What you need in Peabody
Checked November 7, 2026 against Peabody's own pages. "Not published" means the page does not say; call the office.
Municipal lien certificate
Cost$50 check payable to City of PeabodyLead time10 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays- Issued by
- Collector's Office, City Hall, 24 Lowell Street
- How to order
- Written request with stamped envelope; 978-538-5748
Smoke and CO certificate
Cost$50 per unit for 1 to 2 units; $150 for 3 to 6; $25 re-inspectionLead timeMon and Fri, 9:30 to 11:30 am; book 1 week ahead; valid 60 days- Issued by
- Fire Department, Fire Prevention
- How to order
- Pay and pick a date through the fire department page; (978) 531-2200
Final water read
CostNot publishedLead timeSend 10 days before closing; processed 7 days before- Issued by
- Water and Sewer Billing Office
- How to order
- Checklist form emailed to waterbillings@peabody-ma.gov
Title 5
CostSeptic homes onlyLead timeNot published- Issued by
- Health Department
- How to order
- Call 978-538-5926; Health Department
What to order when in Peabody
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's Office
Peabody's lien certificate instructions ask for a written request with the property address, owner, parcel number and a self-addressed stamped return envelope, plus a $50 check payable to the City of Peabody. Send it to City of Peabody, Attention: Collector's Office, 24 Lowell Street, Peabody, MA 01960. The law allows 10 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, after the Collector's Office receives the request for it to be completed and mailed back (MGL c.60 s.23). The Collector's Office page lists 978-538-5748. See our lien certificate guide.
Smoke and CO certificate: Fire Department
The Peabody Fire Department inspections page has you pay through the city's payment center, choose Smoke/Carbon Monoxide, and enter your preferred inspection date. Fees: $50 per unit for one or two units (single, condo, townhouse), $150 for three to six units, $500 for seven or more, and $25 if a re-inspection is needed. The fee is by unit, not by the number of detectors. The certificate is valid for 60 days.
Appointments are Mondays and Fridays between 9:30 and 11:30 am, except major holidays, and must be made at least one week ahead. You must be at the property no later than 9:30 am. A Monday inspection must be scheduled by 11 am the Friday before; a Friday inspection by 2 pm the Thursday before. You are only contacted if there is a conflict with the date you picked. For help call Fire Prevention at (978) 531-2200. The state's checklist shows what is inspected.
Final water read
The Water & Sewer Billing Office's final bill checklist says to fill in the online form and email it to waterbillings@peabody-ma.gov at least 10 days before your closing date. The office processes final readings 7 days before closing and emails you the final bill, which you forward to your closing attorney to put on the settlement statement. You cannot pay a final bill to the city directly; it is credited to your buyer at closing. The form asks whether the house has a sump pump and where it discharges (outside or to the sewer), so find out before you fill it in. No fee is posted.
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 Peabody site that lists which streets are on septic. Call the Health Department at 978-538-5926, or ask your closing attorney to confirm 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 Peabody
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 Peabody
- Before you list: confirm sewer or septic with the Health Department (978-538-5926).
- When the P&S is signed: pay and choose a Monday or Friday date on the fire department page, at least a week out. Keep the 60 day validity in mind.
- Mail the lien certificate request and $50 check to the Collector.
- Ten days before closing: email the final bill checklist to waterbillings@peabody-ma.gov.
Print the one-page Peabody checklist: PDF or image. It repeats the offices, fees and phone numbers on this page and leaves room for your closing date.
