Bronx · colonial

Home inspector in Pelham Bay, NY

In 2016, Lou Rubino inspected one home in Pelham Bay — one job, one written report, and the photographs below come from it. The report describes a colonial, about 66 years old.

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

What the Pelham Bay report found

The report, as Lou wrote it up.

2016, a colonial, about 66 years old: 7 items flagged: 4 exterior; 3 roof, chimney and attic. As recorded: flat roof, 3-tab fiberglass and rubber membrane, seen from: walked roof; attic: no storage, passive ventilation; brick full brick siding, chimney: brick; poured concrete foundation, 2 x 10 floor framing, steel lally columns and supporting walls; forced air heat on gas, 50 gallon (2-3 people) gas (quick recovery) water heater (basement and utility room); 100-amp circuit breakers (Murray), BX wiring, copper supply pipes, public water, window AC; double-hung and sliders windows, hardwood t&g, carpet and tile floors, wood and laminate cabinets, laminate counters. Flagged, in Lou’s words: “Roof about 18 - 20 years old”; “Numerous bubbles under roofing”; “Water pooling in area between hatch and front wall”; “Large water bubble 6' from front wall left side”; “Flashing on firewall next to hatch is damaged”; “Cement chimney cap is cracked around perimeter to brick work and in middle as well as around ceramic flue”; “Front, rear and basement doors need weather-stripping”; “Rear steel stairs treads are rust jacking on bottom at braces”; “Rear deck, left side railing anchor bracket weld is broken”; “Rear fiberglass awning has holes”; “Front brick retaining wall leaning forward and cracked in middle”; “Driveway side retaining wall cracked in middle along bed-joint and pulling away from house foundation”; “Front patio has dropped in elevation putting pressure on front wall”; “New wall should be constructed with weep holes and drainage behind wall”; “Front wood door facade is dry rotted at bottom”; “Rear fence entry gate post is broken and top rail loose”; “Pilot light won't ignite for stove top and oven pilot light is out”; “Laminate fell off wall cabinet over stove and loose under wall cabinet”; “Most likely from stove heat”; “Pilot light won't ignite for stove top and oven won't ignite”. Also noted: “Sink is slow draining and water stain under trap”; “Water under trap in sink cabinet”; “Second floor middle bedroom all outlets are hot and neutral reversed”; “Rear bedroom all outlets have open grounds”; “Switch cover missing at rear basement door entrance”; “Top hinge loose, screw holes stripped”; “Floor tile in shower broken and drain cover loose”; “Wall tile outside shower right side broken and wall water damaged”; “Wall tiles in shower were not grouted properly and old grout smeared all over tile”; “Tub diverter valve handle loose”; “Grout and caulking smeared on tile near tub right and left sides”; “Drain stand pipe for washer in basement right front corner”; “Hot and cold plumbing for washer under basement steps”; “Registers are heavily painted and difficult to move adjustment levers”. On the day: 57°F, clear, 20 mph winds, damp ground, rain in the three days before; the house faces west. Not inspected that day: ceilings; floors; insulation in attic; insulation under floor system; roof structure and attic; vapor retarders; visible electric wiring in attic. Not present in this house: gas/lp firelogs and fireplaces; presence of installed cooling source in each room; solid fuel heating devices; 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 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.
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.
Radon — a separate, optional test arranged alongside the inspection.

Photographs from Pelham Bay reports

White tiled shower floor with a drain cover outlined in a red box and two red arrows on cracked tiles. — Floor tile in the shower is broken and the drain cover is loose, as marked by the red box and arrows in the report photo.

Corner beside a pink bathtub where small pink tiles are smeared with grout, marked by a red arrow. — Grout and caulking smeared on the tile near the tub, as marked by the red arrow in the report photo.

Both photographs are from Lou's own Pelham Bay inspection reports, chosen because they show a building component and nothing that identifies a property or an owner.

Buying in Pelham Bay: the questions with sourced answers

Each answer is built from Pelham Bay’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 Pelham Bay?

Median year built in zip 10461: 1951 (Bronx: 1954). Of 20,418 units, 38% predates 1940; 9% is from 2000 on. Next come the 1950s at 14% and the 1960s at 14%. 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: 66 years old. (ACS)

How are homes in Pelham Bay heated? Is an oil tank likely?

51% utility gas, 29% fuel oil or kerosene; fuel oil 29% against 24% county-wide. NYSDEC logs Bronx home oil spills under the borough, not Pelham Bay. 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 Pelham Bay mostly houses or apartments, owned or rented?

22% two-unit buildings, 18% buildings of 50 or more units, 17% buildings of 3 or 4 units; 31% owner-occupied (Bronx: 20%). Two- to four-unit buildings are 39%; a multi-family house means shared systems, separate meters and what each unit controls. (ACS)

Is radon a concern in Pelham Bay?

Bronx (reported by borough): 101 basement tests, average 1.73 pCi/L, 8 at 4 or above (8%). First-floor tests there: 43, average 1.13. The highest basement reading was 20.9 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)

Has Pelham Bay flooded? Is the house in a flood zone?

33 flood-insurance claims from zip 10461 since 1979: 126th 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)

Who holds the permits and certificate of occupancy in Pelham Bay?

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 Pelham Bay compare with the towns around it?

By median year built, fuel-oil share and owner-occupancy: Pelham Bay (zip 10461) 1951, 29%, 31%; Castle Hill (zip 10462): built 1944, oil 29%, 23% owner-occupied; Throgs Neck (zip 10465): built 1957, oil 16%, 56% owner-occupied; Crotona Park (zip 10460): built 1963, oil 23%, 11% owner-occupied. (ACS)

Which code, water and sewer rules apply in Pelham Bay?

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 Bronx, so they are set out there with their sources instead of on each page.

How much does a home inspection in Pelham Bay 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.

Bronx, town by town

Every Bronx place with a page here, each with the real count from Lou's records.

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: Morris Park · Schuylerville · Castle Hill · Throgs Neck · Edgewater · Crotona Park · all 250 towns.

Buying in Pelham Bay?

His Pelham Bay file goes back to 2016. 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.