Nassau County · cape

Home inspector in North Merrick, NY

In 2014, Lou Rubino inspected one home in North Merrick — one job, one written report, and the photographs below come from it. The report describes a cape, about 88 years old.

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

What the North Merrick report found

The report, as Lou wrote it up.

2014, a cape, about 88 years old: 14 items flagged: 3 garage; 2 roof, chimney and attic; 2 exterior. As recorded: gable roof, architectural, seen from: walked roof, framed with 2 x 4 rafters; attic: attic hatch, fiberglass and below insulation, ridge vents ventilation; vinyl siding, chimney: brick; masonry block foundation, 2 x 6 floor framing, wood piers and steel screw jacks, crawlspace: from entry; 40 gallon (1-2 people) gas (quick recovery) water heater (basement and utility room); 200-amp circuit breakers (Murray), romex wiring, copper supply pipes, public water; double-hung windows, hardwood t&g floors, wood cabinets, composite counters. Flagged, in Lou’s words: “Leader elbows need splash blocks to lead water away from foundation”; “Gutters filled with leaf debris”; “Leader section missing from front dormer to main roof gutter”; “Insulation in attic is matted down from roof debris and is insufficient for heat retention”; “Driveway door to basement entrance needs weather stripping on bottom, cold air draft”; “Front porch joints need pointing and stoop needs to be cleaned of cement stains”; “Rear wood deck skirt is rooting in contact with ground”; “Caution Trip Hazard: Front sidewalk is raised by tree roots”; “Right side concrete block wall is cracked 3/4" from top to bottom, and wall is not straight”; “Right rear of garage is being lifted by tree roots”; “Cracked from left to right toward front”; “Front vehicle door is out of square to opening”; “Sink cabinet fascia is cracked”; “Tile back splash joint is open behind sink”; “Steps and landing to second floor are out of level tilting to right”; “Temporary screw jack placed under main beam next to boiler steel plate missing from top”; “Insulation under crawl space is installed upside dow and is falling out of beam pockets”; “Smoke detector on first floor near stairs is not working”. Also noted: “Pipe on extension roof possibly for snow and ice retention”; “Chimney is steel lined very good”; “Cedar shakes removed and plywood installed during last shingle installation, very good”; “Sliding door to deck handle latch is missing to lock door”; “Open ground at GFCI outlet”; “Water heater is 15 yrs old. It is near max life”; “SIDE BEHIND ACCESS PANEL on either side of water meter”; “Extra conductor hanging in panel for future circuit”; “Main panel in basement at bottom of steps”; “Taco circulating pump for basement heat is making noise”. On the day: 48°F, clear, damp ground, no rain in the three days before; the house faces west. Not inspected that day: cooling and air handler equipment; fence; plumbing water faucets. Not present in this house: garage ceilings; occupant door from garage to inside home; range hood; sump pump; trash compactor; ventilation fans and thermostatic controls; windows.

“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 garage — the door, its opener safety reverse, and the fire separation between the garage and the house.
The heating plant and any central air — operated in normal mode, dated from the data plate, with the flue and clearances looked at where accessible.
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.
Radon — a separate, optional test arranged alongside the inspection.

Photographs from North Merrick reports

Close-up of a white sliding door frame with empty screw holes where a latch was, marked by a red arrow. — Sliding door to the deck is missing its handle latch, so the door cannot be locked. Lou recommended evaluation and repair by a licensed carpenter or locksmith contractor.

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

Buying in North Merrick: the questions with sourced answers

Each answer is built from North Merrick’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 North Merrick?

Median year built in zip 11566: 1955 (Nassau County: 1955). Of 11,723 units, the 1950s built the most, 38%; 5% is from 2000 on. Next come the 1960s at 17% and the pre-1940 houses at 16%. 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: 88 years old. (ACS)

How are homes in North Merrick heated? Is an oil tank likely?

64% utility gas, 31% fuel oil or kerosene; fuel oil 31% against 28% county-wide. NYSDEC logs 91 petroleum spills at private homes in North Merrick since 1987, 11 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)

Is North Merrick mostly houses or apartments, owned or rented?

97% detached houses; 96% owner-occupied (Nassau County: 82%). Detached houses dominate, so most inspections here run from the roof to the foundation of one building. (ACS)

Is radon a concern in North Merrick?

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)

Has North Merrick flooded? Is the house in a flood zone?

2,053 flood-insurance claims from zip 11566 since 1978, most in 2012 (1,273): 11th 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 North Merrick?

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.

How does North Merrick compare with the towns around it?

By median year built, fuel-oil share and owner-occupancy: North Merrick (zip 11566) 1955, 31%, 96%; Baldwin (zip 11510): built 1948, oil 25%, 88% owner-occupied; Uniondale (zip 11553): built 1953, oil 27%, 75% owner-occupied; Seaford (zip 11783): built 1957, oil 36%, 93% owner-occupied. (ACS)

Which code, water and sewer rules apply in North Merrick?

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.

How much does a home inspection in North Merrick 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.

Nassau County, town by town

Every Nassau County place with a page here, each with the real count from Lou's records. The Nassau County 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: Merrick · Freeport · Bellmore · Baldwin · Wantagh · Uniondale · all 250 towns.

Buying in North Merrick?

His North Merrick file goes back to 2014. 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.