $69 and needs no lawyer.

Somebody put the whole problem to r/Roofing in one line: "Customer refuses to pay. What should we do?"²⁶ This page answers it for Idaho, for contractors who registered with DOPL or got their electrical, plumbing or HVAC licence recently and are now looking at their first unpaid invoice. Every rule comes from the Idaho Code, a court's own instructions or an Idaho appeals decision, read on November 4, 2026. The links are in the Sources at the bottom.

The demand letter and deadline worksheet are free: make your own copy in Google Docs, download the Word version (.docx), or download the PDF. Pick a format, enter your email and I'll send the links.

Idaho mechanics lien deadlines at a glance

Nothing else has to go out before the lien. Idaho has no preliminary notice and no required notice of intent to lien, for anyone. The one piece of paper that matters before the job is the 45-525 disclosure, because the lien can't be complete without it.

The first steps when a customer won't pay

These work the same in every state. Idaho adds a rule to step 2 and sets the rate in step 3.

1. Decide whether to keep working. I found no Idaho law that lets you stop a private job because a payment is late, so your contract decides. My Idaho contract template lets you pause after written notice once a payment is more than 15 days late. Without a clause like that, walking off can hand the customer a breach claim. If you do stop, count your lien deadline from your last day on site.
2. Put it in writing. The invoice with a due date, then a short reminder, then a demand letter. Idaho gives the letter real weight: on a claim of $35,000 or less, the winner recovers attorney's fees, but the contractor gets them only if "written demand for the payment of such claim" was made "not less than ten (10) days before the commencement of the action." If the customer offered at least 95% of what the court later awards before you sued, no fees.¹³
3. Add interest only where you're entitled to it. With no rate in a written contract, Idaho's legal rate is 12% a year on "money after the same becomes due."¹⁴ With a rate in your written contract, use that. Judgments entered between July 1, 2026 and June 30, 2027 carry 8.875%.¹⁵
4. Offer a payment plan, in writing. Amounts, dates and what happens if one is missed. If you've already recorded a lien, a payment on account endorsed on the recorded lien gives you six months from that payment to sue.²
5. Call a lawyer before you record a lien on a big balance, before the six-month deadline if you'll foreclose (that's a district court case), when the customer says the work is defective, or when the balance is over $15,000.

Don't let it drift. Someone on r/paint wrote that a friend's job "took him 6 months to get paid and he had to take a line of credit inorder to pay his painters."²⁷ In Idaho, six months of waiting puts you three months past your lien deadline.

Idaho lien laws for contractors: the mechanics lien on a home

Who can file a lien, and who loses it

The right is broad. "Every person performing labor upon, or furnishing materials to be used in the construction, alteration or repair of any ... building ... has a lien upon the same."³ Prime contractors, subs, suppliers and equipment rental companies all qualify.

Registration is where Idaho contractors lose it. A contractor who had to register with the Idaho Contractors Board and didn't "shall be denied and shall be deemed to have conclusively waived any right to place a lien." Without registration you also can't sue to collect unless you prove you were registered "at all times during the performance of such act or contract."⁶ DOPL's own FAQ puts it in three words: "No Lien Rights."⁷

• Registered partway through the job? In December 2024 the Idaho Supreme Court held that "the contractor may not file a lien for work performed while unregistered, but he may file a lien for work done while registered," as long as the later work is separate from the earlier work.⁸
• Registration lapsed during the job? "At all times" reaches that too. Look up your expiry date on DOPL's registration search and renew early. My Idaho contractor registration guide covers who must register.
• Electricians, plumbers and HVAC contractors licensed under their own chapters don't register,⁶ so the registration rule doesn't take their lien on work inside their licence. Contract beyond it on a job over $2,000 and you need the registration too. The electrical, plumbing and HVAC chapters say nothing about liens or lawsuits. My reading is that an unlicensed trade contractor isn't exempt from registration, so it loses the lien like any unregistered contractor.²⁵ The electrical and HVAC licence pages have more.
• Subs and suppliers who are registered keep their lien under an unregistered contractor if they "did not have actual knowledge that such contractor was not duly registered."⁶

