What you need in Everett
Checked November 7, 2026 against Everett's own pages. "Not published" means the page does not say; call the office.
Final water read (do this first)
Cost$150, added to the final bill (the FAQ entry shows no date; confirm)Lead timeMeter read within 2 weeks of closing- Issued by
- Water Department, Public Works, 19 Norman St
- How to order
- Final Bill Request Form by email or in person; 617-394-2325
Municipal lien certificate
Cost$25Lead time10 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays- Issued by
- Collector's Office, 484 Broadway, Room 13
- How to order
- Request form (PDF) with a stamped return envelope; 617-394-2240
Smoke and CO certificate
CostNot publishedLead timeNot published- Issued by
- Fire Prevention Office
- How to order
- Call (617) 394-2349, Mon to Thu, 8 to 10 am or 4 to 6 pm; city page
Title 5
CostSeptic homes onlyLead timeNot published- Issued by
- Not published
- How to order
- Not published; Water Department 617-394-2325
What to order when in Everett
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.
Final water read comes first
Everett ties the two documents together. The Collector's request form says that on a sale or foreclosure you must first contact the Water Department for a final water reading, and that the lien certificate cannot be issued without it. So start here.
The city's final bill FAQ says the buyer, seller or broker downloads the Final Bill Request Form and either emails it to the Water Department's finals clerk (Tameka.Walsh@ci.everett.ma.us) or files it in person at the Everett Water Department, 19 Norman Street, Everett 02149. A meter technician reads the inside meter, always within two weeks of the closing, and the applicant must arrange access. The FAQ gives the fee as $150, added to the final bill. The entry shows no date on the page (our earlier check put it at 2016), so confirm the amount when you file. Phone 617-394-2325 or 617-394-2327. The lien form lists Water Department hours as Monday to Thursday 7 am to 3 pm, Friday 7 am to noon.
Municipal lien certificate: Collector's Office
The request form (updated January 2026) is for the Collector's Office, 484 Broadway, Room 13, Everett 02149, phone 617-394-2240. The fee on the form is $25. It quotes MGL c.60 s.23 and 23A: 10 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, from the date the request is received. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope. The form has check boxes for Sale, Refinance or Insurance. See our lien certificate guide for what the certificate shows.
Smoke and CO certificate: Fire Prevention
The Fire Prevention Office is open Monday to Thursday, phone (617) 394-2349. The page gives the hours two ways, 8 am to 6 pm in one place and 8 to 10 am and 4 to 6 pm in its hours box, so call in the morning or late-afternoon window. The page has a button to request a permit but does not post a smoke and CO fee or a booking lead time. Call and ask both; under the state form (FP-007C) the certificate is good for 60 days. The state caps the fee (MGL c.148 s.10A).
Everett's bedroom alarm rule
The same page posts an update to the city ordinance, Section 8-25 (C0026-26): in addition to the state rules in MGL c.148 ss.26E, 26F and 26F1/2, Everett requires one smoke alarm inside each bedroom and sleeping area, without regard to the date the dwelling was built. The ordinance says it is enforced for certificates of occupancy or habitability, new tenancies, and a transfer of possession or sale as ordered by the fire chief. Put an alarm in every bedroom before you book. The state's inspection checklist shows the rest.
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 Everett site that lists which streets are on septic. Ask the Water Department at 617-394-2325, which runs the city water and sewer, or your closing attorney. 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.
Certificate of habitability (if the buyer will rent)
Everett has a separate Certificate of Habitability ordinance (Chapter 10, Article III). It applies before a vacant dwelling unit is rented: the owner requests a legal use status from the Building Department, the application fee is $25, and the Health Department must respond within ten business days. It is a landlord rule, not a requirement of the sale. A buyer planning to rent the house should know about it.
State rules that set your dates in Everett
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 Everett
- Before you list: confirm the house is on town sewer. If not, schedule Title 5 first.
- Put a smoke alarm in every bedroom, then call (617) 394-2349 to ask the fee and book smoke and CO.
- Within two weeks of closing: file the Final Bill Request Form with the Water Department ($150).
- With the final read in hand, send the lien certificate request to the Collector ($25, 10 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays).
Print the one-page Everett checklist: PDF or image. It repeats the offices, fees and phone numbers on this page and leaves room for your closing date.
