What you need in Wakefield
Checked November 7, 2026 against Wakefield's own pages. "Not published" means the page does not say; call the office.
Municipal lien certificate
Cost$25 for 1 to 3 family and condominiums; $100 for 4 to 8 family; $150 commercialLead timeNot published- Issued by
- Tax Collector
- How to order
- Tax Collector FAQ; office 781-246-6386
Smoke and CO certificate
Cost$50 single, $100 two-family, $150 for 3+ units (fee table dated 2006)Lead timeWednesdays, 8 am to 4 pm (call to confirm; the page gives no year for the schedule)- Issued by
- Fire Department
- How to order
- Call 781-246-6435 ext. 3; requirements, fees
Final water read
CostNot publishedLead timeTue and Thu; schedule 1 week ahead- Issued by
- Public Works, Water Division
- How to order
- Call 781-246-6305; FAQ
Title 5
CostSeptic homes onlyLead timeNot published- Issued by
- Board of Health
- How to order
- Board of Health; Town Hall 781-246-6300
What to order when in Wakefield
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: Tax Collector
The Tax Collector's FAQ lists the fees for a municipal lien certificate: $25 for single, two and three family residences, $25 for a residential condominium, $100 for four through eight family, and $150 for commercial, mixed use or industrial. The page gives no turnaround and no form, so assume the state limit of 10 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays (MGL c.60 s.23) and call the office, which the FAQ lists at 781-246-6386. See our lien certificate guide.
Smoke and CO certificate: Fire Department
The Fire Department does these inspections on Wednesdays between 8 am and 4 pm. Call 781-246-6435 ext. 3 to schedule. Have the year built ready, and whether the house was substantially renovated or had bedrooms added after January 1, 1975. The inspector removes the alarm to check the type and date. After the inspection you receive the compliance form. The town's applications and fees page lists $50 for a single family, $100 for a two family, $150 for three family and above and $500 for six family and above. That table is marked last revised March 31, 2006, so confirm the amount when you book. The page posts no lead time. The state form (FP-007C) gives the certificate 60 days.
What the Wakefield page says an inspector looks for (one- and two-family)
- Smoke alarms on every habitable level including the basement, on the ceiling at the base of each stairway going up, and on the ceiling outside each separate sleeping area.
- Photoelectric alarms, none more than 10 years old (527 CMR 1.13.10.7.1, per the town page). New or replacement alarms need a hush feature, and battery models need a 10 year sealed battery.
- Carbon monoxide alarms on every level including habitable basements and attics, within 10 feet of each bedroom door. Combination alarms must give both a tone and a simulated voice alarm.
Larger buildings and newer construction have stricter, hardwired interconnected requirements; the town page has the full list by building type. The state's checklist matches.
Final water read
Per the Water Division's FAQ, call 781-246-6305. Final readings are done on Tuesdays and Thursdays and must be scheduled at least one week in advance. Water billing questions: 781-246-6305 or 781-246-6301 ext. 4120. The page posts no read fee.
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 Wakefield site that lists which streets are on septic. Call the Board of Health through Town Hall at 781-246-6300, 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 Wakefield
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 Wakefield
- Before you list: confirm sewer or septic with the Board of Health.
- When the P&S is signed: call 781-246-6435 ext. 3 for a Wednesday smoke and CO slot. Replace alarms over 10 years old first.
- Ask your attorney to order the lien certificate from the Tax Collector ($25).
- At least one week before closing: call 781-246-6305 to book a Tuesday or Thursday final water read.
Print the one-page Wakefield checklist: PDF or image. It repeats the offices, fees and phone numbers on this page and leaves room for your closing date.