The 45-525 acknowledgment belongs in the lien

Idaho doesn't make the lien depend on a written contract. In Baker v. Boren, a Boise remodel with no express contract, the Court of Appeals upheld the contractor's lien on an implied one.⁹ What Idaho does require on a home job sits in the claim itself. Since July 1, 2022, a claim of lien must contain, "For work or materials subject to the provisions of section 45-525, Idaho Code, the required proof of disclosure and acknowledgment of receipt."^1,5

That covers any contract over $2,000 directly with a homeowner to build, alter or repair a home of one to four units, owner-occupied or rented. It doesn't cover jobs where the homeowner called you for "a bona fide emergency" or "to make necessary repairs to an electrical, plumbing or water system."⁴ The Idaho contract page explains the disclosure and has the form.

Does a lien without it fail? I found no Idaho appeals decision on that line yet. Idaho courts say lien requirements "must be substantially complied with in order to perfect a valid lien,"⁹ so treat a missing acknowledgment as fatal to the lien. You can still sue on the contract, because the lien chapter doesn't "impair or affect" your right to a personal action for the debt.³ But the missing disclosure is also a Consumer Protection Act violation the homeowner can throw back at you.^4,21

Idaho has no other lien rules for owner-occupied homes. One rule works in your favor. Idaho shields up to $175,000 of the equity in an owner's home from forced sale, but the homestead "is subject to execution or forced sale" for "debts secured by mechanic's ... lien upon the premises."¹⁷ A small claims judgment has to get past that exemption. A lien doesn't.

The deadline: 90 days from your last real day of work

The statute: "The claim shall be filed within ninety (90) days after the completion of the labor or services, or furnishing of materials."¹ Primes, subs and suppliers all get the same 90 days.

"Completion" means substantial completion of your work. "It is well established that trivial work done or materials furnished after the contract has been substantially completed will not extend the time in which a lien claim can be filed."⁹ In Baker, the hardware, bathroom cabinets, base trim and decking installed in the last five days counted, because they finished the contract and weren't done "minimally in an attempt to prolong the filing date." A punch-list touch-up, a warranty call or a trip to meet the inspector is a different story. The court called the question "fact sensitive," so when you're unsure, count from the earlier date. If you stopped because you weren't paid, count from your last day on site. And record well before day 90 rather than gambling on a weekend.

How to file a mechanics lien in Idaho: what, where and the fee

Idaho has no official form. Under Idaho Code 45-507, the claim of lien must contain:¹

• "A statement of his demand, after deducting all just credits and offsets"
• "The name of the owner, or reputed owner, if known"
• "The name of the person by whom he was employed or to whom he furnished the materials"
• "A description of the property to be charged with the lien, sufficient for identification" (copy the legal description and parcel number from the deed or the assessor, not just the street address)
• On a 45-525 job, the proof of disclosure and the signed acknowledgment

It must be "verified by the oath of the claimant, his agent, or his attorney" that it's just, so sign it in front of a notary. Record it with the recorder of the county where the property is. The fee is $10 for the first page and $3 for each extra page.¹⁸

Then serve the owner. A "true and correct copy" goes to the owner either delivered personally by "an officer authorized by law to serve process" (a sheriff or process server) or "by certified mail to the owner or reputed owner at his last known address," no later than five business days after recording.¹ Keep the mailing receipt with the job file.

Enforce it within six months, or the lien dies

"No lien provided for in this chapter binds any building ... for a longer period than six (6) months after the claim has been filed, unless proceedings be commenced in a proper court within that time."² A payment on account, or an extension of credit with an end date, endorsed on the recorded lien starts a new six months. Foreclosure is a district court lawsuit.³ Small claims can only award money or personal property, so it can't foreclose a lien.¹⁰

Fees cut both ways. "In any court proceeding regarding a lien filed pursuant to this section, the prevailing party shall be entitled to recover reasonable attorney's fees and costs."¹ Win, and the court adds your recording costs and attorney's fees.³ Lose, and you pay the owner's lawyer.

