What a New York Home Inspection Includes — and What It Leaves Out

What does a home inspection include? Ask five people and you will get five answers. Some expect the inspector to find every defect. Others expect a checklist of pass and fail marks, or a promise about how long the roof will last. In New York there is a short legal definition behind the question, and it is more specific than most buyers expect. It decides which services are part of a home inspection and which are not.

This guide explains, system by system, what a New York home inspection normally includes, what the state’s own definition leaves out on purpose, what the written report should contain, and where the inspection fits in a New York purchase. We are Inspecwise, a New York State–licensed and InterNACHI-certified inspection business based in South Ozone Park, Queens. Where we describe the law, we link to the statute or regulation so you can read the wording yourself.

The short version

• A home inspection is a visual, non-invasive examination of the parts of a house the inspector can see and safely reach. It is a snapshot of one day’s conditions.
• New York’s Real Property Law defines a “residential building” as a structure of one to four dwelling units. It does not include a structure that is newly constructed or has never been occupied.
• The statute says a home inspection does not include radon or pest inspections. Both are separate services.
• Before the visit you are entitled to a written pre-inspection agreement that describes the scope and the cost, and afterward the written report is due no later than five business days after the inspection.
• Mold assessment, sewer-line camera work, oil-tank searches, lead and asbestos sampling, and water testing are add-ons done by the inspector or a specialist.

What the state’s definition says

The state licenses home inspectors under Article 12-B of the Real Property Law, and the Department of State enforces it. Two parts of the definitions section, Real Property Law §444-b, decide what counts as a home inspection:

• The building. A “residential building” is a structure of one to four dwelling units and their garages and carports. It does not include a structure that is “newly constructed or not previously occupied as a dwelling unit.”
• The service. The statute says a home inspection “shall not include an inspection for radon or pests.”

In practice that has three consequences. Radon testing and pest inspections are always separate services in New York. A brand-new house that has never been lived in falls outside the licensed definition, which is why new construction is handled through stage and warranty inspections and not a standard home inspection. And a building with five or more units is also outside it, so it is approached as a property condition assessment.

What the state’s Standards of Practice require

The detailed answer to “what is included” is in the state’s regulations. Every licensed inspector must follow the Standards of Practice in 19 NYCRR Part 197, which set what the state calls a “minimum and uniform standard.” Four definitions in them explain most of what a home inspection is and is not:

• “Inspect” means to visually examine a system or component, using normal operating controls and opening readily operable access panels.
• “Readily accessible” means available for visual inspection without the inspector removing or dismantling personal property or using destructive measures.
• An inspection is not “technically exhaustive.” It does not involve extensive use of measurements, instruments, testing and calculations to develop scientific or engineering findings.
• The report must name what was not observed. If a particular system or major component was not observed, the report lists it with the reason.

The standards also say they are a floor and not a ceiling: an inspector may go beyond them and report on systems they do not require. The table sets out what they require for each part of the house, and what they say an inspector is not required to do.

Source: 19 NYCRR sections 197-5.4 to 197-5.15, as published by Cornell’s Legal Information Institute and the Department of State. The standards’ own wording differs slightly; the table is a plain-language summary.

The general limits

Section 197-5.16 adds limits that apply to every part of the inspection. An inspector is not required to:

• observe anything concealed or not readily accessible, including underground storage tanks;
• determine whether hazardous substances are present, which the section lists as asbestos, urea formaldehyde insulation, wood-destroying organisms, mold and lead paint;
• use special instruments such as moisture meters, gas detectors or pressure gauges unless the standards call for them;
• report on past or present violations of codes, ordinances or regulations;
• identify concealed conditions, latent defects or consequential damages;
• determine the remaining life of any system, the cause of a condition, the cost or method of correcting it, or the advisability of buying the property.

The same section says a client may ask for systems to be excluded from the inspection. Those limits explain, item by item, why the tests in the next sections exist. A sewer line is underground drainage, so a camera inspection is separate. An oil tank in the ground is concealed, so a tank search is separate. Asbestos, wood-destroying insects, mold and lead paint are all on the list of things the standards do not require an inspector to determine.

