Frequently asked questions

We service properties in the five boroughs of New York City. Also, with time permitting, we may be able to service other nearby areas within New York State.

I'm sorry, but Green Apple Home Inspections is only licensed in New York State.

Yes. If you are purchasing a private residence, we also include a termite inspection and termite report with your home inspection.

Two of our inspectors speak Chinese (Cantonese and Maddarin).

As per New York State Standards of Practice for Home Inspectors, we do not inspect or report on personal property. Personal property generally includes washer/dryers, refrigerators, window mounted or portable air conditioners ect... If you have and questions about specific items, please contact us prior to the inspection.

As per New York State Standards of Practice for Home Inspectors, we perform a thorough inspection of the unit you are purchasing including: walls, doors, floors, ceilings, windows, cabinets, permanently installed appliances, electricity, plumbing, heating and cooling (season permitting). Although not required by our licenses, we like to have additional information which is not typically availabe in your apartment such as electrical capacity, common heating and air conditioning systems, hot water systems, and storage areas etc... Depending on the building management these areas may or may not be accessible. It is best to have your agent try to arrange access prior the inspection if possible.

Moving furniture, carpets, area rugs, or personal property is a potential source of damage and possible injury and we are not permitted to do so. If you feel it is important that any of these items be moved, please express these concerns to your real estate agent or current owner so that it can be taken care of prior to the inspection.

No. The inspection of these items is not covered by a Home Inspection license in New York State and all require seperate licenses.

In order to prevent possible conflicts of interest, New York State does not permit home inspectors to recommend any contractors. My personal advice is to do your homework prior to hiring any type of contractor. Read reviews, ask friends, and find someone you are comfortable with. There are more than a few horror stories out there.

The report is your personal property. You are not obligated to share it with anyone. Typically, your real estate attorney will request a copy of the report. I recommend that you speak with your attorney before sharing your report with anyone else. Sometimes home inspection reports can get "out in the wild" if shared with an unscrupulous agent which can lead to other customers having a copy of the report.

Of course, you should refer this question to your attorney, however, as a general rule, most people have a property inspected after they have an accepted offer, but prior to signing contracts. It is a lot easier to walk away from a property with major defects if you are not already contractually bound.

If a flat roof is safely accessible from the building interior by way of a staircase or ladder, we are happy to inspect the roof. We do not ever walk on shingled roofs. Doing so can damage the shingles and can be unsafe. We do look at all visibly accessible portions of the roof and report on any visual defects. If the attic is safely accessible, we do examine the attic for signs of moisture intrusion.

Although drones can be extremely useful for this purpose, this is New York City. Between restricted airspace, licensing requirements, commercial traffic, congestion, power lines, telephone lines, traffic lights, street lights and close proximity of most buildings, the liability incurred by the use of a drone for commercial purposes makes it unviable.

Yes, all Green Apple inspectors have thermal imaging cameras and use them for multiple purposes while performing your inspection. While thermal imaging cameras don't "see through walls", they are extremely used to identify hidden defects such as moisture intrusion, evaluating heating and cooling systems, and measuring water temperature.