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Home inspector in a hard hat and safety vest examining a front door hinge and frame while holding a clipboard, house numbered 11

New York inspection guides

Buyer Guides

Practical, New York-specific guides for buyers navigating the inspection process — from first-time purchases to older housing stock's specific risks.

50 guides

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Heavily rusted, deteriorated drain pipe protruding through a cracked concrete foundation wall at ground level, an example of foundation cracking a buyer might ask an inspector about

When to Worry About Foundation Cracks: Normal vs. Serious in NY Homes

How to tell harmless shrinkage cracks from structural foundation movement in New York homes: crack width, direction, and displacement, warni...

16 min read Read guide

Rear exterior of a house with an outdoor air conditioning condenser unit, an electric meter, and a screened-in porch behind a white picket fence, the kind of equipment whose age an inspector records

HVAC System Age and What It Means for Your New York Home Inspection

How inspectors find and judge the age of a furnace, boiler, heat pump, or air conditioner, typical service-life ranges, the red flags that m...

16 min read Read guide

Unfinished basement with exposed cinder block foundation walls, wood floor joists, wiring, and a wooden staircase, the kind of space a basement moisture inspection examines closely

Basement Moisture Inspection and Sump Pumps: A New York Guide

How New York home inspectors read basement moisture, how sump pumps and backup systems are evaluated, which findings are routine and which n...

18 min read Read guide

Dim unfinished attic space with exposed diagonal roof truss framing, a wood plank floor, and light coming through a small window, the kind of space where old wiring is often visible

Knob-and-Tube Wiring in Old NY Homes: Risks and Replacement Cost

What knob-and-tube wiring is, why it still turns up in New York's pre-war homes, how inspectors and electricians evaluate it, why insurers c...

17 min read Read guide

Rear exterior of a two-story house with blue-gray siding, a tall chimney, covered deck, electric meter, and satellite dish, seen from the yard

Oil Tank Inspections in NY: Underground and Above-Ground Tanks

A buried or aging heating oil tank can stall a New York closing. Learn how tank sweeps, soil tests, and inspections work, what the rules req...

17 min read Read guide

Asphalt shingle roof with a brick chimney and ornate white Victorian-style gable trim, framed by bare tree branches against a blue sky

Roof Inspection Checklist: What a NY Home Inspector Actually Checks

Shingles, flashing, chimneys, gutters, flat roofs, and the attic clues that reveal hidden leaks: what a New York home inspector checks on a...

17 min read Read guide

Finished basement recreation room with a pool table, wood-paneled ceiling, built-in seating, and windows showing it is below grade, the part of a house most exposed to flooding

Buying a House in a Flood Zone in NY: Insurance and Inspection Guide

From Long Island's South Shore to Southern Tier river towns, here is what a FEMA flood zone means for your mortgage and insurance, and what...

17 min read Read guide

Unfinished basement with exposed cinder block foundation walls, wood floor joists, wiring, and a wooden staircase, the framing a wood-destroying insect inspector examines

Wood-Destroying Insect Inspections for NY Mortgages: When You Need One

Not every New York mortgage needs a termite report, but some loans do. Learn when a wood-destroying insect inspection is required, what the...

17 min read Read guide

Two-story brick house with stone accents, an arched window, a double attached garage, a landscaped front yard and a for-sale sign, the kind of home with an attached garage that falls under New York carbon monoxide alarm rules

Carbon Monoxide Detector Requirements in New York: A Homeowner's Guide

What New York expects homeowners, landlords and sellers to install: Amanda's Law, which homes need carbon monoxide alarms, where they go, ha...

15 min read Read guide

Finished basement with a carpeted staircase, glass railing, built-in shelving and a home office desk on wood-look flooring, the kind of below-grade living space where radon levels matter most

Radon Zones in New York State: County Risk, Testing, and What Buyers Should Do

How the EPA radon zone map and the New York State Department of Health high radon county list work, which regions of New York tend to run hi...

16 min read Read guide

Basement under construction with a water heater, exposed wood stud framing, cinder block walls and a ladder near a window, the kind of older basement renovation where asbestos in older homes is often uncovered

Asbestos in Older Homes in New York: Where It Hides and What to Do

A practical New York guide to asbestos in older homes: where it is usually found, why disturbance is the real risk, how sampling works, the...

17 min read Read guide

White painted staircase with ornate turned wood balusters and a tan carpet runner in a traditional period home, the kind of painted woodwork where lead paint in pre-1978 homes is often found

Lead Paint in Pre-1978 Homes: What New York Buyers Should Know

A complete guide for New York buyers and owners of older homes: why 1978 matters, where lead paint hides, the federal disclosure and 10-day...

16 min read Read guide