What the Code of Ethics adds before the inspection

The regulations in Subpart 197-4 also shape what you should receive, and what you should not be offered:

• A written pre-inspection agreement. Before the inspection, the inspector must give the client a written agreement that clearly describes the scope of service and its cost. It must include two statements in at least six-point type: that home inspectors are not permitted to provide engineering or architectural services, and the client’s consent to the inspector telling the owner or occupants about immediate threats to health or safety.
• Duty to the client. The inspector’s duty is to the client. The inspector must disclose all known or potential conflicts of interest before accepting the job, and may not take compensation from more than one interested party unless it is fully disclosed.
• No referral payments and no fee tied to the result. An inspector may not pay brokers, agents or lenders for referrals or for a place on a preferred-provider list, accept commissions from contractors, or inspect a house where compensation depends on the sale or on what the inspection finds. They also may not inspect a house in which they or a relative have a financial interest.
• No repair work on the same job. The statute bars an inspector or partner from performing or offering to perform, for an additional fee, any repair, improvement or replacement of a component or system in a residential building on which the inspector prepared a report before the close of escrow.
• Confidentiality. The report may not be disclosed to anyone else without the client’s consent.
• Insurance and training. Proof of general liability insurance, at no less than $150,000 for each occurrence and $500,000 in total, stays on file with the Department of State, and each two-year renewal needs 24 hours of approved continuing education.

What a New York house is made of

The age of New York’s housing explains much of what an inspection finds. In the Census Bureau’s 2020–2024 survey, 30% of homes in New York State were built in 1939 or earlier and another 22% between 1940 and 1959, so roughly half of the state’s homes are at least 65 years old. Queens County is at 30% and 33%, Nassau County at 19% and 47%, and Westchester County at 28% and 25%. Suffolk County’s housing is younger, with 9% built before 1940.

Heating fuel varies as much as age. Fuel oil heats 16% of New York homes, 10% in Queens, 26% in Nassau, 28% in Westchester and 44% in Suffolk. Where a house is old, or heated with oil, the inspector’s attention moves toward wiring and tanks, and where it is a postwar suburban house, it moves toward the roof, the additions and the boiler. Our neighborhood guides for South Ozone Park, Levittown and Hicksville and Yonkers and New Rochelle show how different those cases are.

System by system: what does a home inspection include?

The standard visit covers a house from the roof down to the foundation. Here is what each part involves, what the inspector can and cannot tell you, and what commonly appears in a New York house. In short, what does a home inspection include? A look at each of these, to the depth the standards require.

Roof and drainage

The inspector looks at the roof covering, flashings, penetrations, gutters and downspouts, and chimneys where they are visible, from the ground, a ladder or a camera when walking the roof is unsafe. Flat and low-slope roofs, common on city rowhouses, are checked for ponding, blistering, seams and the condition of parapets and drains. On pitched roofs the focus is on shingle wear, missing or lifted pieces, and flashing at chimneys, dormers and valleys, which is where most leaks start. The report describes condition and visible defects. It does not state how many years remain.

Exterior

Siding, brick and stucco, trim, windows and doors, porches, stoops, decks, railings and walkways. The inspector also looks at how the ground slopes, because grading toward the house is the most common cause of basement water. Cracked or loose pointing, failed caulking and wood in contact with soil show up here. Our chimney guide covers the part of the exterior that most often hides trouble.

Structure and foundation

The visible foundation walls, floor framing, columns and beams, and the roof framing from the attic. Hairline cracks are normal in concrete and masonry. Cracks that are wide, offset or growing, floors that slope, doors that rub and walls that bow are what get a structural engineer recommended. In houses that have been converted from one family to two or three, we also look at whether a wall or support was altered. See our foundation guide.

Attic, insulation and ventilation

Where the attic is accessible, the inspector looks at the roof framing and sheathing, the type and depth of insulation, ventilation, and signs of leaks or condensation. Older New York houses often have little insulation, and attics finished into living space can have poor ventilation and unprotected framing.

Electrical

The service entrance and meter, the main panel and any subpanels, the visible wiring method, a sample of outlets and switches, and whether protection such as GFCI outlets is present where it is expected. The inspector removes the panel cover where it is safe to do so and notes the brand, the condition of the breakers and the wiring inside. Knob-and-tube and cloth-covered wiring, aluminum branch wiring, ungrounded outlets and panels with a history of problems are reported and referred to an electrician. An inspector does not trace every circuit or open walls. See our electrical inspection guide.