The owner can also take the lien off the house without paying you. They post a surety bond for one and a half times your claim, and the court orders the lien released at a hearing 5 to 10 days out. Your claim then moves to the bond, with interest at 7%. If you have grounds to object to the surety, you have two days after you're served.³

Liability for a wrong or overstated lien

Claim only what's owed after "all just credits and offsets," and remember you're swearing it's just.¹ Get it wrong and three things can follow:

• The owner's attorney's fees, if the lien fails and the owner is the prevailing party.¹
• Slander of title. The owner has to show a false statement, published "with malice," that caused "special damages." In Baker, the lien amount had to be recalculated, yet it wasn't slander because nothing showed malice.⁹ So the risk is padding the amount.
• A consumer protection claim. The Attorney General's rules make it deceptive to "wrongfully permit, by action or inaction, any mechanic's or materialmen's lien" when the owner "has tendered payment in full or has tendered payment in accordance with the contract."²⁰ That reaches your unpaid sub's lien on a customer who paid you. The homeowner can recover actual damages or $1,000, whichever is more, and $15,000 or triple damages for a customer 62 or older or disabled whose home was encumbered.²¹

Once you're paid, record a release with the same county recorder so the title is clean.

Subs and suppliers versus the prime contractor

• Same claim, same 90 days, no preliminary notice for anyone.¹
• If the house is sold to pay liens, the prime contractor is paid after laborers, suppliers and subcontractors.³
• When your sub files a lien, the owner "may withhold from such contractor the amount of money for which claim is filed," and you "shall defend any action brought thereupon at his own expense."³
• The homeowner can make you collect lien waivers from your subs, and gets your list of every sub and supplier over $500 before the final payment.⁴
• Get "satisfactory proof" of each sub's registration before they start.⁶ Pay your subs from the customer's money as it comes in.

Lien waivers: when to sign them

Idaho has no statutory waiver form, so a waiver means exactly what its words say. In Baker, the contractor signed a waiver in the middle of the job, and it "unambiguously released all" of his lien rights for work up to that date. Only the work done afterward could still be liened.⁹ So:

• Sign a waiver only for money that has reached your account, and only through the date that money covers.
• If the check hasn't cleared, make the waiver conditional on payment.
• Never sign a final waiver to get the final check released. Swap them at the same time, or wait for the funds.

If your contract has a holdback, Idaho lets the owner make its release wait on "satisfactory lien waivers" from everyone with a claim on the job.¹⁶

Other routes

Idaho small claims limit: $15,000 since July 1, 2026

Senate Bill 1330 tripled the small claims limit from $5,000 to $15,000, in force from July 1, 2026.¹¹ Its statement of purpose says it "allows individuals and small businesses to resolve common disputes" such as "repairs or unpaid bills" without lawyers. Any guide that still says $5,000 is out of date.

• The filing fee is $69, plus the cost of serving the customer. A business must e-file in counties that offer it.¹²
• File in the county where the customer lives or where the job was.¹⁰
• No lawyer may speak for either side at the trial. A business is represented by an owner or a non-lawyer employee.¹⁰
• The customer has 21 days to answer after being served. Either side can appeal within 30 days of the judgment.¹⁰
• If the judgment is still unpaid 60 days later, you can add attorney's fees and the documented costs of collecting it.¹⁰

Pick small claims for a balance of $15,000 or less when you want it quick and cheap. Pick the lien when the balance is bigger, when you want the house as security, or when the customer looks likely to stall past day 90. Recording the lien first keeps both doors open until the six-month deadline.

