Pre-Construction Termite Treatment Sydney
The best time to protect a building from termites is before it is finished. We install pre-construction termite systems to AS 3660.1 during the build, with all the paperwork your builder and certifier need.
Why Pre-Construction Termite Treatment Is Required
Most of Sydney sits in termite territory, and the National Construction Code requires new buildings in termite-prone areas to have a termite management system in place. It is not an optional extra, it is part of getting a build signed off.
There is a practical reason behind the rule too. Once a slab is poured and a home is finished, many of the best protection methods are no longer possible without major disruption. Putting the system in during construction is far cheaper and more thorough than trying to retrofit protection later, and it gives the new owner a strong line of defence from day one.
Termites cause enormous damage to Australian homes every year, and most home insurance policies do not cover it. For a new build, that makes the pre-construction system one of the smartest pieces of insurance you can put in place, protecting what is usually the biggest investment a family ever makes. The cost of doing it during the build is a small fraction of what termite damage can cost to repair.
Treatment Options
There are a few recognised ways to protect a new build. The right one depends on the design, the site and your builder's preference, and we will help you decide. Often a system combines more than one method to cover the slab, the penetrations and the perimeter together.
Under-Slab Treatment
A treated zone created in the soil and around penetrations before the slab is poured, so termites cannot pass up through the slab undetected. This has to be done at the right stage of the build.
Perimeter Treatment
A treated zone established around the perimeter of the building, protecting the edges where termites most often try to gain entry from the surrounding soil. It is frequently used alongside other measures rather than on its own.
Reticulation System
A network of pipes installed under and around the slab that lets the treated zone be topped up in future without digging or drilling, keeping the protection renewable for the life of the home. It costs a little more up front but makes ongoing maintenance far simpler.
Builder and Certifier Compliance
A pre-construction system is only useful to a builder if it comes with the right paperwork. We provide the certificate of installation your builder and certifier need to sign off the termite management requirement, so it does not become a hold-up at inspection or occupancy.
We also fix a durable notice in the building, typically in the meter box, recording the system installed and when. We work around your build schedule, slotting in at the correct stage so we never become the trade that holds up the slab pour.
Builders we work with appreciate that we communicate clearly about timing. The under-slab stage in particular has a narrow window, so we stay in touch as the site progresses and turn up ready to go, which keeps the whole job moving rather than leaving the builder chasing us at the last minute.
What the Builder Gets
- Certificate of installation for sign-off
- A durable notice fixed in the building
- Work timed to the construction schedule
- Clear records for the certifier
- A licensed, reliable local installer
AS 3660.1 Compliance
AS 3660.1 is the Australian Standard that covers termite management for new building work. It sets out how systems are to be installed so they actually do their job, and it is the benchmark your certifier will be checking against. All of our pre-construction work is carried out to this standard.
One important thing every owner should know: no termite system makes a building termite-proof for life. The standard, and good practice, call for ongoing inspections to keep the protection valid and to catch any activity early. We recommend a regular timber pest inspection after the home is built, and you can learn more about treating an active problem on our termite control page.