Plumbing

Visible supply and drain piping and its materials, the water heater, fixtures, water pressure and flow, and signs of past leaks. The inspector runs the fixtures and watches for slow drains, weak flow and noises. The state’s standards say an inspector is not required to observe underground drainage, gas supply systems, septic systems or wells, or to judge whether water is safe to drink. The buried line from the house to the street is therefore a separate question, which a camera inspection, described in our sewer scope guide, answers. See also plumbing inspection.

Heating and cooling

The inspector describes the fuel, the equipment and how heat is distributed, runs the system from the thermostat, and reports on the controls, flue pipes, dampers and the visible parts of the vent and chimney. In New York that covers steam and hot-water boilers, radiators and baseboard, forced-air furnaces and, in oil-heated houses, the visible parts of the tank system. The state’s standards do not require an inspector to evaluate heat exchangers or in-floor radiant heating, to determine whether there is enough combustion air, or to test for gas leaks or carbon monoxide, and air conditioning is not operated when it is below 65 degrees outside. When a house raises those questions, they go to a heating contractor or a specialist.

Interior, kitchen and bathrooms

Walls, ceilings and floors, stairs and railings, windows and doors, and the kitchen and bathroom fixtures. The inspector looks for water stains, cracks that follow a pattern, sagging floors, doors that do not latch and windows that do not open, and checks that smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are present. Bathrooms get particular attention because small leaks around tubs and toilets rot the floor beneath them.

Basement and crawl space

Most New York houses have one, and it is where the mechanical systems, the panel and the main drain live. The inspector looks at moisture, efflorescence, cracks, sump and ejector pumps, floor drains, and the condition of anything stored against the walls. When a basement has been finished or turned into an apartment, we also look at ceiling height, windows, exits and what the finishes may be hiding. See our basement inspection guide.

What an inspection cannot do

The limits matter as much as the checklist.

• It is visual. Inspectors do not open walls, lift flooring, dig, or move a seller’s belongings, so what is hidden stays hidden.
• It is a snapshot. The report describes conditions on the day. It cannot predict when a roof, boiler or water heater will fail.
• It is not a code review. It does not confirm that an addition or a conversion was permitted. Permit and certificate-of-occupancy questions go to the local building department’s records and to your attorney.
• It does not price repairs. Quotes come from the contractors you ask.
• It is not a warranty. A clean report does not promise that nothing will go wrong, and a long one does not mean the house is a bad purchase.

A clear report says what was not inspected and why. If a section is blank, ask what that means.

Tests that sit outside the inspection

Several of the questions buyers ask are answered by separate tests. Whether your inspector performs a test or refers it to a specialist is worth asking before you book.

How the inspection changes with the type of property

Where the inspection fits in a New York purchase

In most New York sales the process is run by attorneys, and the inspection happens inside a window that the contract sets. The usual order is:

1. The buyer and seller agree on a price, and attorneys exchange a draft contract.
2. The buyer’s attorney reviews the contract, including how many days the buyer has to inspect, and the contract is signed.
3. The inspection is scheduled inside that window and the report is delivered.
4. The buyer decides what to ask for: a price reduction, a credit toward closing, a repair by the seller, or to cancel if the contract allows it.
5. The mortgage process, title work and municipal searches continue, and the sale closes.

The order and the timing vary with the contract. Our guide to the inspection contingency explains the clause, and our guide to what fixes are mandatory after a home inspection separates what lenders and the law require from what is negotiable.

Disclosure and alarm paperwork in a New York sale

Two pieces of paperwork reach most buyers of a one- to four-family house, and neither replaces an inspection. The first is the property condition disclosure statement. Under Real Property Law §462, a seller of a one- to four-family house completes and signs a statement and delivers it to the buyer or the buyer’s agent before the buyer signs a binding contract. The statement’s own wording says it is not a substitute for any home, pest, radon or other inspections, and it asks whether a radon test or an indoor mold test has been done. The seller has no duty to investigate or inspect. A seller who willfully fails to meet the requirements is liable for the buyer’s actual damages, and some transfers are exempt, among them foreclosures, transfers to a spouse or lineal relative, and newly built houses never lived in. The law formerly let a seller pay a fixed credit to the buyer in place of the statement. According to the New York State Bar Association, that option was removed effective 20 March 2024, so ask your attorney how it applies to your contract.