Interest and attorney's fees

Interest is covered in step 3: your written contract's rate, or 12% a year without one.¹⁴ Attorney's fees come from three places: the 10-day demand rule for claims of $35,000 or less, the lien statute for lien cases, and Idaho Code 12-120(3).^13,1 That last one gives fees to the winner of a suit on a bill or a contract for services, or in a "commercial transaction," which the statute defines as everything except "transactions for personal or household purposes." Whether a homeowner's own job falls under it is a question for your lawyer.

Prompt payment: no Idaho law for home jobs, but a retention rule

I found no prompt-payment law for private work in Idaho. The nearest thing is Idaho Code 29-115 on retention, the holdback an owner keeps from each payment. Its 5% cap "shall not apply" to an owner-occupied home of one to four units. The same section also says retention is released within 35 days of final completion, and in a dispute the owner may keep back no more than 150% of "the estimated value of the issue in dispute."¹⁶ My reading is that only the 5% cap is switched off for homes, so the release rule still applies when your home contract has a retention. Ask your lawyer before you lean on it.

A collection agency

Anyone collecting "for others" in Idaho needs a license from the Idaho Department of Finance, so check the license before you sign up.¹⁹ Agencies keep a share of what they collect, and a licensed agency that takes your claim can sue in small claims itself.¹⁰ It makes sense for small balances you've given up chasing, and after your lien deadline has passed.

Card chargebacks

A customer who paid by credit card can dispute the job with their card issuer if the charge was over $50 and in their home state (or within 100 miles), after "a good faith attempt to resolve the dispute" with you, so answer every dispute with the signed quote, change orders and photos.²³

By trade

Roofers: the deductible and the insurance check

Your contract is with the homeowner. Bill the full contract price, deductible included, and the lien works the same on a claim job. If you prepare, present or negotiate the claim, Idaho Code 41-348 makes it unlawful to have "a regular practice of waiving, rebating, giving, paying" all or part of the deductible, so collect it like any other part of the price.²² Put in your contract that the price is due on completion whether or not the insurer has paid yet.

Electricians, plumbers and HVAC: bill by stage, and don't wait on the final inspection

Tie payments to stages the customer can see. One plumber's split: "I do 30% after underground, 40% after rough in, and 30% at the end."²⁸ On a one-day panel swap or furnace change-out, that becomes a deposit and the rest when it passes final inspection.

• Many service calls are outside 45-525: jobs of $2,000 or less, an emergency the homeowner called you for, or a necessary repair to an electrical, plumbing or water system they called you for. On those, the lien needs no acknowledgment. HVAC isn't named in that exception, so an HVAC call qualifies only as an emergency.⁴
• If the customer is holding the money until the job passes inspection, get the inspection booked this week. The inspector's visit doesn't reliably move your 90 days.⁹
• Most unpaid service invoices fit small claims easily.

General contractors and remodelers: the punch list holding the final payment

Someone asked r/Contractor in October: "Client withholding $6,000 over a small crack in a concrete patio. Suggestions?"²⁹ In Idaho, the punch list doesn't stop your lien clock. It runs from substantial completion, so decide about the lien by day 90 even while you're still talking about the crack. If your contract has a retention, the 150% rule above caps what the owner may hold back over a disputed item.¹⁶

What to do this week if a customer owes you now

1. ☐ Find your last real day of work. Write the day-90 date on the worksheet and in your calendar.
2. ☐ Check your registration or licence was current on every day of the job, on DOPL's search.
3. ☐ On a home job over $2,000, find the signed 45-525 acknowledgment.
4. ☐ Pull the paper: the signed quote or contract, change orders, invoices, payments, photos and texts.
5. ☐ Send the demand letter by certified mail and email, with a pay-by date at least 10 days out and an offer of a written payment plan.
6. ☐ Get the owner's name and the legal description from the deed or the county assessor.
7. ☐ Decide: small claims (up to $15,000, $69) or a lien with a lawyer.
8. ☐ If you lien: notarize, record, mail the owner a copy within five business days, and put the six-month date in your calendar.
9. ☐ Sign no lien waiver for money you haven't received.

