Find your town
Each town sets its own offices, fees and booking rules. Pick the town the house is in for the exact steps, phone numbers and what fails an inspection.
- MelroseLien $25Smoke/CO $50Fire Dept books Mon, Wed, Fri
- MaldenLien $25Smoke/CO $50Lead-free water line certification
- MedfordLien $25Smoke/CO: askWeekly lien certificate run
- SaugusLien $50Smoke/CO $50Water reads on Thursdays only
- LynnLien $75Smoke/CO $50Two lien certificates
- RevereLien $50Smoke/CO $50Strict alarm inspection policy
- EverettLien $25Smoke/CO: askWater read before the lien certificate
- StonehamLien $50Smoke/CO: askSmoke/CO mornings only
- WakefieldLien $25Smoke/CO $50Smoke/CO on Wednesdays
- ReadingLien $50Smoke/CO $50Final water within 14 days
- PeabodyLien $50Smoke/CO $50Smoke/CO Mon and Fri
- WoburnLien $25Smoke/CO $50Final read required by city code
- ArlingtonLien $50Smoke/CO $50You read your own meter
- BurlingtonLien $50Smoke/CO: askFinal water bills on Thursdays
- DanversLien $50Smoke/CO $50Book smoke/CO two weeks ahead
- LynnfieldLien $50Smoke/CO: askTwo water districts
- North ReadingLien $50Smoke/CO: askFinal water bill by bank check
- WinchesterLien $60Smoke/CO: askSmoke/CO certificate valid 60 days
No match. Home Options MA can still help with a house in any Massachusetts town: (781) 483-0510.
Selling in Massachusetts: the order of steps
The certificates sit inside a larger sequence. This is the usual order; your closing attorney will fit it to your sale.
- Choose how you will sell. List with an agent, ask for a direct cash offer, or take an option on the house. Home Options MA can give you an offer, write an option contract on the house, or refer you to a buyer or agent.
- Line up a closing attorney. Massachusetts closings run through attorneys, who order the lien certificate and prepare the deed and settlement statement.
- Know your house. Septic or sewer, built before 1978, a heating oil tank, a condo (6(d) certificate), tenants. This decides which certificates you need.
- Accept an offer and sign the purchase and sale agreement. For a pre-1978 house, the lead paint notice goes to the buyer before this point.
- Book the slow certificates the same day. The smoke and CO inspection first, then the Title 5 inspection if you have septic. Fix anything that fails.
- Order the lien certificate and the final water read. Your attorney requests the lien certificate; you request the water read on your town's schedule.
- Close. The deed is recorded, the deed excise tax is paid, and your mortgage is paid off from the proceeds.
Eighteen towns side by side
| Town | Lien certificate | Smoke/CO fee | Smoke/CO booking | Final water read |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melrose | $25, 10 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays | $50 single-family; $100 two-family | Mon, Wed, Fri mornings; wait up to about a month | $25; ask 7 days ahead |
| Malden | $25, 10 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays | $50 single-family; $100 two-family | Online request; Tue and Thu | $25; 10 business days ahead |
| Medford | $25, weekly run (request by Thursday noon) | Not posted | Call Fire Prevention | $25 on top of the bill |
| Saugus | $50, 10 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays | $50 per unit, check only | Call Town Hall; good 60 days | Thursdays only; call 2 weeks ahead |
| Lynn | $75, plus a Water & Sewer Commission certificate ($40 per meter) | $50 single-family; $100 two-family | Online portal; Wed and Thu; 3 weeks ahead | Through the Commission |
| Revere | $50, 10 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays ($25 more for 48 hours) | $50 per unit | Phone; request 10 business days ahead; good 60 days | $50 online; $25 more expedited |
| Everett | $25, 10 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays; water read first | Not posted | Call Fire Prevention | $150 |
| Stoneham | $50, turnaround not posted | Not posted | Phone; Mon to Fri 8:30 to 10 am | Not posted; book 72 hours ahead |
| Wakefield | $25, turnaround not posted | $50 single-family; $100 two-family | Phone; Wednesdays only | Not posted; Tue and Thu, 1 week ahead |
| Reading | $50, 10 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays | $50 single-family; $100 two units | Online application and payment | Not posted; request within 14 days of closing |