The second is smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. State law requires an operable smoke alarm in every one- or two-family house, and on a sale the seller delivers an affidavit of compliance at closing. The buyer has ten days from the conveyance to tell the seller if an alarm is not operable, and the seller then bears the cost (Executive Law §378). Carbon monoxide alarms are required in all one- and two-family houses, with exceptions for buildings with no carbon monoxide source, under the state’s rules implementing Amanda’s Law. An inspector reports whether the alarms are present. Whether they meet the law at closing is the seller’s affidavit and your attorney’s review.

What the written report should contain

Real Property Law §444-g(3) requires the inspector to give the client a written report no later than five business days after the inspection, and treats the report as confidential. The regulations say what it must contain. It must clearly identify the systems and components that were observed, and may not contain false or misleading statements. The standards add specifics:

• Roof: the observed condition and type of roofing materials, and the method used to observe them.
• Plumbing: the supply, drain, waste and vent piping materials, the water heater’s capacity and energy source, the location of the main water and fuel shutoffs, and whether the water supply and waste disposal are public, private or unknown.
• Electrical: the service amperage and voltage, where the disconnects and sub-panels are, whether there is aluminum branch wiring, and whether smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are present or absent. (The standards require reporting their presence. They do not require testing that they work.)
• Heating: the fuel, the equipment and how heat is distributed.
• Attic: how it was observed and what conditions were seen.
• What was not observed: any particular system or major component the inspector did not observe, with the reason.

Look for a report that is organized by system, includes photographs, distinguishes safety issues from maintenance items, and says plainly what could not be inspected. Our home inspection report guide shows what a report looks like and how to read it, and our guide to what commonly goes wrong lists the items that most often draw a recommendation.

How to prepare

If you are buying

• Attend the end of the inspection, at least the last hour, so the inspector can show you what the report will describe.
• Bring a list of questions and the seller’s disclosure, if there is one.
• Ask which add-on tests make sense for this house, and book them with the inspection so the results arrive together.

If you are selling

• Clear access to the panel, the boiler, the water heater, the attic hatch and the basement.
• Leave the utilities on, and have pilot lights lit.
• Gather permits, receipts for major work and the age of the roof and boiler, because buyers’ inspectors ask.
• Consider a pre-listing inspection to see the findings before a buyer does.

Ask these before you book

1. What is your New York home inspector license number? (It has to appear on reports and in advertising.)
2. Will I get the written pre-inspection agreement, with the scope and the cost, before the visit? (The state requires it.)
3. What does the inspection include for this type of house, and what is left out?
4. How long will you be on site, and who should be there?
5. Will I get a written report with photos, and when? The legal ceiling is five business days, so ask what this inspector actually does.
6. Of the add-on tests, which do you carry out yourself and which go to a specialist?
7. Can you walk me through the report in my language?

Our questions to ask a home inspector guide goes further, and this guide shows how to check a license in a few minutes.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• Real Property Law §444-b, definitions for the home inspection licensing article.
• US Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2020–2024 five-year estimates (year built, heating fuel) for New York State and for Queens, Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester Counties.
• 19 NYCRR Part 197, Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics (sections 197-4 and 197-5), Cornell Legal Information Institute.
• NYS Department of State, Home Inspection Professional Licensing Law (March 2026 compilation), Real Property Law Article 12-B and 19 NYCRR Part 197.
• Real Property Law §462 and the Property Condition Disclosure Act; Executive Law §378 (smoke and carbon monoxide alarms).

Booking an inspection with Inspecwise

Our New York State home inspector license number, NYS LIC # 16000113811, is printed at the foot of every page on this site. Here is how to check it with the Department of State, and how to check anyone else’s.

Our work covers all five boroughs, Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester, and we travel elsewhere on request. English, Urdu, Punjabi and Hindi are all languages we use with clients.

Questions before you book? Call 718-925-7071.

Related guides

• The Home Inspection Process in New York: Step by Step, From Agreement to Report
• Which Add-On Tests Do You Need When Buying a House in New York?
• Who Pays for a Home Inspection in New York? Buyer, Seller and Lender Roles