Oregon Revised Statutes Mortgages and Liens § 87.005

(1) “Commencement of the improvement” means the first actual preparation or construction upon the site or the first delivery to the site of materials of such substantial character as to notify interested persons that preparation or construction upon the site has begun or is about to begin.

(2) “Construction” means creating or making an improvement or performing an alteration, partial construction or repair in and upon an improvement.

(3) “Construction agent” means a contractor, architect, builder or other person having charge of construction or preparation.

(4) “Contractor” means a person that contracts on predetermined terms to be responsible for performing all or part of a job of preparation or construction in accordance with established specifications or plans, retaining control of the means, method and manner of accomplishing the desired result, and that provides:

(5) “Improvement” means a building, wharf, bridge, ditch, flume, reservoir, well, tunnel, fence, street, sidewalk, machinery, aqueduct or other structure or superstructure.

(6) “Mortgagee” means a person:

(7) “Original contractor” means a contractor that has a contractual relationship with the owner.

(8) “Owner” means:

(9) “Preparation” means excavating, surveying, landscaping, demolishing or detaching existing structures or leveling, filling in or otherwise making land ready for construction.

(10) “Site” means the land on which construction or preparation is performed.

(11) “Subcontractor” means a contractor that has no direct contractual relationship with the owner.