Water intrusion inspection in NYC
A water intrusion inspection in New York City traces water entering through a facade, roof, terrace or penetration back to a likely source, before any destructive investigation begins. In masonry buildings the recurring entry points are deteriorated pointing, failed lintels, parapets and terrace thresholds — and telling those apart determines who pays for the repair. We image, test for moisture, and report on evidence.
Certified Infrared ThermographerInfraspection Institute · FLIR E96 & T865
Masonry, terraces and party walls
Pre-war masonry buildings leak at predictable places and in unpredictable directions. Water entering at a parapet or a deteriorated joint can travel laterally and surface over a neighbouring line of apartments, or over the building next door.
In attached buildings that becomes a question of responsibility as much as repair, and it is settled far more easily with a documented thermal and moisture survey than with an argument between two contractors.
- Parapets and cornices
- Deteriorated pointing and lintels
- Window and curtain-wall perimeters
- Terraces, setbacks and thresholds
- Party walls in attached buildings
- Roof and mechanical penetrations
Before Local Law facade work, not after
Buildings undergoing cyclical facade inspection and repair often carry intrusion problems that the visual inspection does not capture. Surveying before the scaffold comes down means the repair scope reflects what is actually wet rather than what was visible from a drop.
Findings are documented for the board, the managing agent, and the engineer of record.
Common questions
Water intrusion inspection in NYC — answered.
Is this the same as a facade inspection?
No. A cyclical facade inspection is a required structural and safety review by a qualified engineer or architect. A water intrusion investigation is a diagnostic survey of where water is entering and how far it has spread. They complement each other, and our findings are written to be used alongside an engineer's report.
Can you determine which unit or building is responsible?
Often, yes — and because we have no interest in the remediation, that determination is treated as a finding rather than as a position. Where the evidence does not support a conclusion, we say that too.
How long does an investigation take?
A single-unit investigation is usually a few hours. A whole-facade or multi-unit survey takes longer and may need a return visit under different weather, since some paths only open up in wind-driven rain.
Why us and not a plumber
We write the report. We never bid the repair.
A plumber who finds your leak also sells you the repair. A roofer who inspects your roof also quotes the replacement. That isn't dishonesty — it's structure, and it quietly shapes every finding. We are an independent diagnostic company: we do not perform repairs, we do not sell materials, and we take no referral fee from any contractor. The report is the entire product, so there is nothing for us to gain by finding more than is there.
We can't profit from the work we recommend, because we don't do the work. If your roof is 8% wet, the report says 8% — not "replace the field."
We accept nothing from contractors for sending work their way. Take our findings to your own plumber, roofer, or electrician, or put them out to bid.
Boards, managing agents, and insurance carriers treat an independent finding differently than an estimate from the company that wants the job.
Sometimes the answer is condensation, or a warm duct, or a neighbor's roof. We're paid the same either way, so we say so.
Request an inspection in your building
Tell us what you're dealing with.
Send the details and we'll come back with a scope, a time window, and a price — including what the survey covers and what it doesn't.
Direct line
(516) 234-5012Request received.
We'll review the details and follow up within one business day.