What you need in Winchester
Checked November 7, 2026 against Winchester's own pages. "Not published" means the page does not say; call the office.
Municipal lien certificate
Cost$60 residential; $105 commercialLead time10 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays- Issued by
- Tax Collector, 71 Mt. Vernon St
- How to order
- Mail the owner's name and property address with payment, plus a stamped envelope; Treasurer 781-721-7123
Smoke and CO certificate
CostNot published ("set by the Town"); call 781-729-1802Lead timeCertificate valid 60 days; aim for a couple of weeks out- Issued by
- Fire Prevention Division
- How to order
- Call the non-emergency line once the closing date is firm
Final water and sewer read
CostNot publishedLead timeNot published- Issued by
- Water and Sewer Department, 71 Mt. Vernon St
- How to order
- Not published; call 781-721-7100, 8 am to 4 pm
Title 5
CostSeptic homes onlyLead timeNot published- Issued by
- Not published
- How to order
- Not published; ask your attorney or Town Hall
What to order when in Winchester
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
Winchester's real estate FAQ says to give the current owner and the property address, and a self-addressed stamped envelope if you want it mailed. The fee is $60 for a residential property and $105 for commercial. It accepts an attorney's check, a certified or registered check or a personal check, and cash in person only. Mail payment to Office of the Tax Collector, Town of Winchester, 71 Mt. Vernon St., Winchester, MA 01890. The FAQ says the certificate is issued within 10 business days; the state limit is 10 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays (MGL c.60 s.23). See our lien certificate guide.
Smoke and CO certificate: Fire Prevention Division
Winchester's smoke and CO page says that anyone selling or transferring a one- or two-family home needs a Certificate of Compliance from the department, to book as soon as you have a firm closing date, and that the certificate is valid for 60 days. It lists the fee as "Set by the Town" without an amount, so ask when you call (781) 729-1802, the non-emergency line, Monday to Friday, 8 am to 4 pm. The page says to aim for a couple of weeks before closing.
It also says alarms over 10 years old, or with no date on the back, must be replaced; that every level, including the basement, needs an alarm; that a carbon monoxide alarm is needed within 10 feet of a bedroom; and that your street number must be visible from the street (MGL c.148 s.59). The inspector applies the rule for the year your house was built or last substantially renovated. The state's inspection checklist covers the same ground. The state caps the fee (MGL c.148 s.10A).
Final water and sewer read
The town's water FAQ posts no final read procedure, fee or lead time for a closing. It says to contact the Water and Sewer Department at 781-721-7100, between 8 am and 4 pm, to schedule an appointment, and that appointments run 7:30 am to 2 pm Monday to Friday. It also says that bills go out quarterly (January, April, July and October) and that all water use is metered and charged for sewer as well. Call as soon as you have a closing date and ask your attorney to confirm the read is booked.
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 Winchester site that lists which streets are on septic. The water FAQ says all water use is charged for sewer too, which points to public sewer for most houses. Ask your closing attorney or Town Hall about your address. 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 Winchester
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 Winchester
- Before you list: confirm sewer or septic. If the house has septic, schedule Title 5 first.
- If the house was built before 1978, prepare the lead notice for the buyer.
- Once you have a firm closing date: call (781) 729-1802 to book the smoke and CO inspection and ask the fee.
- Mail the lien certificate request ($60, 10 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays), or have your attorney do it.
- Call Water and Sewer (781-721-7100) to book the final read.
Print the one-page Winchester checklist: PDF or image. It repeats the offices, fees and phone numbers on this page and leaves room for your closing date.