| Peabody | $50, 10 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays | $50 per unit | Mon and Fri; book 1 week ahead; good 60 days | Not posted; email 10 days ahead |
| Woburn | $25, average 48 to 72 hours | $50 single-family; $100 two units | Call Fire Prevention | $50; request 7 days ahead |
| Arlington | $50, 10 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays; by mail | $50 one-family, $80 two-family (2016 schedule) | Online scheduler; sale inspections weekdays 1 to 4 pm | $15; request 7 business days ahead; you read the meter |
| Burlington | $50, 10 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays; by mail | Not posted | Read the town documents, then call | Not posted; 10 business days written notice; bills on Thursdays |
| Danvers | $50, 10 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays | $50 single-family; $100 two-family | Online request; 2 weeks ahead | Not posted; call Water & Sewer, 978-762-0235 |
| Lynnfield | $50 per parcel, 10 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays | Not posted | Online scheduler; by appointment | $125 (Center district); call 2 to 3 weeks ahead |
| North Reading | $50, 10 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays | Not posted | Call Fire Prevention, (978) 664-6054 | $50; bank check or cash only |
| Winchester | $60, 10 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays | Not posted ("set by the Town"); valid 60 days | Phone once the closing date is firm | Not posted; call Water and Sewer |
Fee years: Wakefield's smoke and CO fee comes from a fire department fee table last revised March 31, 2006. Arlington's comes from a schedule headed "as of June 23, 2016". Everett's $150 final water read comes from a city FAQ entry that shows no date on the page (our earlier check put it at 2016). Any of these may have changed, so call the office before you rely on them.
Selling somewhere else? The same three offices (the collector or treasurer, the fire department and the water department) exist in every town; start on the town's own website. For more about the towns we cover, see Towns north of Boston.
The statewide checklist
| Item | When it applies | Who issues it | Law and official page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal lien certificate | Every sale. Shows taxes and municipal charges due on the parcel. | City or town collector or treasurer | MGL c.60 s.23 |
| Smoke and CO certificate of compliance | Every sale or transfer of a residence. | Local fire department | MGL c.148 s.26F, s.26F1/2, DFS seller guide, 527 CMR 1.00 |
| Title 5 septic inspection | Only a house with a septic system or cesspool. Within 2 years before the sale. | A MassDEP-approved Title 5 inspector | 310 CMR 15.301 |
| Lead paint notice | A house built before 1978. Given to the buyer before the P&S is signed. | You give it; the buyer signs the certification | Mass.gov notification, MGL c.111 s.197 |
| Final water and sewer read | Every sale where the town or city bills water and sewer. | The town or city water department or collector | Set by each town; see the table below |
| Heating oil tank | Where the house has a heating oil tank. Ask your fire department and an oil burner technician what applies. | Varies | MGL c.148 s.38J |
The lien certificate and smoke and CO certificate are explained in detail in the lien certificate guide and the smoke and CO guide. Title 5 is in the Title 5 guide, and lead paint in the lead paint guide.
In what order to do them
Before you list
Know your house
- Septic or town sewer? If septic, book a Title 5 inspector first. The inspection must be at or within 2 years before the sale.
- Built before 1978? Get the lead paint notice ready.
- Open town tickets or an underground oil tank? Ask now (Revere, Stoneham).
Before the P&S is signed
Give the notices
- Hand the buyer the state lead paint notice for a pre-1978 house. Separately, the federal rule gives the buyer a 10-day period to inspect for lead before being bound.
- Complete the seller disclosure with your attorney.
The day the P&S is signed
Book the slow ones
- Book the smoke and CO inspection. Peabody wants a week's notice; in Melrose the wait can reach about a month. The certificate is valid for 60 days.
- Replace alarms past 10 years first.
- Condo? Ask the association for the 6(d) certificate.
