Nassau County · colonial

Home inspector in Plainview, NY

Between 2017 and 2021, Lou Rubino inspected two homes in Plainview — two jobs, each with a written report, and the photographs below come from them. The reports describe a colonial and a ranch, from 14 to 64 years old.

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

What the Plainview reports found

Lou’s two summaries flagged 15 items Repair or Replace, most for the exterior (5), roof, chimney and attic (4) and rooms (2). Each report, newest first, as Lou wrote it up.

2021, a colonial, about 14 years old, a condominium: 6 items flagged: 2 roof, chimney and attic; 2 exterior; 2 rooms. As recorded: gable roof, architectural and asphalt/fiberglass, seen from: walked roof, framed with 2x3 engineered wood trusses; attic: pull down stairs, storage and light in attic, fiberglass, below and r-19 insulation, gable vents, soffit vents and passive ventilation; clapboard vinyl siding, chimney: vinyl siding; poured concrete slab foundation, slab floor framing, supporting walls; insulated and partially insulated ducts, 48 gallon gas (quick recovery) water heater (attic and utility room); 150-amp circuit breakers (General Electric), romex wiring, copper supply pipes, public water, air conditioner unit; double-hung and thermal/insulated windows, carpet, tile and engineered wood t&g floors, wood cabinets, granite counters. Flagged, in Lou’s words: “Plywood in attic utility room has water damage”; “Plywood in attic outside utility room has water damage”; “Left front upper fascia board and gutter, paint is peeling”; “Master Bedroom ceiling has old water damage from leaking water heater in attic”; “Master closet window, lower sash is fogged”. Also noted: “Ceiling light needed near or over shower area”; “Whole house trap in in garage left front”. On the day: 48°F, clear, windy, damp ground, rain in the three days before; the house faces south. Not inspected that day: clothes dryer vent piping; insulation under floor system. Not present in this house: basement windows; columns or piers; food waste disposer; gas/lp firelogs and fireplaces; microwave cooking equipment; plumbing water faucets; solid fuel heating devices; trash compactor; vapor retarders; ventilation fans and thermostatic controls; ventilation of foundation area; windows.

2017, a ranch, about 64 years old: 9 items flagged: 3 exterior; 2 roof, chimney and attic; 1 garage. As recorded: gable roof, architectural and asphalt/fiberglass, seen from: walked, framed with 2 x 6 rafters; attic: scuttle hole in closet and no storage, fiberglass and r-19 or better insulation, gable vents, soffit vents and passive ventilation; wood shakes fiberglass siding, chimney: metal flue pipe; poured concrete foundation, 2 x 8 and 3"x 6" steel i beam floor framing, steel lally columns; forced air heat on oil, 30 gallon (small) oil water heater (basement); 100-amp circuit breakers (Murray), romex wiring, copper supply pipes, public water, window AC; awning, thermal/insulated and sliders windows, carpet, hardwood t&g and vinyl floors, wood cabinets, laminate counters. Flagged, in Lou’s words: “Roof is between 10-15 years old”; “Left front leader pipe needs pipe extension or splash block to divert water away from garage”; “Left rear leader pipe needs new pipe extension”; “Asphalt walkway has many sider cracks”; “Soffit end channel left side is missing”; “Fence right rear is a temporary chicken wire fence”; “Sheet-metal over hollow core door is not fire-rated”; “Crack in ceiling near entrance to living room”; “Stained needs to be painted. Checked with moisture meter”; “Some duct work is not insulated”; “Not inspected too cold to operate”; “Living room A/C supported by small stick”. Also noted: “Chimney has hard asbestos like insulation in attic”; “Plenty of blown in insulation in attic”; “Inside storm windows in place”; “Right front bedroom right side window sash cracked”; “Right rear bedroom right side window sashes fogged”; “Fuel oil at right front bottom of oil tank”; “Most outlets are two prong throughout house”; “Outside right side middle”. On the day: 55°F, cloudy, damp ground, rain in the three days before; the house faces SW. Not inspected that day: clothes washer. Not present in this house: clothes dryer; clothes dryer vent piping; dishwasher; exhaust fan; food waste disposer; garage door; gas/lp firelogs and fireplaces; insulation under floor system; microwave cooking equipment; range hood; solid fuel heating devices; sump pump; 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.

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.
Walls, ceilings, floors, windows and doors room by room — the evidence of movement or moisture, not the decoration.
Supply and drain plumbing where it can be seen — materials, visible leaks, the water heater and its venting, and what moisture has already done.
Radon — a separate, optional test arranged alongside the inspection.

Photographs from Plainview reports

View across a brown asphalt shingle roof toward the rear, with a red arrow on the shingle field. — View of the main roof to the rear, taken alongside a note that a lower front facade shingle is damaged, in the roof coverings section of the report.

Utility closet with a furnace air handler, gas water heater and expansion tank, with a red arrow at the floor beneath the unit. — No drip pan under the air handler to prevent condensate damage to the ceiling below; the report also notes the copper refrigerant tube is corroding at the air handler.

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

Buying in Plainview: the questions with sourced answers

Each answer is built from Plainview’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 Plainview?

Median year built in zip 11803: 1957 (Nassau County: 1955). Of 10,794 units, the 1950s built the most, 59%; 13% is from 2000 on. Next come the 1960s at 14% and the 2010s at 7%. 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: 14 to 64 years old. (ACS)

How are homes in Plainview heated? Is an oil tank likely?

58% utility gas, 32% fuel oil or kerosene; fuel oil 32% against 28% county-wide. NYSDEC logs 390 petroleum spills at private homes in Plainview since 1986, 134 since 2015. 13 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)

Is Plainview mostly houses or apartments, owned or rented?

86% detached houses, 5% buildings of 10 to 19 units, 4% attached single-family houses; 93% 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 condominium. (ACS)

Is radon a concern in Plainview?

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)

Has Plainview flooded? Is the house in a flood zone?

53 flood-insurance claims from zip 11803 since 1978, most in 1979 (11): 100th 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 Plainview?

The Town of Oyster Bay Department of Planning & Development, Building Division. 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.

Which code, water and sewer rules apply in Plainview?

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 Plainview 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: Old Bethpage · Woodbury · Bethpage · Hicksville · Melville · Syosset · all 250 towns.

Buying in Plainview?

His Plainview file goes back to 2017. 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.