Between 2016 and 2018, Lou Rubino inspected two homes in Oyster Bay — two jobs, each with a written report, and the photographs below come from them. The reports describe a ranch and a split, from 35 to 58 years old.
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Lou’s two summaries flagged 25 items Repair or Replace, most for the exterior (9), roof, chimney and attic (6) and kitchen (5). Each report, newest first, as Lou wrote it up.
2018, a ranch, about 35 years old: 14 items flagged: 6 exterior; 4 kitchen; 2 roof, chimney and attic. As recorded: gable roof, architectural and asphalt/fiberglass, seen from: walked, framed with 2 x 10 rafters; attic: light in attic and attic hatch in garage, fiberglass and r-19 or better insulation, ridge vents and soffit vents ventilation; wainscot wood siding, chimney: wood; poured concrete foundation, 2 x 10 and 2" x 12"x 3 x 2 ea main wood beams floor framing, conrete piers and steel lally columns, crawlspace: crawled; forced air and hydronic heat on natural gas, 75 gallon gas (quick recovery) water heater (basement and utility room); 150-amp x 2 circuit breakers (Square D and Intermatic), romex wiring, copper supply pipes, public water, air conditioner unit; double-hung, thermal/insulated and aluminum windows, hardwood t&g, carpet and tile floors, laminate cabinets, granite counters. Flagged, in Lou’s words: “Wood Siding on chimney has water damage and spaces opening up between wainscot”; “Skylight over foyer bath has many cracks”; “Left front leader pipe not connected to drywell drain”; “Siding on sides of front window dormer has water damage”; “Front deck board has dry-rot”; “Safety Item: Right side small wooden stoop railing and balusters missing”; “Safety Item: Rear decks do not have railings with balusters”; “Front entrance stone flagging has open joints and cracked and broken flags”; “Rear patio has cracked and missing stone flagging with open joints”; “Cobble stone border is damaged from snow plow, right side rear”; “Cobble stone border is damaged, right side front apron”; “Caution trip hazard: Blue stone flagging raised right side near garage”; “Left rear fascia has water damage”; “Rear yard fence has tree damage”; “Pool fence is damaged near shed”; “Pool fence has opening in fabric to left of gate”; “Pool gate does not self close and hits patio”; “Pool fence has tree damage in rear”; “Check local codes for fence and gate height and specifications”; “Tennis court net posts are out of plumb”. Also noted: “Only partly visible over garage”; “Left side and rear filled with storage”; “Pop up exhaust fan and filter not working”; “Water heaters last on average 12 years depending on usage”; “Outside right front, next to gas meter”; “Romex cables in crawl space hanging down”; “Romex cable in left front room hanging down”; “Main panel in basement electrical room front wall middle”; “Caution: Heat pipe across electrical closet entrance is a trip hazard and can be damaged”; “Metal duct work is not insulated in basement or crawl space”; “Metal ductwork is rusted in left front basement room”; “No ground bonding wire for pumps and heater”; “Loose romex cable under pool breaker panel”; “Pump outlets are not GFCI protected”. On the day: 34°F, clear, damp ground, no rain in the three days before; the house faces north. Not inspected that day: cooling and air handler equipment; do steps or ladders exist on both sides of the pool; electric lights secure; garage floor; garage walls; is the pool depth marked on outside area of pool; is there a depth of at least 8 feet to allow safe diving; main water shut-off device; operational condition of pool; overflow skimmers and drains; permanent accessories condition; pool heaters; pool liner condition; pumps for circulation of water; pumps for vacuum or cleaning; range hood; surface walls and floor of pool; water level should be within inches from rim to allow an easier climb out. Not present in this house: food waste disposer; garage door; gas/lp firelogs and fireplaces; instant hot water; microwave cooking equipment; ventilation fans and thermostatic controls; windows.
2016, a split, about 58 years old: 11 items flagged: 4 roof, chimney and attic; 3 exterior; 1 garage. As recorded: hip roof, architectural, seen from: walked roof, framed with 2 x 6 rafters; attic: no storage and attic hatch in master closet, rock wool, below and r-19 insulation, soffit vents, passive and thermostatically controlled fan ventilation; brick and clapboard vinyl and full brick siding, chimney: brick; poured concrete foundation, 2 x 8 and 3"x 7" steel "i" beam floor framing, steel lally columns; hydronic heat on oil, hot water off the boiler; 200-amp circuit breakers (Square D), romex wiring, copper supply pipes, public water, air conditioner unit; double-hung and sliders windows, hardwood t&g, ceramic tile and asphalt asbests tile floors, wood cabinets, granite counters. Flagged, in Lou’s words: “Gutter guard has debris on top”; “In attic section of plywood sheeting is split to left over A/C unit”; “Seam should have been over rafter. to prevent splitting”; “Original wool insulation in attic”; “Front stoop platform joints need to be filled in with paver interlocking sand or mortar to prevent frost damage in winter”; “Front stoop stone treads are loose. Need to be taken up and relaid with bevel joint in rear”; “Driveway needs to be sealed and cracks repaired”; “Rear patio retaining wall needs weep holes in side to prevent ice damage in winter”; “Front walkway is pitched toward stoop”; “Fear patio near retaining wall and steps has dropped in elevation”; “If pool is installed gate, latch and fence need to be brought up to safety code”; “No gate on left side for fuel oil fill”; “Right side lift spring is stretched out”; “Four ceramic tile cracked to right of stove”; “Tile are not set on concrete”; “Boiler chimney foundation cracked both sides”; “Foundation cracked right side of garage”; “Never stack firewood near house this will attract carpenter ants and or termites”; “Damper plate has been removed from fireplace to facilitate installation of chimney top damper”; “Right side brick facing has open joint with fire box”. On the day: 82°F, clear, damp ground, rain in the three days before; the house faces SE. Not present in this house: food waste disposer; gas meter; gas/lp firelogs and fireplaces; insulation under floor system; microwave cooking equipment; sump pump; trash compactor; vapor retarders; 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.
All three photographs are from Lou's own Oyster Bay inspection reports, chosen because they show a building component and nothing that identifies a property or an owner.
Median year built in zip 11771: 1961 (Nassau County: 1955). Of 4,048 units, 27% predates 1940; 9% is from 2000 on. Next come the 1960s at 20% and the 1950s 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: 35 to 58 years old. (ACS)
55% utility gas, 33% fuel oil or kerosene; fuel oil 33% against 28% county-wide. NYSDEC logs 171 petroleum spills at private homes in Oyster Bay since 1987, 53 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)
73% detached houses, 6% buildings of 3 or 4 units, 6% buildings of 5 to 9 units; 72% owner-occupied (Nassau County: 82%). Detached houses dominate, so most inspections here run from the roof to the foundation of one building. (ACS)
Town of Oyster Bay: 231 basement tests, average 1.79 pCi/L, 20 at 4 or above (9%). Nassau County: 6% of 837. First-floor tests there: 65, average 0.92. On the share at 4 or above, it ranks 2nd of the county’s 5 towns and cities. The highest basement reading was 13.9 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)
111 flood-insurance claims from zip 11771 since 1978, most in 2012 (36): 70th 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)
The Town of Oyster Bay Department of Planning & Development, Building Division. The hamlet is Town of Oyster Bay; ZIP 11771 also covers the Villages of Oyster Bay Cove, Cove Neck, Centre Island, Mill Neck and Upper Brookville. 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: Upper Brookville · East Norwich · Bayville · Locust Valley · Syosset · Cold Spring Harbor · all 250 towns.
His Oyster Bay file goes back to 2016. Yours would not be the first.
Not sure yet? Read what New York requires of your inspector or see a real report.