LOCAL RULES

New York home inspection report requirements

Your New York home inspection report has 9 rules to meet. ReportDraft puts every one on your checklist and checks your draft before you sign.

  • The written report to the client within five business days
  • The roofing type and condition, and how you observed the roof
  • Shut-off valve locations, and public or private water and waste
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New York licenses home inspectors through the Department of State, and Article 12-B of the Real Property Law with the Department's Standards of Practice (19 NYCRR Subpart 197-5) set what the report does: identify what was observed, report what is deficient, not functioning properly or unsafe, list anything not observed with the reason, show the license number, and reach the client within five business days. Here is each rule with a link to the official text, and how field notes become a New York report.

Last reviewed October 10, 2026 against the official sources listed below.

Home inspectionNEW YORK / SAMPLE

Sample notes, 149 words

Client: Dana Whitfield
Inspector: Sam Ortega
Date: October 3, 2026
1408 Larkspur Lane, Albany, NY
Weather: clear, 74F. Occupied. Built 1987.
...
FREE PREVIEW OF THESE NOTES
71%of your draft is ready from these notes

We sorted 14 items into 8 sections and flagged 4 to fix first.

  • Fix firstElectrical

    Main panel has a double tapped breaker and an open splice in the attic junction box.

  • Fix firstElectrical

    No GFCI protection at the kitchen counter outlets.

  • Fix firstGarage

    Garage door opener did not reverse when it hit the test board.

9 New York rules on your checklist, including the written report to the client within five business days.

Still to add

  • New York lawNew York licensed home inspector, license number
  • RecommendedNotes for cooling
  • RecommendedNotes for fireplaces and chimneys

Filled in for you

Client nameDana Whitfield
Property address1408 Larkspur Lane, Albany, NY
Inspection dateOct 3, 2026
Inspector nameSam Ortega
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What New York requires

  • The written report clearly identifies which systems and components of the residential building were observedN.Y. Real Prop. Law s. 444-g (3) · 19 NYCRR 197-4.6 (c), 197-5.2 (c)
  • The report covers the systems and components observed that, in the home inspector's professional opinion, are deficient, not functioning properly and/or unsafe19 NYCRR 197-5.3 (b)
  • A system or major component that was not observed is listed in the report as not observed, with the reasons why19 NYCRR 197-5.3 (c)
  • Every home inspection report displays the inspector's license number and status as a licensed home inspectorN.Y. Real Prop. Law s. 444-g (2)
  • The client receives the written report no later than five business days after the inspection is completed; the report is confidential and may not be disclosed without the client's express consentN.Y. Real Prop. Law s. 444-g (3); 19 NYCRR 197-4.3
  • Home inspectors may not determine compliance with regulations, codes, laws or ordinances19 NYCRR 197-4.4 (d)
  • The report describes the observed condition and type of the roofing materials and the methods used to observe the roofing19 NYCRR 197-5.7 (b), (c)
  • The report describes the water supply, drain, waste and vent piping materials, the water heating equipment with its capacity and energy source, the locations of the main water and main fuel shut-off valves, and whether the water supply and waste disposal systems are public, private or unknown19 NYCRR 197-5.8 (d)
  • The report describes the service's amperage and voltage rating, the location of main disconnects and sub-panels, the presence of aluminum branch circuit wiring, the presence or absence of smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors, and visible branch conductors that may be a hazard19 NYCRR 197-5.9 (b)
  • The report describes the heating fuel, equipment and distribution type, the air conditioning equipment and distribution type, insulation in accessible unfinished spaces, ventilation of accessible attics and foundation areas, and, for any safe and readily accessible attic, the method of observation and the conditions observed19 NYCRR 197-5.10 (a), 197-5.11 (a), 197-5.13 (a), 197-5.15 (a)
  • A home inspection does not include an inspection for radon or pests, and home inspectors may not determine property boundaries, encroachments or easements, or the property's market value or marketabilityN.Y. Real Prop. Law s. 444-b (4) · 19 NYCRR 197-4.4 (c), (e)
  • Before the inspection, the client gets a written pre-inspection agreement describing the scope and cost, with the two clauses the regulation prescribes (licensing and scope; consent to disclose immediate threats to health or safety) printed in at least six-point type19 NYCRR 197-4.2 (a)
  • No home inspector may offer repairs, improvements or replacements for an extra fee on a building they reported on before the close of escrow, inspect a building they or a relative have an interest in, pay referral fees or kickbacks to the seller or agents, or accept an inspection whose pay depends on the report's conclusions or the closingN.Y. Real Prop. Law s. 444-g (4) · 19 NYCRR 197-4.7

What a New York report must cover

The written report clearly identifies which systems and components of the building were observed, and reports those that, in your professional opinion, are deficient, not functioning properly or unsafe. Any system or major component you did not observe is listed as not observed, with the reasons.

Every report displays your license number and your status as a licensed home inspector. The client gets the written report no later than five business days after the inspection, and it stays confidential unless the client expressly consents to sharing it.

What to describe

Describe the type and condition of the roofing and how you observed it. For plumbing, describe the supply and drain, waste and vent piping materials, the water heater's capacity and energy source, where the main water and main fuel shut-off valves are, and whether the water supply and waste disposal are public, private or unknown.

For electrical, describe the service's amperage and voltage, where the main disconnects and sub-panels are, any aluminum branch circuit wiring, and whether smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are present or absent. The standards also ask for the heating fuel, equipment and distribution, the air conditioning equipment and distribution, insulation and ventilation, and how you observed the attic.

What a New York inspector may not do

You may not determine compliance with regulations, codes, laws or ordinances, so the report describes conditions rather than calling them code violations. You may not determine boundaries, easements, market value or marketability, and a home inspection does not include an inspection for radon or pests.

You may not offer repairs for an extra fee on a building you reported on before the close of escrow, inspect a building you or a relative have an interest in, pay referral fees to the seller or agents, or take an inspection whose pay depends on the findings or the closing.

The pre-inspection agreement

Before the inspection, give the client a written agreement that describes the scope of service and its cost. It must contain the regulation's two clauses, in at least six-point type: one saying that home inspectors are licensed by the Department of State, report only on readily accessible and observed conditions, and may not provide engineering or architectural services; and one in which the client consents to disclosure of immediate threats to health or safety to the owner or occupants.

From field notes to a finished New York report

Note how you observed the roof and the attic, the shut-off locations, whether water and sewer are public or private, the panel details and the detectors. ReportDraft gives the shut-offs and the public or private question their own lines, marks anything not observed with your reason, rewrites 'not to code' as a description of the condition, and checks the draft for code language before you sign.

Common mistakes

  • Writing that something is a code violation or not to code.
  • Leaving out how the roof was observed.
  • Not saying whether the water supply and waste disposal are public, private or unknown.
  • Skipping the presence or absence of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
  • Missing the license number on the report, or delivering it after five business days.

Sources

Last reviewed October 10, 2026. Next review due January 10, 2027. This page explains published rules to help you write your report. It is not legal advice; the official text linked above governs.