The free Idaho demand letter and deadline worksheet

It's the paper for the steps above, built around Idaho's rules:

• Page 1, a checklist for you: how to send the letter, the 10-day rule, and when to delete the lien paragraph (unregistered, past 90 days, or no 45-525 acknowledgment).
• The demand letter, with your registration or licence number, an account table from contract price to balance due, an interest line at your contract rate or Idaho's 12%, a pay-by date, a payment plan offer, and a boxed notice of intent to record a claim of lien. Idaho sets no wording for that notice, so it's plain English.
• The deadline worksheet: your last day of work, then every deadline in this article with its statute, a blank date and a box to tick.
• A claim of lien checklist of the five things 45-507 requires, the notary, the recorder and the fee, plus a log of every lien waiver you sign on the job.

Copy it in Google Docs, or download the Word file or the PDF. Before you record a lien, pay an Idaho construction attorney for an hour.

More for new contractors

• How to find work as a new contractor: where your first customers come from, with a free first customers plan.
• Angi vs Thumbtack: should you pay for leads yet, with a free lead cost calculator.
• Google Business Profile for contractors: setup, verification and your first reviews, with a free checklist.
• How much to set aside for taxes: self-employment tax, quarterly payments and your state, with a free calculator.
• Hiring your first employee: W-2 or 1099, workers comp and what a helper really costs, with a free checklist.
• Contractor insurance: what you need from day one, what it costs and what can wait, with a free checklist.
• Punch list template: stop a small list holding your final payment.

Where Deepsel fits

Deepsel is the field service software I build, and it covers the paper trail that comes before a lien. Every invoice gets a due date from your shop setting, shows as overdue once that date passes, and adds to the overdue total on your dashboard. You email the invoice with a link where the customer can pay the balance by card, and you can send it again with a note. Each send is logged with its date, and the invoice shows when the customer first opened it. Partial payments by check, cash, bank transfer, Zelle or Venmo get recorded with a receipt. On the quote side, the customer approves and signs on screen, the approval is time-stamped, and a card deposit taken at approval is credited on the final invoice. You can attach files such as the signed 45-525 page to the quote or job, visible to your office and techs only. What it won't do: Deepsel doesn't send automatic overdue reminders, add late fees or interest, track your 90-day lien date, or write the demand letter or claim of lien. Free covers 30 estimates and 30 invoices a month for your whole team, with scheduling and dispatch, quotes, invoicing, card payments and customer and equipment records; Pro is $29 a month with unlimited estimates and invoices. Prices are on the pricing page.

Frequently asked questions

How do I file a mechanics lien in Idaho?

Write a claim of lien that states what you're owed after all credits, the owner's name, who hired you, a description of the property that identifies it (use the legal description), and, on a home job covered by Idaho Code 45-525, the homeowner's signed disclosure acknowledgment. Sign it under oath in front of a notary. Record it with the recorder of the county where the property is within 90 days after you finished your work; the fee is $10 for the first page and $3 for each extra page. Then mail a copy to the owner by certified mail, or have it delivered by a sheriff or process server, within five business days of recording. Idaho has no official form.

How long does a mechanics lien last in Idaho?

Six months from the day it's recorded, unless you file a lawsuit to enforce it in that time. If the owner makes a payment on account, or you give an extension of credit with an end date, and it's endorsed on the recorded lien, the six months run from the payment or the end of the extension instead. If you win the lawsuit, the judgment's lien lasts 10 years from when the judgment becomes final.

Can an unregistered contractor file a lien in Idaho?

No. A contractor who had to register with the Idaho Contractors Board and didn't 'shall be deemed to have conclusively waived any right to place a lien' (Idaho Code 54-5208), and can't sue to collect without proving registration 'at all times' during the job (54-5217). If you registered partway through, the Idaho Supreme Court allowed a lien for separate work done after registration and nothing before it (Genho v. Riverdale Hot Springs, 2024). Licensed electricians, plumbers and HVAC contractors working within their licence don't register, so this rule doesn't take their lien.

What is the small claims limit in Idaho?

