Buying in Long Island City: the questions with sourced answers
Each answer below cites where it comes from — the Census, the office that holds the permits, the state code, or Lou’s own reports.
How old are the houses in Long Island City?
The Census puts the median year built for homes in zip code 11101 at 2010, and about 22% of the 27,093 housing units there were built before 1940. An older house is not a worse house, but its wiring, plumbing and roof were installed under different rules and replaced piecemeal, which is exactly what the inspection looks for. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates, tables B25035 and B25034, ZCTA 11101.
What kind of housing is Long Island City: single-family, two-family or apartments?
Of 27,093 housing units in zip 11101, about 1% are detached single-family houses, 5% are two-unit buildings, and 16% of occupied homes are owner-occupied. A two-family or a co-op is a different inspection from a detached house: shared systems, common areas and what the board or the other unit controls. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2019–2023 5-year, tables B25024 and B25003, ZCTA 11101.
Who holds the building permits and certificate of occupancy for a house in Long Island City?
NYC Department of Buildings handles permits and certificates of occupancy for every address in the borough. Permits and COs are kept by the municipality, not the inspector; checking them is a records search, usually through your attorney. The inspection reports the condition of what is there and flags work that typically needs a permit — a finished basement, a dormer, a moved panel — so you know what to ask about. NYC Department of Buildings. Lookups: BIS https://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/bispi00.jsp; DOB NOW Public Portal https://a810-dobnow.nyc.gov/publish/#!/
Which building code applies in Long Island City?
Queens is governed by the New York City Construction Codes (Building, Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes plus the General Administrative Provisions) enforced by the NYC Department of Buildings; the State Uniform Code does not apply inside New York City. Source: www.nyc.gov.
Public water and sewer, or well and cesspool, in Long Island City?
The NYC Department of Environmental Protection supplies the whole borough: more than 1 billion gallons a day of water from upstate reservoirs reaches about nine million customers. Private wells are not part of the city supply. NYC DEP also runs the city sewer system (over 6,000 miles of sewers, 95 pumping stations) and 14 wastewater resource recovery facilities that treat 1.3 billion gallons a day; homes connect to the city sewer rather than septic systems. The inspection reports what the house actually has and its visible condition; a cesspool or septic system needs its own evaluation. Source: www.nyc.gov.
Is Long Island City in a flood zone?
Flood zones follow the address, not the town. OpenFEMA holds 14,948 NFIP claim records for Queens County (FIPS 36081). NYC notes FEMA's flood maps for the city have not been significantly updated since 1983 and flood-insurance rates are still based on the 2007 Effective FIRMs while FEMA revises them. Look the address up on FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center before you sign. Source: www.fema.gov.
Should I test for radon in Long Island City?
Queens is in EPA Zone 3 (low potential) — Zone 3 counties have a predicted average indoor radon screening level below 2 pCi/L; EPA still recommends testing every home. NYSDOH's borough estimate (Feb 2007, 413 homes measured) is 0.3% of living areas and 3% of basements above 4 pCi/L, the lowest in the city. Radon is a separate, optional test arranged alongside the inspection. Source: www.epa.gov.
Is there a local rule in Queens a buyer should know about?
Co-op and condo units are sold under an offering plan that the NY Attorney General's Real Estate Finance Bureau reviews for compliance with the Martin Act (GBL Art. 23-A) and AG regulations; the AG tells buyers to read the entire offering plan and consult an attorney before signing a purchase agreement. Source: ag.ny.gov.
What did Lou’s Long Island City inspections actually turn up?
Across his reports in Long Island City, the summaries listed 26 repair-or-replace items, most of them under the roof, chimney and attic, the kitchen and heating and cooling equipment. Every one is in the written report with a photograph; see what a report looks like.
How much does a home inspection in Long Island City 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.