2 to 3 weeks before closing
Order the reads
- Request the final water read: Reading allows 14 days, Saugus wants 2 weeks, Malden 10 business days, Woburn 7 days.
- Your attorney orders the municipal lien certificate (10 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays).
Closing week
Hand over the papers
- Check the smoke and CO certificate is still inside its 60 days.
- Final water bill goes to your attorney for the settlement statement.
- Before you list: find out whether the house is on septic. If it is, schedule the Title 5 inspection first, because a failed system changes your price and your options. The inspection must be at or within 2 years before the sale, or up to 3 years if pumping records show a yearly pump-out. If the house was built before 1978, prepare the lead notice.
- When the P&S is signed: book the fire department inspection. Melrose says its wait can reach about a month, Lynn asks for three weeks, Peabody one week and Revere 10 business days.
- As soon as you have a closing date: request the final water read. Saugus wants two weeks, Malden 10 business days, Woburn 7 days and Wakefield one week. Reading takes the request only within 14 days of closing. Malden also needs a lead-free water line certification, so start that as soon as you decide to sell.
- When your attorney asks: order the municipal lien certificate, usually through the closing attorney. The collector has 10 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. Lynn has a second one from its Water and Sewer Commission.
Download the one-page seller checklist (PDF), or use the tick-box version below.
Four rules that set your dates
These come from state and federal law, so they apply in every town below. Each links the official text.
- Smoke and CO certificate: valid 60 days. The state form (FP-007C) says a certificate issued under MGL c.148 ss.26F and 26F1/2 "expires sixty (60) days after issuance by head of the Fire Department". Book the inspection inside the 60 days before your closing, and book a second one if the closing slips past it.
- Title 5 timing (septic houses only). The system must be inspected at or within 2 years before the transfer of title. An inspection up to 3 years old counts if pumping records show the system was pumped at least once a year. If weather prevents an inspection, it can be done as soon as the weather permits and no later than 6 months after the transfer, as long as the seller tells the buyer in writing. A copy of the complete report goes to the buyer (310 CMR 15.301(1)).
- The buyer's 10-day lead inspection right. For a house built before 1978, the seller must give the buyer a 10-day period (or another period both sides agree to in writing) to inspect for lead paint or lead hazards before the buyer is bound by the contract. The buyer can waive it in writing (40 CFR 745.110, a federal rule). Ask your attorney how your purchase and sale agreement handles it.
- Lien certificate timing. The collector must furnish the certificate "within ten days thereafter, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays" after a written application, in a city or a town of more than 5,000 people (MGL c.60 s.23). Final water read lead times are set by each town and are not part of this rule.
Printable seller checklist
Massachusetts seller certificate checklist
Before you list
- Septic or town sewer? Ask the Board of Health. Septic: book the Title 5 inspection, done within 2 years before the sale (310 CMR 15.301).
- Built before 1978? Prepare the Property Transfer Lead Paint Notification.
- Heating oil tank or buried oil lines? Ask your attorney and the fire department what applies (MGL c.148 s.38J covers oil line upgrades, not sales as such).
- Open code tickets or unpaid town charges? Clear them; they can show on the lien certificate (Revere).
Before the purchase and sale agreement
- Give the buyer the lead paint notice and collect the signed certification. The buyer has a 10-day right to inspect for lead.
- Complete the seller disclosure with your attorney.
- Condo: request the 6(d) certificate from the association.
The day the P&S is signed
- Replace smoke and CO alarms over 10 years old. Check the state guide for where alarms go in your house; Everett requires one in every bedroom.
- Book the fire department smoke and CO inspection. Note the date and any fee. The certificate lasts 60 days.
- Tell your attorney to order the municipal lien certificate from the collector or treasurer.
2 to 3 weeks before closing
- Request the final water read from the town. Arrange access to the meter.
- Gather keys for every unit and room for the inspector.
Closing week
- Smoke and CO certificate in hand and still inside its 60 days.
- Lien certificate current. Final water bill sent to your attorney.