$15,000 since July 1, 2026, up from $5,000 (Senate Bill 1330). The filing fee is $69, plus the cost of serving the customer. You file in the county where the customer lives or where the job was, no lawyer can speak for either side at the trial, and a business is represented by an owner or an employee. Small claims can award money but can't foreclose a lien.

Do I have to send a notice of intent to lien in Idaho?

No. Idaho requires no preliminary notice and no notice of intent before a claim of lien, for prime contractors, subs or suppliers. It's still worth sending one inside your demand letter: it tells the customer what happens next, and the letter doubles as the written demand Idaho Code 12-120(1) requires at least 10 days before a lawsuit if you want your attorney's fees on a claim of $35,000 or less. The free template has one.

How can a homeowner get a mechanics lien removed without paying?

Three ways you should know about. They can post a surety bond for one and a half times your claim and get a court order releasing the lien within days; your claim then moves to the bond (Idaho Code 45-518 to 45-524). The lien dies on its own if you don't sue within six months. And if the lien is defective (late, unregistered, missing the 45-525 acknowledgment), they can ask a court to throw it out and recover their attorney's fees as the prevailing party (45-507(7)).

Is there a Word or PDF version of the demand letter?

Yes, free in all three formats: a Google Docs copy for your Drive, a .docx for Word and a PDF to print. Page 1 is a checklist for you, the demand letter with the notice of intent to lien starts on page 2, and the deadline worksheet with the claim of lien checklist follows it.

