What you need in Melrose
Checked November 7, 2026 against Melrose's own pages. "Not published" means the page does not say; call the office.
Municipal lien certificate
Cost$25 residential, including 2 and 3 family; $150 commercialLead time10 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays- Issued by
- Treasurer/Collector, City Hall, 562 Main St
- How to order
- Paper form or online request; cash, money order or check to City of Melrose
Smoke and CO certificate
Cost$50 single-family, $100 two-familyLead timeMon, Wed, Fri 10 am to noon; up to about a month out- Issued by
- Fire Department
- How to order
- Call 781-979-4405; city page
Final water read
Cost$25 meter read fee, added to the final water billLead timeThe city tries for at least 7 days before closing- Issued by
- Water Department
- How to order
- Email the Water Department; procedure; 781-979-4175
Title 5
CostSeptic homes onlyLead timeNot published- Issued by
- Not published
- How to order
- Not published; City Hall main line 781-979-4500
What to order when in Melrose
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 Office is on the first floor of City Hall, 562 Main Street, Melrose 02176 (781-979-4120). Hours: Monday to Thursday 8:30 am to 4 pm, Friday 8:30 am to 12:30 pm. The page links a paper request form and a new online request.
Fees, from the city's FAQ on municipal lien certificates: $25 for a residential certificate, and the same $25 for a two- or three-family; $150 for a commercial one. Pay in cash, by money order or by check to the City of Melrose. The city says it does not take credit cards, debit cards or third-party checks. By mail, include a self-addressed stamped envelope. The city says the collector has 10 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays under MGL c.60 s.23.
Your closing attorney normally orders it. What the certificate shows and how the tax proration works is in our lien certificate guide.
Smoke and CO certificate: Fire Department
The Melrose Fire Department issues the certificate on a sale or transfer. Call 781-979-4405 to book. Inspections run Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 am to noon. The posted fee is $50 for a single-family home and $100 for a two-family. Both match the state cap (MGL c.148 s.10A).
The city says to book as soon as the purchase and sale agreement is signed, and warns that at some times of year the wait is about a month. With three inspection mornings a week, a closing four weeks out is already tight.
Three-, four- and five-family houses
The city page says three- to five-family homes must have hardwired smoke detectors throughout the building. It lists no fee for those, so ask the department when you book. The page also links the department's Smoke and CO Detector Guide for one- and two-family homes. The state's own inspection checklist shows what the inspector looks at: alarm age (10 years), type and locations. Replace anything old before the visit so you do not pay for a second one.
The page does not say how long the certificate stays valid. The state form (FP-007C) says 60 days from issue, so keep the inspection inside that window.
Final water read
Melrose's final read procedure is to email the Water Department to request it. The city's water FAQ says the city tries to schedule at least 7 days before the closing date, if possible. Someone has to be at the house so the city can read and inspect the meter. There is a $25 meter read fee, added to the final water bill. Questions: 781-979-4175. Balance or payment questions go to the Collector's Office, 781-979-4120.
If a tenant moves into a unit you still own, the same FAQ says to schedule a final read before the new tenant moves in.
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 Melrose site that lists which streets are on septic. Call City Hall at 781-979-4500, or ask your closing attorney to check the sewer connection. 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 Melrose
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 Melrose
- Before you list: confirm the house is on town sewer. If it is not, 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: call 781-979-4405 for the smoke and CO inspection.
- Let your attorney order the lien certificate ($25, 10 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays).
- At least 7 days before closing: email the Water Department for the final read ($25 fee).
Print the one-page Melrose checklist: PDF or image. It repeats the offices, fees and phone numbers on this page and leaves room for your closing date.
