In 2017, Lou Rubino inspected two homes in Hastings-on-Hudson — two jobs, each with a written report, and the photographs below come from them. The reports describe a colonial and a raised ranch, from 60 to 65 years old.
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Lou’s two summaries flagged 18 items Repair or Replace, most for the roof, chimney and attic (7), exterior (6) and garage (2). Each report, newest first, as Lou wrote it up.
2017, a raised ranch, about 60 years old: 8 items flagged: 3 roof, chimney and attic; 3 exterior; 1 kitchen. As recorded: gable roof, architectural and asphalt/fiberglass, seen from: ground and ladder, framed with 2 x 6 rafters and 2 x 8 rafters; attic: light in attic, no storage and attic hatch in hallway, fiberglass, below and r-19 insulation, gable vents, soffit vents and thermostatically controlled fan ventilation; clapboard and cement shingle cement-fiber and aluminum siding, chimney: metal flue pipe and metal siding; masonry block foundation, 2 x 8, 2"x 8"x 3 main beam and 2"x 10"x 3 main beam floor framing, steel lally columns and supporting walls, crawlspace: crawled; electric baseboard basement heat on gas, 50 gallon (2-3 people) gas (quick recovery) water heater (basement and utility room); 200-amp circuit breakers (Murray), romex wiring, copper supply pipes, public water, air conditioner unit; double-hung, thermal/insulated and casement windows, hardwood t&g and tile floors, wood cabinets, granite counters. Flagged, in Lou’s words: “Moss forming on roof over garage”; “Leader pipe is disconnected left rear flooding out yard”; “Gutter guard needs to be installed over gutters too many trees around property”; “Debris in front gutter over garage”; “Large bush hanging in gutter right front of garage”; “Extra insulation has not been placed over Master bath”; “Extra insulation has not been placed over most of front section of attic”; “Extra insulation has not been placed over front entrance”; “Large stone pier in right rear yard is deteriorated and stone copping is dislodged”; “Asphalt driveway front apron damaged from plow”; “Large tree hanging over garage, left front”; “Large tree hanging over house right rear”; “Drain at rear entrance must be kept clear of leaves to prevent flooding of basement”; “Stockade fence right side is in bad condition and large tree is pushing sections toward road”; “Sheetrock screws used to hang wall cabinets, should be hung with cabinet hanging screws”; “Dining room window upper sash is fogged”; “Utility room door hits frame”; “Windows in basement study are original steel casement”; “Windows are original single pane steel frame and have been painted shut”; “Windows across rear wall do not have storms to prevent drafts”. Also noted: “Chimney has metal exterior made to look like brick”; “Possible concrete asbestos siding shingle”; “Laundry room outlet to left of sink is not GFCI protected”; “Screened patio outlet is has open ground and is not GFCI protected”; “Right side window sash is broken”; “Window in shower is facing Old”; “Exhaust fan is venting into attic”; “Main electric shut off in garage, in braker panel”; “Main panel in garage left front corner”; “Outside left front side of garage”; “Chimney flue is insulated with asbestos like insulation”; “Metal ductwork is not insulated in utility room and in crawl space”; “Register is loose in hall bath”; “Temperature was below 60 degrees. Too cold to operate without damage”. On the day: 37°F, heavy rain, staurated ground, rain in the three days before; the house faces north. Not inspected that day: normal operating controls; plumbing water faucets. Not present in this house: basement windows; food waste disposer; gas/lp firelogs and fireplaces; occupant door from garage to inside home; outlets & fixtures; pantry/closet doors; range hood; solid fuel heating devices; sump pump; trash compactor; vapor retarders; windows.
2017, a colonial, about 65 years old: 10 items flagged: 4 roof, chimney and attic; 3 exterior; 2 garage. As recorded: gable roof, architectural and asphalt/fiberglass, seen from: walked roof, framed with 2 x 8 rafters; attic: light in attic and no storage, below and r-19 insulation, gable vents, soffit vents and passive ventilation; rock and mortar and clapboard wood and westchester granite siding, chimney: westchester granite; masonry block foundation, 2 x 10 and 2"x 10"x 3 main beam floor framing, steel lally columns and supporting walls; hydronic heat on oil, 30 gallon (small) oil water heater (basement); 150-amp circuit breakers (General Electric), romex wiring, copper supply pipes, public water, air conditioner unit; double-hung, thermal/insulated and casement windows, hardwood t&g and laminated t&g floors, laminate cabinets, laminate counters. Flagged, in Lou’s words: “Roof is about 12-15 yrs old”; “Front section has moss growing on right & left sides and near valley and near garage”; “Flat roof over garage has moss growing”; “Peak over front entrance, caps nails popping, and caps splitting”; “Shingle torn on lower roof over front entrance”; “Left sloped side of chimney needs pointing”; “Gable vent covered with plywood in attic”; “Numerous large trees on property”; “Roof rafter is cracked near ridge beam over A/C evap”; “Left rear corner trim at rear entrance is dry rotted”; “Holes in clapboard right side”; “Right side upper paint peeling”; “Warning safety hazard for small children and pets”; “Rear basement steps need hand rail and railing on top of wall”; “Front stoop, stone tread joints cracked”; “Front stoop stone risers cracked on end”; “Balcony over garage roof needs wood deck to prevent roof damage and railing is a safety item”; “Metal but hollow, not fire rated”; “Door lift springs do not have safety cable inside”; “Basement door to workout room hits saddle”. Also noted: “No door installed to rear sun room”; “Sun room has not heat, kitchen will be drafty”; “Right rear sitting room window lift cords do not retract”; “Right rear TV room outlet is hot and neutral reversed”; “Laundry room outlet is not GFCI protected”; “Outlet is hot and neutral reversed”; “Trap vent foundation front wall”; “Fuel oil fill pipe and vent front wall between windows”. On the day: 45°F, light rain, cloudy, wet ground, rain in the three days before; the house faces north. Not inspected that day: plumbing water faucets. Not present in this house: fence; food waste disposer; gas/lp firelogs and fireplaces; insulation under floor system; microwave cooking equipment; range hood; trash compactor; 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 Westchester page · What an inspection costs · Schedule an inspection.
All three photographs are from Lou's own Hastings-on-Hudson inspection reports, chosen because they show a building component and nothing that identifies a property or an owner.
Median year built in zip 10706: 1944 (Westchester: 1958). Of 3,413 units, 44% predates 1940; 3% is from 2000 on. Next come the 1950s at 15% and the 1940s 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. Lou’s reports here: 60 to 65 years old. (ACS)
63% utility gas, 23% fuel oil or kerosene; fuel oil 23% against 30% county-wide. NYSDEC logs 83 petroleum spills at private homes in Hastings-on-Hudson since 1990, 26 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)
52% detached houses, 12% buildings of 3 or 4 units, 9% attached single-family houses; 80% owner-occupied (Westchester: 62%). Two- to four-unit buildings are 16%; a multi-family house means shared systems, separate meters and what each unit controls. (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)
63 flood-insurance claims from zip 10706 since 1979, most in 1980 (9): 92nd 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 Hastings-on-Hudson 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, 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: Ardsley · Yonkers · Hartsdale · Bronxville · Scarsdale · New Rochelle · all 250 towns.
His Hastings-on-Hudson file goes back to 2017. Yours would not be the first.
Not sure yet? Read what New York requires of your inspector or see a real report.