- Title 5 report and lead paint notice in the closing file.
Fees and rules are set by each town; confirm with the office before you pay. Town-by-town steps: homeoptionsma.com/selling-certificates/
Prefer paper? Download the blank PDF version, or print the sheet for your town, filled in with its offices, fees and phone numbers:
- MelroseOne-page checklist (PDF)
- MaldenOne-page checklist (PDF)
- MedfordOne-page checklist (PDF)
- SaugusOne-page checklist (PDF)
- LynnOne-page checklist (PDF)
- RevereOne-page checklist (PDF)
- EverettOne-page checklist (PDF)
- StonehamOne-page checklist (PDF)
- WakefieldOne-page checklist (PDF)
- ReadingOne-page checklist (PDF)
- PeabodyOne-page checklist (PDF)
- WoburnOne-page checklist (PDF)
- ArlingtonOne-page checklist (PDF)
- BurlingtonOne-page checklist (PDF)
- DanversOne-page checklist (PDF)
- LynnfieldOne-page checklist (PDF)
- North ReadingOne-page checklist (PDF)
- WinchesterOne-page checklist (PDF)
Who pays
| Item | Who normally pays | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Smoke and CO certificate | Seller | The law puts the duty to equip the home on the seller (MGL c.148 s.26F); the fire department charges the fee. |
| Final water read | Seller | The towns above charge the read fee through the final water bill or at request: Arlington $15, Melrose $25, Malden $25, Medford $25, North Reading $50, Revere $50, Woburn $50, Lynnfield Center district $125, Everett $150. |
| Municipal lien certificate | Usually the seller; your attorney normally requests it | The town sets the fee ($25 to $75 in the eighteen towns above). |
| Lead paint notice | Seller provides it | It is a form you give the buyer, not a fee (Mass.gov). |
| Title 5 inspection | Negotiated in the P&S | Who pays for repairs after a failed inspection is negotiated in the P&S. See the Title 5 guide. |
A cash buyer often buys as-is and takes some of these on, which is one reason sellers under a deadline compare a cash offer with listing.
What it costs to sell: the paperwork line items
| Item | Typical cost | Who sets it |
|---|---|---|
| Deed excise tax (tax stamps) | $4.56 per $1,000 of the price: $2,736 on a $600,000 sale (Barnstable County has its own rate) | State. MGL c.64D s.1 and DOR Directive 95-4. The seller customarily pays; the P&S can say otherwise. See the excise tax guide. |
| Municipal lien certificate | $25 to $75 in these towns for a one- to three-family home (more for 4+ units and commercial) | Each town (MGL c.60 s.23B). Your attorney usually requests it. |
| Smoke and CO inspection | $50 single-family, $100 two-family where posted; some towns post nothing | Fire department, under the state cap in MGL c.148 s.10A: $50 single-family, $100 two-family, $150 up to six units, $500 above six. Re-inspection fees are local. |
| Final water and sewer read | $15 to $150 where a fee is posted ($15 Arlington, $25 Melrose, Malden and Medford, $50 North Reading, Revere and Woburn, $125 Lynnfield Center, $150 Everett) | Each town or water district |
| Title 5 inspection (septic only) | No official price; get quotes from two inspectors. Pumping is extra. | The inspector |
| Closing attorney (seller side) | About $500 to $2,000 (one agent's estimate; get a written quote) | The attorney |
| Deleading | Not required just to sell. Required when a child under 6 lives in the home. | MGL c.111 s.197. See what deleading costs. |
The big costs are not on this page: agent commission if you list, and your mortgage payoff. See the full cost to sell and the net proceeds calculator. To see what you would keep after the certificates and every other cost, and what waiting has meant for prices in your ZIP code, try sell now or wait.
Paperwork done, or not yet started
None of this changes how you can sell. You can list with an agent, or ask Home Options MA for a direct offer, an option on the house, or a match with a buyer or agent. The certificates are part of every route, so it helps to know the plan for each one before you talk numbers. Still deciding whether to sell at all? Work through the should I sell checklist.