Between 2015 and 2019, Lou Rubino inspected two homes in Elmont — two jobs, each with a written report, and the photographs below come from them. The reports describe a cape and a colonial, from 59 to 79 years old.
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Lou’s two summaries flagged 22 items Repair or Replace, most for the exterior (9), roof, chimney and attic (6) and structure (5). Each report, newest first, as Lou wrote it up.
2019, a colonial, about 79 years old, a two-family house: 7 items flagged: 3 roof, chimney and attic; 3 exterior; 1 structure. As recorded: gable roof, architectural, seen from: walked, framed with 2 x 8 rafters; attic: pull down stairs, storage and light in attic, r-19 or better insulation, gable vents, soffit vents and passive ventilation; brick and clapboard vinyl and full brick siding, chimney: metal flue pipe; poured concrete foundation, supporting walls; hydronic heat on natural gas, 40 gallon (1-2 people) gas (quick recovery) water heater (basement and utility room); 100-amp circuit breakers (General Switch), romex wiring, copper supply pipes, public water, window AC; double-hung, thermal/insulated and sliders windows, hardwood t&g, tile and vinyl floors, laminate and wood cabinets, formica counters. Flagged, in Lou’s words: “Left side chimney is not flashed to roof properly”; “Left side chimney is boxed out with wonder board, no finished siding”; “Left side rear abandoned chimney should be removed and roof closed up”; “Right rear leader pipe needs elbow and splash block”; “Gutters on both sides should have downspouts in front”; “For every 25 feet of gutter you need a downspout”; “Rear wall near deck, plywood is not sided”; “Front brick stoop top limestone tread has large open joint in rear”; “Front wrought iron railings are rusted and in need of paint”; “Rear basement entrance glass railing is loose”; “Rear wooden deck needs paint and hand rails are loose and three balusters are missing”; “Front walkway to house concrete pavers are falling apart into gravel from putting salt in winter”; “Driveway concrete strips are cracked up and spalled from frost heaving and salt damage”; “Drain in middle of driveway is clogged”; “Brick missing from front window well in driveway”; “Oven does not operate, no power to control panel, right side burner won't ignite”; “Flexible metal piping is too long”; “One washer hose needs to be changed to stainless steel braided hose”; “Washer rocks,needs to be leveled”; “Right side refrigerator door seal is torn”. Also noted: “Roof is about 12 years old with one layer”; “Non noted at time of inspection, all basement walls and ceiling were covered with sheetrock”; “Baseboard sheet metal cover is off in 1st floor dining room and 2nd floor bath”. On the day: 91°F, clear, damp ground, rain in the three days before; the house faces south. Not inspected that day: location of main and distribution panels; service entrance conductors. Not present in this house: cooling and air handler equipment; gas/lp firelogs and fireplaces; normal operating controls; presence of installed cooling source in each room; solid fuel heating devices; sump pump; vapor retarders; ventilation fans and thermostatic controls; windows.
