Queens · colonial

Home inspector in College Point, NY

In 2017, Lou Rubino inspected one home in College Point — one job, one written report, and the photographs below come from it. The report describes a colonial, about 103 years old.

Rated 4.9 on Google as of November 2026 · U.S. Army veteran owned · NY licence #16000039568 · 516-330-3870

What the College Point report found

The report, as Lou wrote it up.

2017, a colonial, about 103 years old: 6 items flagged: 3 roof, chimney and attic; 3 exterior. As recorded: gable and flat (front lower section) roof, architectural and asphalt/fiberglass, seen from: walked, framed with 2 x 6 x 24 o/c rafters; attic: pull down stairs, storage and light in attic, fiberglass, below and r-19 insulation, gable vents and windows ventilation; clapboard vinyl and fiberglass siding, chimney: brick; masonry block foundation, 2 x 8 floor framing, supporting walls; steam boiler heat on gas, 40 gallon (1-2 people) gas (quick recovery) water heater (basement and utility area); 100-amp circuit breakers (Square D), BX wiring, lead supply pipes, public water; double-hung and thermal/insulated windows, hardwood t&g and pine t & g floors, painted wood cabinets, granite counters. Flagged, in Lou’s words: “Front lower flat roof needs to be sealed and painted with silver paint for reflectively in summer”; “Small opening in chimney flashing right rear”; “Cracks in cement chimney cap”; “Right front leader pipe leaking at side of stoop”; “Rear gutter hanger straps should be under shingle”; “Never nail into top surface of shingle”; “Steel basement (Bilco Door) is rusted through in some areas”; “Caution, dangerous for small children and pets”; “Rear stoop has no railing”; “Rear fence is falling into garage”; “Rear bedroom door lock hits latch plate”; “Basement stair railing incomplete”; “Second floor stairwell bottom newel top loose and top two balusters loose”. Also noted: “No hood but microwave is vented”; “Second floor hallway is out of level”; “Tub, hot water escutcheon loose to shower”; “No exhaust fan or window”; “No front or rear doorbell”; “Asbestos like insulation on heat pipes”. On the day: 50°F, light rain, wet ground, rain in the three days before; the house faces SE. Not present in this house: cooling and air handler equipment; food waste disposer; gas/lp firelogs and fireplaces; normal operating controls; outlets & fixtures; presence of installed cooling source in each room; range hood; solid fuel heating devices; 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.

What the inspection can examine here

The roof, chimney and attic — how the roof was observed is stated in the report, as New York requires, and the attic is entered wherever a hatch allows.
Siding, trim, flashing, grading and drainage — where water is being sent, and whether it is being sent at the house.
Supply and drain plumbing where it can be seen — materials, visible leaks, the water heater and its venting, and what moisture has already done.
Radon — a separate, optional test arranged alongside the inspection.

Photographs from College Point reports

Dusty basement floor pit with old pipes; a red arrow at the top right marks the grey service pipe beneath a wooden step. — Lead water service entering the basement of this 103-year-old College Point Colonial, recorded in the plumbing section. The page also notes the water heater is 14 years old.

The photograph is from Lou's own College Point inspection report, chosen because it shows a building component and nothing that identifies a property or an owner.

Buying in College Point: the questions with sourced answers

Each answer is built from College Point’s own rows in public data — the Census, NYSDOH, NYSDEC, FEMA, the office that holds the permits — or from Lou’s reports, and cites its source. Data retrieved 1 November 2026.

How old are the houses in College Point?

Median year built in zip 11356: 1961 (Queens: 1953). Of 9,003 units, 29% predates 1940; 11% is from 2000 on. Next come the 1960s at 17% and the 1950s at 15%. 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. Lou’s reports here: 103 years old. (ACS)

How are homes in College Point heated? Is an oil tank likely?

77% utility gas, 14% fuel oil or kerosene; fuel oil 14% against 11% county-wide. NYSDEC logs 41 petroleum spills at private homes in College Point since 1992, 5 since 2015. A gas conversion can leave a tank behind. An abandoned tank is most likely in a house that was converted from oil. Buried tanks are outside the standards New York sets for a home inspection, so the seller’s answer matters. (ACS, NYSDEC)

Is College Point mostly houses or apartments, owned or rented?

48% two-unit buildings, 21% detached houses, 14% attached single-family houses; 49% owner-occupied (Queens: 45%). Two- to four-unit buildings are 60%; a multi-family house means shared systems, separate meters and what each unit controls. (ACS)

Is radon a concern in College Point?

Queens (reported by borough): 598 basement tests, average 1.26 pCi/L, 22 at 4 or above (4%). First-floor tests there: 118, average 0.62. The highest basement reading was 23.8 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)

Has College Point flooded? Is the house in a flood zone?

74 flood-insurance claims from zip 11356 since 1978, most in 2012 (16): 82nd of the 189 zips on these pages. A claim count describes the zip, not the house; 2012 was the year of Hurricane Sandy. Flood zones follow the address. Check the address on FEMA’s map. (OpenFEMA)

Who holds the permits and certificate of occupancy in College Point?

The NYC Department of Buildings. Look the address up on BIS or DOB NOW. 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.

How does College Point compare with the towns around it?

By median year built, fuel-oil share and owner-occupancy: College Point (zip 11356) 1961, 14%, 49%; Whitestone (zip 11357): built 1957, oil 16%, 76% owner-occupied; East Elmhurst (zip 11369): built 1948, oil 7%, 55% owner-occupied; Harding Park (zip 10473): built 1965, oil 14%, 28% owner-occupied. (ACS)

Which code, water and sewer rules apply in College Point?

The New York City Construction Codes, the NYC Department of Buildings records and NYC water and sewer: county-wide, written once. They are the same for every town in Queens, so they are set out there with their sources instead of on each page.

How much does a home inspection in College Point cost, and how fast is the report?

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.

Queens, town by town

Every Queens place with a page here, each with the real count from Lou's records. The Queens page covers the county as a whole.

Where this sits in Lou's territory

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: Flushing · Whitestone · East Elmhurst · Harding Park · Clason Point · Throgs Neck · all 250 towns.

Buying in College Point?

His College Point file goes back to 2017. Yours would not be the first.

Schedule an inspection Call 516-330-3870

Not sure yet? Read what New York requires of your inspector or see a real report.