Queens · colonials

Home inspector in Whitestone, NY

Between 2015 and 2018, Lou Rubino inspected two homes in Whitestone — two jobs, each with a written report, and the photographs below come from them. The reports describe a colonial and a Tudor, about 73 years old.

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

What the Whitestone reports found

Lou’s two summaries flagged 19 items Repair or Replace, most for the roof, chimney and attic (7), exterior (6) and kitchen (3). Each report, newest first, as Lou wrote it up.

2018, a Tudor, about 73 years old: 18 items flagged: 6 roof, chimney and attic; 6 exterior; 3 kitchen. As recorded: gable roof, 3-tab fiberglass and asphalt/fiberglass, seen from: ladder and walked, framed with 2 x 6 x 24" o/c rafters; attic: pull down stairs and light in attic, fiberglass and r-19 insulation, gable vents, soffit vents and whole house fan ventilation; brick, cement stucco (garage) and clapboard vinyl, full brick and stucco siding, chimney: brick; brick and poured concrete foundation, 2 x 10 and 2" x 10" x 2 main wood beams floor framing, supporting walls, crawlspace: from entry; hydronic heat on natural gas, 50 gallon (2-3 people) gas (quick recovery) water heater (basement and utility room); 100-amp circuit breakers (General Electric), BX wiring, copper supply pipes, public water, heat pump forced air and window AC; casement, thermal/insulated and sliders windows, carpet and tile floors, plastic cabinets, quartz counters. Flagged, in Lou’s words: “Main roof is about 20 years old”; “Extension roof is worn and shingles missing left rear”; “Old TV antenna on left side roof”; “Right rear plumbing vent stack is disconnected from plumbing vent pipe in attic”; “Leading cause of moisture intrusion into basement is improper disposal of roof water”; “Right rear leader pipe needs splash block placed under elbow”; “Right rear leader pipe needs new hold down strap”; “Garage leader pipe is disconnected and laying on back wall”; “Hole in roof as seen from attic right front”; “In attic, signs of moisture intrusion from flashing around chimney”; “Signs of racoon feces in attic”; “Caution: Racoon feces contains parasites”; “Two large plate glass mirrors and scrap wood, and old household items left in attic”; “Rear sliding window sash is cracked”; “Sloppy brick work of filling wall A/C pockets left side”; “Right side rear vent cover is loose”; “Right side door has draft on bottom”; “Rear storm door can not open, hits stoop platform”; “Left front bow window needs insulation under plywood”; “Rear granite stoop platform is too high to open rear door”. Also noted: “Whole house fan switch located in 2nd floor hallway”; “Left side window won't open”; “Hall door to master hits frame”; “Right front bedroom two windows, missing screens”; “Plaster wall cracked 2nd floor hallway near master entrance”; “Right side sink faucet hard to turn”; “Light duty extension cord being used for washer and dryer”; “Left side exterior, near side entrance”; “Basement baseboard radiators did not get hot”; “Caution safety Item: Asbestos like insulation on heat pipes in basement utility room”. On the day: 67°F, cloudy, damp ground, rain in the three days before; the house faces west. Not present in this house: food waste disposer; gas/lp firelogs and fireplaces; occupant door from garage to inside home; presence of installed cooling source in each room; sump pump; trash compactor.

2015, a colonial, under 10 years old: 2 items flagged: 1 roof, chimney and attic. As recorded: poured concrete foundation, steel lally columns. Flagged, in Lou’s words: “Leader pipe to left of garage is undermining driveway. Most likely the cause of a damp foundation wall under water meter”; “Leader pipe left rear in front of chimney. Dry-well pipe may have hole or dry-well may be too close to foundation causing moisture on foundation wall”; “Leader pipe right rear terminates with elbow and no splash block or extension”; “Left side front water hose hole and is splashing foundation”; “Lawn sprinklers should never spray against or near the foundation”. Also noted: “Tested sheet rock in basement at different locations , with moisture meter. All readings were normal”. On the day: cloudy, damp ground, rain in the three days before; the house faces east.

“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 Whitestone reports

White leader pipe entering the ground beside a brick wall, with a red arrow and a red outline tracing its underground run. — The dry-well pipe may have a hole, or the dry-well may be too close to the foundation; the red outline in the report photo traces where the leader pipe enters the ground.

Cast iron plumbing vent stack in an attic ending above pink insulation, with a red circle and arrow at the gap. — The right rear plumbing vent stack is disconnected from the plumbing vent pipe in the attic, as marked by the red circle in the report.

Brick retaining wall with a stair-step crack traced in red from the cap down to the pavement, marked with a red arrow. — In the yard, the right side brick retaining wall is cracked; the stair-step crack is traced in red in the report photo.

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

Buying in Whitestone: the questions with sourced answers

Each answer is built from Whitestone’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 Whitestone?

Median year built in zip 11357: 1957 (Queens: 1953). Of 16,586 units, the 1950s built the most, 34%; 6% is from 2000 on. Next come the pre-1940 houses at 17% and the 1960s 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: 73 years old. (ACS)

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

72% utility gas, 16% fuel oil or kerosene; fuel oil 16% against 11% county-wide. NYSDEC logs 60 petroleum spills at private homes in Whitestone since 1991, 11 since 2015. A gas conversion can leave a tank behind. An abandoned tank is most likely in a house that was converted from oil. Buried tanks are outside the standards New York sets for a home inspection, so the seller’s answer matters. (ACS, NYSDEC)

Is Whitestone mostly houses or apartments, owned or rented?

41% detached houses, 30% two-unit buildings, 11% attached single-family houses; 76% owner-occupied (Queens: 45%). Two- to four-unit buildings are 35%; a multi-family house means shared systems, separate meters and what each unit controls. (ACS)

Is radon a concern in Whitestone?

Queens (reported by borough): 598 basement tests, average 1.26 pCi/L, 22 at 4 or above (4%). First-floor tests there: 118, average 0.62. The highest basement reading was 23.8 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 Whitestone flooded? Is the house in a flood zone?

138 flood-insurance claims from zip 11357 since 1978, most in 2021 (24): 65th 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 Whitestone?

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.

Which code, water and sewer rules apply in Whitestone?

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

How much does a home inspection in Whitestone 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.

Queens, town by town

Every Queens place with a page here, each with the real count from Lou's records. The Queens 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: College Point · Flushing · Bayside · Throgs Neck · Edgewater · Harding Park · all 250 towns.

Buying in Whitestone?

His Whitestone file goes back to 2015. 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.