In 2026, Lou Rubino inspected one home in Ardsley — one job, one written report, and the photographs below come from it. The report describes a colonial.
Rated 4.9 on Google as of November 2026 · U.S. Army veteran owned · NY licence #16000039568 · 516-330-3870
The report, as Lou wrote it up.
2026, a colonial, over 60 years old: 15 items flagged: 5 roof, chimney and attic; 4 exterior; 4 kitchen. As recorded: gable roof, 3-tab fiberglass, seen from: walked roof, framed with 2 x 4 rafters; attic: pull down stairs and storage, below and r-19 insulation, soffit vents ventilation; wood and cedar siding, chimney: brick and metal flue pipe; masonry block foundation, steel lally columns; 50 gallon (2-3 people) gas (quick recovery) water heater (utility room); 100-amp circuit breakers (General Switch), romex and BX wiring, copper supply pipes, public water, air conditioner unit; sliders, thermal/insulated and fixed windows, hardwood t&g, carpet and tile floors, wood cabinets, tile counters. Flagged, in Lou’s words: “Roof is about 30 + years old with two layers”; “Roof has a large area covered by moss toward left rear”; “Moss if allowed to grow on roof will loosen aggregate”; “Roof has tree limbs hitting shingle on both sides”; “Missing shingle left side middle near edge”; “Flashing from fireplace chimney is raised on right side”; “Old insulation is matted down 2"”; “Insulation missing from front soffit opposite pull down ladder”; “Safety Item: Attic pull down steps, 2nd step is broken and folding joints are weak and wobbly”; “No carpet pads under step stringers”; “Red stucco damaged near vent left side foundation”; “Wood footer under left side middle window has water damage”; “Daylight coming through wall in attic left front”; “Over front garage door right side corner not painted”; “Main entrance door needs paint”; “Safety Item: Main entrance door dead bolt does not have turn knob inside”; “Fumbling for a key in a fire emergency could cause lives”; “Safety Item: Rear sliding glass door 1st floor lock pin does not hold”; “Rear sliding glass door to balcony 2nd floor does not hold”; “Railings on rear balcony paint is peeling”. Also noted: “Left side leader and gutter system not installed”; “Causing rain water to drip on side of house and onto A/C unit”; “Right side leader and gutter system full of tree debris causing rain water to drip onto right side entrance and down right side siding”; “Both doors do have lift spring safety cables”; “Radon test canisters placed in right side basement closet lower shelf side by side”; “Canisters to be retrieved and brought to RTCA Lab after 96 hours of exposure”; “Main panel in garage right side wall”; “Insulation to refrigerant tubbing at compressor is worn off”; “Compressor is not set on level ground”; “Return filter before Air-handler is not installed”; “Exterior knife switch box is not water resistant causing switch to corrode”; “Box is also loose on wall”; “Return filters in return registers are not installed”; “Ductwork and registers are full of dust”; “Duct work in utility room is not insulated”. On the day: 80°F, clear, damp ground, rain in the three days before; the house faces NW. Not inspected that day: floors; insulation under floor system; visible electric wiring in attic. Not present in this house: food waste disposer; gas/lp firelogs and fireplaces; range hood; sump pump; trash compactor; vapor retarders; ventilation fans and thermostatic controls.
“Flagged” is HomeGauge’s Repair or Replace mark, not a verdict on the house. See a complete report.
Related: The Westchester page · What an inspection costs · Schedule an inspection.
All three photographs are from Lou's own Ardsley inspection reports, chosen because they show a building component and nothing that identifies a property or an owner.
Median year built in zip 10502: 1959 (Westchester: 1958). Of 2,002 units, the 1950s built the most, 37%; 16% is from 2000 on. Next come the pre-1940 houses at 15% and the 2010s at 13%. An older house is not a worse house, but its wiring, plumbing and roof were installed under different rules and replaced piecemeal, which is what the inspection looks for. (ACS)
68% utility gas, 21% fuel oil or kerosene; fuel oil 21% against 30% county-wide. NYSDEC logs 120 petroleum spills at private homes in Ardsley since 1990, 33 since 2015. Ask about a tank, and for closure papers. A tank can be buried in the yard or sit in the basement, and a removed one should come with paperwork. Buried tanks are outside the standards New York sets for a home inspection, so the seller’s answer matters. (ACS, NYSDEC)
75% detached houses, 7% buildings of 10 to 19 units, 6% buildings of 20 to 49 units; 84% owner-occupied (Westchester: 62%). Detached houses dominate, so most inspections here run from the roof to the foundation of one building. (ACS)
Town of Greenburgh: 258 basement tests, average 2.23 pCi/L, 25 at 4 or above (10%). Westchester: 18% of 2,826. First-floor tests there: 89, average 0.89. On the share at 4 or above, it ranks 22nd of the county’s 23 towns and cities. The highest basement reading was 21.8 pCi/L. EPA’s action level is 4 pCi/L, and it advises testing every home whatever the area’s results. Radon testing is optional. (NYSDOH)
253 flood-insurance claims from zip 10502 since 1978, most in 1980 (66): 50th of the 189 zips on these pages. A claim count describes the zip, not the house. Flood zones follow the address. Check the address on FEMA’s map. (OpenFEMA)
The Village of Ardsley Building Department. Your attorney usually runs the search. The inspection reports the condition of what is there and flags work that typically needs a permit, such as a finished basement, a dormer or a moved panel, so you know what to ask about.
By median year built, fuel-oil share and owner-occupancy: Ardsley (zip 10502) 1959, 21%, 84%; Hartsdale (zip 10530): built 1959, oil 24%, 86% owner-occupied; Hastings-on-Hudson (zip 10706): built 1944, oil 23%, 80% owner-occupied; Scarsdale (zip 10583): built 1953, oil 17%, 85% owner-occupied. (ACS)
The New York State Uniform Code, the local water suppliers and the county rule on testing private wells at sale: county-wide, written once. They are the same for every town in Westchester, so they are set out there with their sources instead of on each page.
Lou quotes the actual property, not a flat rate — what drives the price is size, age and what is included. The written report arrives the same day as a rule; a large or complex house can run to the next morning. Call or text 516-330-3870.
Lou covers Long Island, the five boroughs and Westchester from his base in Wantagh, and the archive behind these pages shows where that work has actually concentrated.
Nearby towns Lou has inspected: Hartsdale · Hastings-on-Hudson · Scarsdale · White Plains · Yonkers · Bronxville · all 250 towns.
His Ardsley file goes back to 2026. Yours would not be the first.
Not sure yet? Read what New York requires of your inspector or see a real report.