What you need in Lynnfield
Checked November 7, 2026 against Lynnfield's own pages. "Not published" means the page does not say; call the office.
Municipal lien certificate
Cost$50 per parcel, residential or commercialLead time10 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays- Issued by
- Treasurer/Collector, 55 Summer St
- How to order
- Mail the property description, parcel number and a stamped envelope; 781-334-9400
Smoke and CO certificate
CostNot publishedLead timeNot published; offices open Mon to Fri, 8 am to 4 pm- Issued by
- Fire Prevention Division
- How to order
- Online scheduler, by appointment only; 781-334-8118
Final water read (Lynnfield Center Water District)
Cost$125, added to the final billLead timeCall 2 to 3 weeks before closing; appointments Tue to Thu, 8 am to 2 pm- Issued by
- Lynnfield Center Water District
- How to order
- Request form or call 781-334-3901
Title 5
CostSeptic homes onlyLead timeNot published- Issued by
- Health Department
- How to order
- Septic records search; Health Director 781-334-9481
What to order when in Lynnfield
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/Collector
The Treasurer/Collector's page says to include the property description, the parcel number and a self-addressed stamped envelope. The fee is $50 for each certificate, residential or commercial, and a property with several parcels needs one for each. The page says certificates are typically prepared within 10 business days, longer at peak times. The state limit is 10 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays (MGL c.60 s.23). The town's address is Town of Lynnfield, 55 Summer Street, Lynnfield, MA 01940. See our lien certificate guide.
Smoke and CO certificate: Fire Prevention Division
The Fire Prevention page says the division is available Monday to Friday, 8 am to 4 pm, and that commercial and residential inspections are by appointment only, scheduled through the page. It lists Lieutenant Jeff Fiorentino at 781-334-8118. The page posts no fee and no lead time for a home sale, so ask both when you call. The state caps the fee (MGL c.148 s.10A). Under the state form (FP-007C) the certificate lasts 60 days from issue.
Final water read: two districts
Find your district first. The request form is for the Lynnfield Center Water District. For that district the town's moving page says to call 781-334-3901 two or three weeks before closing; the form says appointments are Tuesday to Thursday between 8 am and 2 pm and last about half an hour, and that you must be present or no final bill is made and a fee may apply to reschedule. The final bill includes a $125 processing fee and any past-due amount. It must be paid in full before closing; any portion left unpaid becomes the new homeowner's responsibility. Email lcwd@lcwd.us. We found no published process for the other district, so contact it directly.
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 Lynnfield site that lists which streets are on septic. Do not assume the house is sewered. The Health Department's septic page has a public search of Title 5 reports, as-built plans and certificates of compliance, plus lists of approved haulers, installers and inspectors; the Health Director is at 781-334-9481. The page also posts Title V deed restriction forms for 2- to 5-bedroom systems, so ask your attorney whether one affects your sale. 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 Lynnfield
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 Lynnfield
- Before you list: search the Health Department's septic records for your address. If the house has septic, schedule Title 5 first.
- If the house was built before 1978, prepare the lead notice for the buyer.
- The day the P&S is signed: book the smoke and CO appointment on the Fire Prevention scheduler and ask the fee.
- Mail the lien certificate request ($50 per parcel, 10 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays).
- Two to three weeks before closing: find your water district and book the final read ($125 at the Center district).
Print the one-page Lynnfield checklist: PDF or image. It repeats the offices, fees and phone numbers on this page and leaves room for your closing date.
