What you need in Revere
Checked November 7, 2026 against Revere's own pages. "Not published" means the page does not say; call the office.
Municipal lien certificate
Cost$50 for 1 to 3 family or vacant land; $100 for 4+ units; $150 commercial. $25 extra for 48 hoursLead time10 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, or 48 hours expedited- Issued by
- Collector's Office, City Hall, 281 Broadway
- How to order
- Written request by mail with a stamped return envelope and a check
Smoke and CO certificate
Cost$50 per unit, check or money order at the inspectionLead timeRequest 10 business days ahead; certificate valid 60 days- Issued by
- Fire Department, Office of Fire Prevention, 400 Broadway
- How to order
- Call (781) 286-8363, Mon to Thu 8 to 10 am or 3:30 to 4:30 pm; city page
Final water read
Cost$50; $25 more expeditedLead timeFinal bill emailed on the date you chose- Issued by
- Water and Sewer Department
- How to order
- Online permit portal, "Final Water Meter Read Request"
Title 5
CostSeptic homes onlyLead timeNot published- Issued by
- Not published
- How to order
- Not published; city line 781-286-8311
What to order when in Revere
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
Revere's Treasurer/Collector page takes lien certificate requests in writing only. Send the property address, the owner, the parcel number, how the certificate should be addressed, a self-addressed stamped envelope and a check payable to the City of Revere to Collector's Office, City of Revere, 281 Broadway, Revere, MA 02151. The page lists no online form. Email: collector@revere.org.
Fees: $50 for a single, two or three family dwelling or vacant land, $100 for residential four or more units, $150 for commercial, industrial or public utility. Add $25 for a 48 hour expedited request. The page says the law allows 10 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays (MGL c.60 s.23).
One Revere-specific thing to check first: the city's Health Inspections Division page says unpaid code enforcement tickets under the city's Chapter 40U ordinance move to the Collector after the 30 day period, become a charge against the property, and show up on a municipal lien certificate and the tax bill. Pay or appeal any open ticket before you order the certificate. How the certificate feeds the tax proration is in our lien certificate guide.
Smoke and CO certificate: Fire Prevention
The Office of Fire Prevention is at 400 Broadway (use the rear entrance). Call (781) 286-8363 or visit Monday to Thursday, 8 to 10 am or 3:30 to 4:30 pm. A date and time window is assigned when you book, first come, first served, and the city asks you to request it at least 10 business days before the date you want. The fee is $50 per unit, so a three-family is $150 (the city's policy, posted 2020). Pay by check or money order at the inspection; no cash, and the fee is non-refundable. The certificate is valid for 60 days from the date issued.
What fails a Revere inspection
- Nobody from the seller side at the house when the inspector arrives. The application is returned as FAILED.
- No keys or access to all areas, including every apartment. The inspection fails.
- A street number that is not visible from the approaching street, in a contrasting color, at least 3 inches tall. Automatic fail.
- An alarm past its manufacturer expiration date, or with no date visible.
- Alarms bought online. The policy says they are not accepted, per a Department of Fire Services directive. Buy UL listed brands from a local store.
- Smoke alarms that are not photoelectric, or are not on the ceiling. Hardwired systems that mix brands or ages beyond a couple of years also fail.
- In a one- or two-family built before 1975, new battery alarms must be the speaking type with a 10 year sealed battery and a hush button. Existing battery alarms past 10 years must be replaced the same way.
Coverage rules in the policy: one alarm per 1,200 square feet of living space, at least one on every habitable level including the basement, one outside each sleeping area, one at the base of every stairway going up, and one inside the bedroom if the bedroom is off a kitchen. The state's own inspection checklist covers the rest. If it fails, you book a new appointment under the same rules.
Final water read
Revere handles the final read online. On the Water and Sewer page, create an account as a Property Owner or Citizen/Resident, choose Apply for a Permit, then "Final Water Meter Read Request". The city says to request it before the sale. The fee is $50, plus $25 if you want it expedited, paid by credit card or e-check. A copy of the final bill is emailed on the date you asked for the read. The page says all meters must be indoors and accessible; if a meter fails because it is blocked or boxed in, the owner pays for the replacement. For water and sewer problems dial 311 (781-286-8311).
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 Revere site that lists which streets are on septic. Call the city line at 781-286-8311 and ask the Health Inspections Division, or have your closing attorney 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.
If the buyer will rent it
The Health page lists a Rental Property Ordinance with Certificates of Fitness and vacant rental unit inspections. The page does not spell out the rules or fee, so a buyer planning to rent should call 781-286-8311 before the first tenant moves in. It is not a requirement of the sale itself.
State rules that set your dates in Revere
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 Revere
- Before you list: confirm the house is on town sewer. If not, schedule Title 5 first.
- Pay or appeal any open city code ticket; unpaid ones end up on the lien certificate.
- At least 10 business days before the date you want: call (781) 286-8363 to book smoke and CO, and fix the street number and old alarms first.
- When the P&S is signed: your attorney sends the written lien certificate request, with the $25 expedite if the closing is close.
- Request the final water read online in the city permit portal ($50).
Print the one-page Revere checklist: PDF or image. It repeats the offices, fees and phone numbers on this page and leaves room for your closing date.