Sources

1. Idaho Code 45-507, "Claim of lien" - where to file, the 90 days, the five contents including (3)(e) proof of the 45-525 disclosure, verification by oath, service within five business days by a process officer or certified mail, and (7) attorney's fees to the prevailing party. legislature.idaho.gov, read November 4, 2026.
2. Idaho Code 45-510, "Duration of lien" - six months unless proceedings are commenced; a payment or credit extension endorsed on the record; a judgment's lien ends after 10 years. legislature.idaho.gov, read November 4, 2026.
3. Idaho Code Title 45, chapter 5, read in full: 45-501 (right to lien), 45-511 (owner may withhold a sub's claim; contractor defends), 45-512 (priority), 45-513 (filing costs and attorney's fees), 45-515 (personal action not impaired), 45-516 (district court jurisdiction), 45-518 to 45-524 (release by surety bond of 1.5 times the claim, hearing 5 to 10 days after the order, 7% interest, two days to except to the surety). No preliminary notice, notice of intent or waiver form in the chapter. Chapter 5 PDF, read November 4, 2026.
4. Idaho Code 45-525, "General contractors, residential property, disclosures" - over $2,000, one to four units, the four rights including lien waivers from subs, the sub and supplier list over $500 before final payment, the Consumer Protection Act penalty, and the emergency and repair exception. legislature.idaho.gov, read November 4, 2026.
5. Idaho Legislature, House Bill 609 (2022) - amends 45-507 to add the 45-525 proof and the prevailing-party fee rule, in force July 1, 2022. legislature.idaho.gov, read November 4, 2026.
6. Idaho Contractor Registration Act: 54-5204(2) (proof of a sub's registration), 54-5205(1) (licensed trades exempt), 54-5208 (denial of lien rights; protection for subs and suppliers without knowledge), 54-5217 (misdemeanor; no action to collect without registration "at all times"). Title 54 chapter 52 PDF, read November 4, 2026.
7. Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses, Contractors Board FAQ ("No Lien Rights", "No Contract Rights") and Contractors Board page (registration search). dopl.idaho.gov FAQ, page updated March 19, 2026, and dopl.idaho.gov/con, read November 4, 2026.
8. Genho v. Riverdale Hot Springs, LLC, Idaho Supreme Court Docket No. 50294, December 10, 2024 - lien and equitable recovery for severable work after registration, none before. law.justia.com, read November 4, 2026.
9. Baker v. Boren, 129 Idaho 885, 934 P.2d 951 (Ct. App. 1997) - substantial compliance with lien statutes; trivial work after substantial completion doesn't extend the deadline; lien upheld on an implied contract; a mid-job lien waiver released all rights to its date; elements of slander of title. courtlistener.com, read November 4, 2026.
10. Idaho Code 1-2301 to 1-2315, small claims department - $15,000 limit, venue, 21 days to answer, no attorneys at trial, business representation, licensed collection agencies as assignees, collection fees after 60 days, appeal within 30 days. Title 1 chapter 23 PDF, read November 4, 2026.
11. Idaho Legislature, Senate Bill 1330 (2026), as amended, and its statement of purpose - small claims limit from $5,000 to $15,000, "in full force and effect on and after July 1, 2026." bill and statement of purpose, read November 4, 2026.
12. Idaho Court Assistance Office, "How to Sue in Small Claims Court - Plaintiff" (CAO SC 1-1, 07/01/2026) - "up to $15,000", "a $69 filing fee", business e-filing, service. courtselfhelp.idaho.gov, read November 4, 2026.
13. Idaho Code 12-120 - (1) attorney's fees on claims of $35,000 or less with a written demand at least 10 days before suit, and the 95% tender rule; (3) bills, contracts for services and commercial transactions. legislature.idaho.gov, read November 4, 2026.
14. Idaho Code 28-22-104 - 12% legal rate when no written contract fixes another rate; judgment rate of 5% plus the base rate. legislature.idaho.gov, read November 4, 2026.
15. Idaho State Treasurer, "Legal Rate of Interest" - 8.875% for July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027. sto.idaho.gov, read November 4, 2026.
16. Idaho Code 29-115, construction contracts - the 5% retention cap and its owner-occupied exception, release within 35 days of final completion, the 150% dispute holdback, lien waivers as a condition of release. legislature.idaho.gov, read November 4, 2026.
17. Idaho Code 55-1003, 55-1004 and 55-1005, homestead - $175,000 exemption, automatic for an owner-occupied residence, subject to execution for debts secured by a mechanic's lien. Title 55 chapter 10 PDF, read November 4, 2026.
18. Idaho Code 31-3205(1)(a), recorder's fees - $10 for the first page, $3 for each additional page. legislature.idaho.gov, read November 4, 2026.
19. Idaho Collection Agency Act, Idaho Code 26-2222 and 26-2223 - a license from the director of the Department of Finance to collect for others. Title 26 chapter 22 PDF, read November 4, 2026.
20. IDAPA 04.02.01, Idaho Rules of Consumer Protection, Rule 130.04 (liens) and Rule 020.29 ("goods" includes real property). adminrules.idaho.gov, read November 4, 2026.
21. Idaho Code 48-608, Consumer Protection Act private remedies - actual damages or $1,000, and the enhanced penalty for elderly or disabled consumers. legislature.idaho.gov, read November 4, 2026.
22. Idaho Code 41-348, prohibited acts by service providers (deductibles). legislature.idaho.gov, read November 4, 2026.
23. 12 CFR 1026.12(c), Regulation Z, cardholder's right to assert claims and defenses ($50, same state or 100 miles, good faith attempt). ecfr.gov, current as of November 2, 2026, read November 4, 2026.
24. Idaho Code 5-216 (written contract, five years) and 5-217 (oral contract, four years). Title 5 chapter 2 PDF, read November 4, 2026.
25. Idaho Code Title 54 chapters 10 (electrical), 26 (plumbing) and 50 (HVAC), read for any rule on liens or suits to collect; none found. chapter 10, chapter 26, chapter 50, read November 4, 2026.
26. r/Roofing thread, "Customer refuses to pay. What should we do?" reddit.com.
27. r/paint thread, December 5, 2025. reddit.com.
28. Reddit comment on plumbing draws, May 16, 2026. reddit.com.
29. r/Contractor thread, "Client withholding $6,000 over a small crack in a concrete patio. Suggestions?", October 8, 2026. reddit.com.