Between 2013 and 2016, Lou Rubino inspected two homes in Woodlawn — two jobs, each with a written report, and the photographs below come from them. The reports describe an apartment building and a colonial, from 62 to 101 years old.
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Lou’s two summaries flagged 19 items Repair or Replace, most for the roof, chimney and attic (7), exterior (5) and bathrooms (3). Each report, newest first, as Lou wrote it up.
2016, a colonial, about 101 years old: 12 items flagged: 5 roof, chimney and attic; 4 exterior; 2 kitchen. As recorded: gable roof, architectural, seen from: walked roof, framed with 3"x 8"x 24" o/c; attic: light in attic, no storage and attic hatch in master closet, fiberglass and r-19 insulation, ridge vents, soffit vents and thermostatically controlled fan ventilation; channel rustic and rock and mortar vinyl and stone siding; brick, masonry block and rock foundation, supporting walls; hydronic heat on gas, 50 gallon (2-3 people) gas (quick recovery) water heater (basement and utility room); 200-amp circuit breakers (General Electric), BX wiring, lead supply pipes, public water, air conditioner unit; double-hung and thermal/insulated windows, hardwood t&g and tile floors, wood cabinets, granite counters. Flagged, in Lou’s words: “Tree branches overhanging and hitting roofing”; “Shingles missing near plumbing vent boot”; “Rear gutters full of tree debris”; “Rafter are 3"x 8"x 24" on center but have been reinforced with 2"x 4" supports”; “Plywood hatch too large for opening and is not insulated”; “No insulation in wall cavity in stairwell as noted from attic”; “Recessed lighting in attic are a known source of drafts in winter”; “Siding trim is not nailed with rust proof nails”; “Front door trim needs to filled in with cement where it meets stone work”; “Rear extension block work needs to be stuccoed”; “Basement steel door frame is out of square causing large gap in door frame”; “This will cause large draft during winter”; “This will help stop drafts during winter”; “Right side deck railing is loose”; “Front stoop both side cheek walls are pulling away from stoop and stone copping are loose”; “No railing present for basement entrance”; “Refrigerator basket missing”; “Refrigerator not secured to cabinet”; “When freezer draw is full unit will tip”; “Dishwasher door left hinge broken and door damaged”. Also noted: “Flexible metal dryer hose”; “Left front bedroom door latch plate missing”; “Laundry room outlet cover missing”; “Left side sink slow draining”; “Right side sink low water pressure”; “Main panel in basement boiler room front wall”; “Sub panel in second floor hallway”; “Tow-kick heater did not come on under kitchen cabinet”; “Drip pan is equiped with emergency water shut off switch on both units”. On the day: 64°F, clear, damp ground, no rain in the three days before; the house faces north. Not inspected that day: clothes dryer; clothes washer; insulation under floor system; plumbing water faucets; vapor retarders; whole house trap. Not present in this house: food waste disposer; gas/lp firelogs and fireplaces; solid fuel heating devices; sump pump; trash compactor.
2013, an apartment building, about 62 years old: 7 items flagged: 3 bathrooms; 2 roof, chimney and attic; 1 exterior. As recorded: flat roof, modified bitumen and asphalt/fiberglass, seen from: walked roof; passive ventilation; brick full brick siding, chimney: brick; poured concrete foundation, conrete piers; hot water off the boiler; BX wiring, cast iron supply pipes, public water, air conditioner unit; double-hung and thermal/insulated windows, hardwood t&g floors, wood cabinets, laminate counters. Flagged, in Lou’s words: “Some bubbles and loose mineral in roofing material in front of fire-escape entrance”; “Flashing over parapet walls under construction at time of inspection. Temporary plastic sheets blown off from wind”; “Platform beginning to rust”; “L/S upper cabinet door hinge loose”; “R/S upper cabinet door hinge loose”; “R/S upper cabinet door hinge above stove loose”; “Vanity right side upper hinge broken”. Also noted: “Gas meters in basement utility room”; “Fuel tank in containment room off boiler room”; “MAIN GAS SHUT OFF VALVE in basement utility room below meters and at Fuel Tank”; “Caution: Circuit breakers and panel painted over. Unable to remove cover from heavy paint”; “Two prong outlets through out apartment. Should be updated to three prong”; “A.L. Eastmond Commercial Steam Boiler also provides hot water burns number 4 oil”. On the day: partly cloudy, damp ground, rain in the three days before; the house faces east. Not inspected that day: branch circuit conductors, overcurrent devices and compatibility of their amperage; burner; ceilings; floors; roof structure and attic; service entrance conductors. Not present in this house: ceramic floor; exhaust fan; food waste disposer; gas/lp firelogs and fireplaces; solid fuel heating devices.
“Flagged” is HomeGauge’s Repair or Replace mark, not a verdict on the house. See a complete report.
Related: All towns · What an inspection costs · Schedule an inspection.
All three photographs are from Lou's own Woodlawn inspection reports, chosen because they show a building component and nothing that identifies a property or an owner.
Median year built in zip 10470: 1945 (Bronx: 1954). Of 6,869 units, 43% predates 1940; 5% is from 2000 on. Next come the 1950s at 18% and the 1940s at 13%. 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: 62 to 101 years old. (ACS)
47% utility gas, 28% fuel oil or kerosene; fuel oil 28% against 24% county-wide. NYSDEC logs Bronx home oil spills under the borough, not Woodlawn. 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)
21% buildings of 50 or more units, 18% two-unit buildings, 16% detached houses; 43% owner-occupied (Bronx: 20%). With 36% of units in buildings of 20 or more, many purchases here are apartments: the inspection covers the unit, and the roof, plant and risers belong to the board. Lou’s jobs here included a condominium. (ACS)
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)
2 flood-insurance claims from zip 10470 since 1983: 185th 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)
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.
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.
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: Wakefield · Williamsbridge · Kingsbridge · Riverdale · Fieldston · Castle Hill · all 250 towns.
His Woodlawn file goes back to 2013. Yours would not be the first.
Not sure yet? Read what New York requires of your inspector or see a real report.