A mechanic's lien freezes everything it touches — closings, refinances, draws. A discharge bond swaps the surety's guarantee for the property, so the lien comes off the title. Flat 3%, 48-hour underwriter response.
















Every day the lien sits on the title costs you leverage, interest, or a closing date. Here's the entire process:
The application plus a copy of the lien and any court documents — that's the file. Send documents to underwriting right after you submit; everything is reviewed together.
A licensed underwriter reviews the lien, the dispute, and your file. Larger or heavily contested liens can require financials — you'll get one checklist, once.
The executed bond is filed with the clerk of court or register of deeds where the lien is recorded, the lien is discharged from the property, and your closing, refinance, or draw schedule starts moving again.
Bond amount × 3% = your premium, one-time, $275 minimum. By statute a $100,000 lien means roughly a $133,333 bond (1⅓ × the claim) — about $4,000.
When a contractor, sub, or supplier files a mechanic's lien, the property itself becomes their security. Until it's resolved, title companies won't close, lenders won't fund, and draws stop. South Carolina's mechanics' lien law lets you swap the property out and a surety bond in — the bond takes the place of the property and the lien attaches to the bond instead.
The lien is then discharged from the real estate. The dispute itself continues — bonding off a lien is not paying it and not admitting it's valid. If the lienor ultimately proves the claim, the bond pays up to its penal sum; if they don't, it expires with the dispute.
That makes this the rare bond bought for leverage: you stop negotiating with your closing date held hostage and start negotiating on the merits of the claim.
Submit the application, then send the lien and any court documents to underwriting — a licensed underwriter reviews the full file and responds within 48 hours.
Start the application →If yours isn't here, the bond team can usually answer within the hour.
Five-minute application, flat 3%, underwriter response within 48 hours. Your attorney files it; the project moves.