What you need in Medford
Checked November 7, 2026 against Medford's own pages. "Not published" means the page does not say; call the office.
Municipal lien certificate
Cost$25 residential; $100 four-family+; $150 commercialLead timeWeekly: by Thursday noon, ready Friday- Issued by
- Collector/Treasurer, City Hall Room 108, 85 G.P. Hassett Dr
- How to order
- Mail or deliver address, Assessors map/parcel ID, fee and a stamped return envelope; 781-393-2550
Smoke and CO certificate
CostNot published (state cap $50 single-family, $100 two-family)Lead timeNot published- Issued by
- Fire Prevention, 120 Main St
- How to order
- Not published; call 781-396-9831, Mon to Fri 8:30 to 4:30
Final water read
Cost$25 on top of the billLead timeNot published; call as soon as you have a date- Issued by
- Water Department
- How to order
- Call 781-393-2513 or email water@medford-ma.gov
Title 5
CostSeptic homes onlyLead timeNot published- Issued by
- Health Department (Inspectional Services & Environmental Health)
- How to order
- Lists Title 5 as a service; page
What to order when in Medford
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: Collector/Treasurer
Medford's Collector/Treasurer page says certificates are researched and completed each week. Deliver your request by Thursday noon and the certificate is mailed or ready for pickup Friday (City Hall closes at 12:30 pm Fridays). Fees: $25 residential, $100 four-family or greater, $150 commercial.
Include the property address, the Assessors map and parcel ID and the fee, plus a self-addressed stamped envelope, and send it to the Treasurer/Collector's Office, 85 George P. Hassett Drive, Medford 02155 (City Hall, Room 108). Phone 781-393-2550; general email collector@medford-ma.gov. The Assessors' Office (781-393-2435, assessors@medford-ma.gov) gives you the map and parcel number. The page lists no separate form.
The weekly cycle is the thing to plan around: a request that misses Thursday noon waits a week. See our lien certificate guide.
Smoke and CO certificate: Fire Prevention
The Medford Fire Department page lists Fire Prevention at 120 Main Street, 781-396-9831, Monday to Friday 8:30 to 4:30. It links a smoke and CO detector locations PDF and a smoke detector code-change PDF. It does not publish a home-sale inspection fee, booking process or lead time, so we are not stating any. The state caps the fee at $50 for a single-family home and $100 for a two-family (MGL c.148 s.10A).
Call as soon as you have a closing date and ask for the fee, the available days and what the inspector wants to see. The state's inspection checklist covers alarm age, type and locations.
Final water and sewer read: Water Department
Medford's Water and Sewer page says to call the Water Department at 781-393-2513 or email water@medford-ma.gov to set up the final read, and to call as soon as you know your closing date. The cost is $25 on top of whatever the bill is. The page does not give a lead time in days or say how the fee is paid; ask when you book.
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 Medford site that lists which streets are on septic. Medford's Health Department (85 George P. Hassett Drive) lists Title 5 among its services; call it to ask about the address. 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. Medford's Health Department page lists enforcement of the state lead laws among its services. See the lead paint guide and what deleading costs.
State rules that set your dates in Medford
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 Medford
- Before you list: ask the Health Department about the sewer connection; if it is septic, order Title 5 first.
- As soon as you have a closing date: call Fire Prevention (781-396-9831) and the Water Department (781-393-2513).
- Have your attorney send the lien certificate request so it reaches the Treasurer/Collector by Thursday noon.
- Pick the certificates up Friday, or watch for them in the mail.
Print the one-page Medford checklist: PDF or image. It repeats the offices, fees and phone numbers on this page and leaves room for your closing date.