2015, a cape, about 59 years old, a two-family house: 15 items flagged: 6 exterior; 4 structure; 3 roof, chimney and attic. As recorded: gable roof, 3-tab fiberglass, seen from: walked roof; attic: no storage, soffit vents and passive ventilation; brick and clapboard vinyl and full brick siding, chimney: brick; poured concrete foundation, 2 x 8 and 6" x 8" main beam floor framing, steel lally columns, crawlspace: crawled; hydronic heat on gas, (2) 40 gallon gas (quick recovery) water heater (basement and utility room); 100-amp basement and common areas, 60-amp 2nd floor and 30-amp 1st floor` circuit breakers (Crouse-Hinds and Murray), romex wiring, copper supply pipes, public water, window AC; double-hung windows, laminated t&g floors, laminate and wood cabinets, laminate and marble counters. Flagged, in Lou’s words: “Copper Chimney flashing is not installed properly”; “Flashing around plumbing vent pipe is cracked, needs boot installed”; “Chimney brick joints are cracked near top”; “Chimney foundation is cracked both sides”; “Front and rear gutters are debris filled”; “Rear dormer gutter pulling away from fascia”; “Right side garage gutter debris filled and end cap missing, no termination elbow or splash block for leader pipe”; “Left side garage gutter missing”; “Front gutter needs second leader pipe on right side ( every 25 feet of leader needs another down spout)”; “This will help prevent ice damming”; “Front brickwork on either side of door has water damage”; “Left rear vinyl siding corner and left side near driveway gate damaged”; “Front storm door is missing”; “Basement entrance storm door screen is broken, glass and auto-closer are missing”; “Rear sliding door screen is missing”; “Front door frame possible termite damage at bottom”; “Front stoop stone treads and stone flagging on platform are loose”; “Brick joints on right side are open”; “Rear basement steps are full of debris”; “Rear basement entrance block walls are cracked”. Also noted: “Tree hitting garage roof rear”; “Tree hitting house roof right side”; “Outlet to left of side door has no cover”; “Sink base cabinet door hinges are loose”; “Outlets to right of sink are not GFCI protected”; “Exhaust fan is not working”; “Right rear burner not working and full of cooking grease”; “Hole in wall in dinning area”; “Draw face missing left side of sink”; “Draw face broken right side of sink”; “Holes in cabinet door from old handles”; “Water off at time of inspection”; “Filter clogged and light does not work”; “Dryer vent cap is broken”; “Water and ice dispenser panel does not light or operate”; “Clothes Dryer Vent Material”; “Ceiling panels damage and missing”; “Hole in wall right side of sink, for water meter”; “Outlet to left of stove is loose and cover is missing”; “Hole in door to rear bedroom first floor”. On the day: 75°F, clear, dry ground, no rain in the three days before; the house faces west. Not inspected that day: fuel storage and distribution systems; heating equipment; insulation in attic; plumbing drain, waste and vent systems; plumbing water supply and distribution systems and fixtures; presence of installed cooling source in each room; roof structure and attic; visible electric wiring in attic. Not present in this house: cooling and air handler equipment; gas/lp firelogs and fireplaces; normal operating controls; occupant door from garage to inside home; solid fuel heating devices; sump pump; vapor retarders; ventilation fans and thermostatic controls; windows.
“Flagged” is HomeGauge’s Repair or Replace mark, not a verdict on the house. See a complete report.
Related: The Nassau County page · What an inspection costs · Schedule an inspection.
Both photographs are from Lou's own Elmont inspection reports, chosen because they show a building component and nothing that identifies a property or an owner.
Median year built in zip 11003: 1952 (Nassau County: 1955). Of 12,641 units, the 1950s built the most, 32%; 4% is from 2000 on. Next come the 1940s at 26% and the pre-1940 houses at 18%. 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: 59 to 79 years old. (ACS)
66% utility gas, 24% fuel oil or kerosene; fuel oil 24% against 28% county-wide. NYSDEC logs 338 petroleum spills at private homes in Elmont since 1987, 78 since 2015. 11 were logged in 2012, the year of Hurricane Sandy. 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)
83% detached houses, 10% two-unit buildings; 80% owner-occupied (Nassau County: 82%). Detached houses dominate, so most inspections here run from the roof to the foundation of one building. Lou’s jobs here included a two-family house. (ACS)
Town of Hempstead: 401 basement tests, average 1.22 pCi/L, 11 at 4 or above (3%). Nassau County: 6% of 837. First-floor tests there: 124, average 0.62. On the share at 4 or above, it ranks 4th of the county’s 5 towns and cities. The highest basement reading was 8.3 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)
18 flood-insurance claims from zip 11003 since 1978, most in 1979 (4): 152nd 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 Town of Hempstead 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.
The New York State Uniform Code, groundwater from 46 public water systems, the county sewer-connection rule and the Article XI heating-oil tank closure program: county-wide, written once. They are the same for every town in Nassau County, 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: Cambria Heights · Franklin Square · Floral Park · Queens Village · Valley Stream · Malverne · all 250 towns.
His Elmont file goes back to 2015. Yours would not be the first.
Not sure yet? Read what New York requires of your inspector or see a real report.