What you need in Stoneham
Checked November 7, 2026 against Stoneham's own pages. "Not published" means the page does not say; call the office.
Municipal lien certificate
Cost$50 residential; $100 for 3+ family; $150 commercialLead timeNot published- Issued by
- Treasurer's Office, 35 Central Street
- How to order
- Mail with a stamped return envelope, or request online
Smoke and CO certificate
CostNot publishedLead timeMon to Fri, 8:30 to 10:00 am- Issued by
- Fire Prevention
- How to order
- Call Ann at 781-438-0127; Fire Dept FAQ
Final water read
CostNo fee posted; $50 for a missed appointmentLead timeAt least 72 hours before closing- Issued by
- Department of Public Works, 16 Pine Street
- How to order
- Call 781-438-0760 or 781-438-2583; procedure
Title 5
CostSeptic homes onlyLead timeNot published- Issued by
- Health Department, 35 Central Street
- How to order
- Call 781-279-2621; Board of Health
What to order when in Stoneham
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's Office
Stoneham's Treasurer/Tax Collector FAQ says to request a lien certificate in writing, mailing the request with a self-addressed stamped envelope to Treasurer's Office, 35 Central Street, Stoneham, MA 02180. You can also request it online. Fees: residential $50, multifamily (3 plus) $100, commercial $150. The FAQ does not give a turnaround, so assume the state limit of 10 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays (MGL c.60 s.23) and ask. The FAQ gives 781-279-2660 for payment questions. See our lien certificate guide.
Smoke and CO certificate: Fire Prevention
The town's Fire Department FAQ says Fire Prevention conducts the sale inspections Monday through Friday between 8:30 and 10:00, and to call Ann at 781-438-0127 to schedule. With a ninety minute daily window, call as soon as the purchase and sale agreement is signed. The FAQ posts no fee and no lead time; the state caps the fee (MGL c.148 s.10A).
What the town says to have in place: an operating smoke detector on every habitable level including the basement, finished attic space covered, and a second detector where a floor is over 1,200 square feet. Carbon monoxide detectors follow the same layout under MGL c.148 s.26F1/2 (in effect since April 1, 2006). The town links the state's inspection checklist.
Oil tank
The same FAQ says current state law does not require removing an underground heating oil tank unless it is leaking or no longer in use, but a buyer may find it hard to get a mortgage with an underground tank in the ground. If the house has one, raise it with your attorney before you list. State rule: MGL c.148 s.38J.
Final water read
Per the town's final reading page, the owner, agent or lawyer calls the Department of Public Works at 781-438-0760 or 781-438-2583 at least 72 hours before the closing. Have the buyer's name ready. Appointments are set for two days before the closing (weekends excluded) at a specific time, Monday to Friday, and someone has to be at the house to let the meter reader in. A missed appointment costs $50. The confirmation of reading is picked up at Public Works, 16 Pine Street. The department may ask for a copy of the purchase and sale agreement first. The page posts no read fee.
Septic or town sewer (Title 5)
Title 5 applies only to a house with its own septic system or cesspool (310 CMR 15.301). The Department of Public Works says it maintains about 75 miles of town sewer, but we found no Stoneham page that lists which streets are not on it. The Board of Health (Health Department, 35 Central Street, 781-279-2621) posts septic permit forms, and the town's regulations page lists 310 CMR 15.000. If the house does have septic, read the Title 5 guide before you set a closing date.
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 Stoneham
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 Stoneham
- Before you list: confirm sewer or septic with the Health Department (781-279-2621).
- When the P&S is signed: call 781-438-0127 for the smoke and CO inspection (mornings only).
- Mail or file the lien certificate request with the Treasurer's Office ($50).
- At least 72 hours before closing: call Public Works to book the final water read, and have someone at the house.
Print the one-page Stoneham checklist: PDF or image. It repeats the offices, fees and phone numbers on this page and leaves room for your closing date.
