What you need in Danvers
Checked November 7, 2026 against Danvers's own pages. "Not published" means the page does not say; call the office.
Municipal lien certificate
Cost$50Lead time10 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays- Issued by
- Treasurer/Tax Collector, Town Hall, 1 Sylvan St
- How to order
- In person or by mail with the request form and a stamped envelope
Smoke and CO certificate
Cost$50 single-family or condo; $100 two-family; $150 for 3 to 6 unitsLead timeBook at least 2 weeks before closing; Mon to Fri- Issued by
- Fire Prevention, 64 High St
- How to order
- Apply online; questions 978-774-3917
Final water read
CostNot publishedLead timeNot published- Issued by
- Water and Sewer Division, 7 Canal St
- How to order
- Not published; Water & Sewer office 978-762-0235 (Mon to Fri 7 am to 3 pm), or Town Hall 978-777-0001
Title 5
CostSeptic homes onlyLead timeNot published- Issued by
- Board of Health
- How to order
- Not published; Town Hall 978-777-0001
What to order when in Danvers
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.
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 inspection
- Book the smoke and CO inspection and replace old alarms first. The certificate is valid for 60 days.
- Your attorney orders the municipal lien certificate: 10 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
Weeks before closing
Order the water read
- Request the final water read on the town's schedule (the table above has it).
Closing week
Hand over the papers
- Confirm the smoke and CO certificate is still inside its 60 days, and send the final water bill to your attorney.
Municipal lien certificate: Treasurer/Tax Collector
The town's FAQ ("How do I request a municipal lien certificate?") says you can visit the Treasurer/Tax Collector's office during normal business hours, or mail your request on the request form with the $50 fee and a self-addressed stamped envelope to Treasurer/Tax Collector, Danvers Town Hall, 1 Sylvan Street, Danvers, MA 01923. It states no turnaround; the state limit is 10 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays (MGL c.60 s.23). See our lien certificate guide.
Smoke and CO certificate: Fire Department
The Fire Department's inspection page on the town's permit portal says to apply online, after which the office gets back to you to confirm the date and time. Schedule at least two weeks before the closing. Inspections run Monday to Friday. Every detector must be tested before the inspector arrives, and the Certificate of Compliance is issued once the inspector has tested the alarms and approved where they are.
Posted fees: $50 for a single-family home or condo, $100 for a two-family, $150 for three to six units and $500 above six. They match the state cap (MGL c.148 s.10A). The page says alarms are required on every habitable level, including finished parts of basements and attics, and that the rules on alarm type changed on December 1, 2016, so check the requirement chart it links before you buy alarms. Questions go to Fire Prevention, 64 High Street, 978-774-3917, fireprevention@danversma.gov. Under the state form (FP-007C) the certificate lasts 60 days.
Final water and sewer read
We found no Danvers page that gives a final read procedure, fee or lead time. The Water & Sewer Divisions page describes the system, with roughly 8,300 sewer service connections, but not how to order a reading. The town's payments FAQ says water and sewer bills are paid at the Department of Public Works Business Office, 2 Burroughs Street. Call Town Hall at 978-777-0001 and ask for the Water and Sewer Division as soon as you have a closing date, and ask your attorney to confirm the read is booked.
Septic or town sewer (Title 5)
Title 5 is the state septic inspection. It applies only to a house with its own septic system or cesspool (310 CMR 15.301); a house on the town sewer does not need one. We did not find a page on the Danvers site that lists which streets are on septic. The division page above says the sewer system serves approximately 8,300 connections, sent to the South Essex Sewerage District. Call Town Hall (978-777-0001) to ask the Board of Health or the Water and Sewer Division about your address. Ask, too, whether a sale triggers any sewer check; we found no official page that says either way. If the house does have septic, read the Title 5 guide before you set a closing date, because a failed system changes your price and your options.
Lead paint notice
If the house was built before 1978, you give the buyer the state's Property Transfer Lead Paint Notification before the purchase and sale agreement is signed, and the buyer signs the certification. Deleading itself is only required when a child under 6 lives in the home. See the lead paint guide and what deleading costs.
State rules that set your dates in Danvers
These come from state and federal law, so they are the same in every town.
- 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 60 days after the fire department issues it. If your closing slips past that, you need a second inspection.
- Municipal lien certificate: 10 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. That is how long the collector has after a written application (MGL c.60 s.23). Final water read lead times are set by each town, not by this rule.
- Title 5 (septic houses only): inspect within 2 years before the sale. 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. The buyer gets a copy of the report (310 CMR 15.301(1)).
- Lead paint, houses built before 1978: the buyer's 10-day right to inspect. Before the buyer is bound by the contract, the seller must allow a 10-day period, or another period both sides agree to in writing, for a lead paint inspection or risk assessment. 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.
Order it in this sequence in Danvers
- Before you list: ask Town Hall whether the house is on town sewer. If it has septic, schedule Title 5 first.
- If the house was built before 1978, prepare the lead notice for the buyer.
- At least two weeks before closing: apply online for the smoke and CO inspection ($50 single-family or condo, $100 two-family), and test every alarm first.
- Request the lien certificate at Town Hall or by mail ($50, 10 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays).
- Once you have a closing date: call the Water and Sewer Division through Town Hall (978-777-0001) to book the final read.
Print the one-page Danvers checklist: PDF or image. It repeats the offices, fees and phone numbers on this page and leaves room for your closing date.
