Suffolk County · ranch

Home inspector in West Sayville, NY

In 2025, Lou Rubino inspected one home in West Sayville — one job, one written report, and the photographs below come from it. The report describes a ranch, about 65 years old.

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

What the West Sayville report found

The report, as Lou wrote it up.

2025, a ranch, about 65 years old: 10 items flagged: 4 exterior; 3 roof, chimney and attic; 1 rooms. As recorded: hip and flat roof, architectural and asphalt/fiberglass, seen from: walked roof; attic: no storage, none found ventilation; vertical tongue and groove boards wood and cedar siding, chimney: metal flue pipe; 6"x 6" support columns foundation, 2 x 10 joists and wood main beam floor framing, wood piers, crawlspace: crawled; insulated ducts, tankless propane (quick recovery) water heater (closet off kitchen); 200-amp circuit breakers (Square D # Bxh34r), romex wiring, copper supply pipes, well and public water, heat pump forced air; casement and thermal/insulated windows, vinyl floors, wood cabinets, granite counters. Flagged, in Lou’s words: “Fireplace chimney flue is covered”; “Whole house needs leader and gutters to prevent further damage to wood siding, windows and doors”; “Water damage to window exterior from no leader and gutter installation”; “Safety Item: Right & left front steps are water damaged, boards deteriorated”; “Safety Item: Walking planks are water and sun damaged”; “In solarium, left side therma-pane glass door is clouded”; “Pocket door sticks on track”; “Right side window, hinge rusted, won't open”; “Concrete cover to cesspool is located under rear steps”; “Drain pipes are not winterized against frost”; “Hot tub drain pipe laying in soil”; “Damper is broken won't close”; “House heat will freely go up chimney with broken damper”. Also noted: “Flat roof sections mineral is worn in many places”; “Loose debris and coating on flat roof sections”; “Tree branches damaging roof right front”; “Propane gas cooktop only, no oven”; “Safety item: Shower door is not safety glass”; “Safety Item: GFCI outlet has open ground, won't trip”; “Copper plumbing pipes in crawl space sre not insulated against frost”; “Could be the reason for the high propane consumption”; “Romex cable in crawl space needs to be supported to floor joists”; “Round flexible A/C duct work hanging down in crawl space right rear”; “A/C ductwork hanging down over old water tank in crawl space”; “Ductwork to left side bath and bedrooms are kinked”; “Large Opening at top steel ductwork near joist to right of air-handler, duct tape is not holding”. On the day: 66°F, cloudy, damp ground, rain in the three days before; the house faces SE. Not inspected that day: insulation in attic; main water shut-off device; roof structure and attic; visible electric wiring in attic. Not present in this house: attic pulldown steps; ceilings; chimneys, flues and vents; food waste disposer; gas/lp firelogs and fireplaces; 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

Siding, trim, flashing, grading and drainage — where water is being sent, and whether it is being sent at the house.
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.
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 West Sayville reports

Galvanised steel ductwork under floor joists with loose foil tape at a joint, red arrow at the gap. — Opening in the steel ductwork to the right of the air handler — the duct tape is not holding. Marked with a red arrow in the report.

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

Buying in West Sayville: the questions with sourced answers

Each answer is built from West Sayville’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 West Sayville?

Median year built in zip 11796: 1955 (Suffolk County: 1970). Of 1,348 units, the 1950s built the most, 34%; 1% is from 2000 on. Next come the pre-1940 houses at 28% and the 1960s at 9%. 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: 65 years old. (ACS)

How are homes in West Sayville heated? Is an oil tank likely?

50% utility gas, 38% fuel oil or kerosene; fuel oil 38% against 45% county-wide. NYSDEC logs 30 petroleum spills at private homes in West Sayville since 1988, 13 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 West Sayville mostly houses or apartments, owned or rented?

83% detached houses, 9% two-unit buildings; 84% owner-occupied (Suffolk 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 West Sayville?

Town of Islip: 70 basement tests, average 1.16 pCi/L, 3 at 4 or above (4%). Suffolk County: 8% of 576. First-floor tests there: 35, average 0.6. On the share at 4 or above, it ranks 7th of the county’s 10 towns and cities. The highest basement reading was 10.4 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 West Sayville flooded? Is the house in a flood zone?

24 flood-insurance claims from zip 11796 since 1979: 143rd 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 West Sayville?

The Town of Islip 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.

How does West Sayville compare with the towns around it?

By median year built, fuel-oil share and owner-occupancy: West Sayville (zip 11796) 1955, 38%, 84%; Fire Island Pines (zip 11782): built 1965, oil 36%, 76% owner-occupied; Bayport (zip 11705): built 1965, oil 42%, 86% owner-occupied; Blue Point (zip 11715): built 1961, oil 24%, 87% owner-occupied. (ACS)

Which code, water and sewer rules apply in West Sayville?

The New York State Uniform Code, the Suffolk County Water Authority and private wells, and the Sanitary Code rules on cesspools (no in-kind replacement since 2017) and I/A septic systems: county-wide, written once. They are the same for every town in Suffolk County, so they are set out there with their sources instead of on each page.

How much does a home inspection in West Sayville 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.

Suffolk County, town by town

Every Suffolk County place with a page here, each with the real count from Lou's records. The Suffolk 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: Fire Island Pines · Bayport · Blue Point · Islip Terrace · East Islip · Holbrook · all 250 towns.

Buying in West Sayville?

His West Sayville file goes back to 2025. 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.