Timber pest inspections · Reported to Australian Standards
Termite Inspection Sydney
Before anyone drills a hole or opens a drum of termiticide, someone has to find out what is actually happening in the timber. An inspection documents evidence, maps risk and gives you a written basis for decisions: buying, selling, renovating, or simply sleeping at night.
In NSW, pest management technicians must hold a licence issued by the Environment Protection Authority to carry out inspection and pest management work. Ask any inspector for their licence number and confirm it covers timber pest work before they attend.
Where inspectors attend
Greater Sydney, suburb by suburb
Termite pressure varies street to street with soil, vegetation and construction era. Pick your part of Sydney to see what inspections there tend to involve.
Eastern suburbs and inner Sydney
From the harbour terraces through the inner west to the eastern beaches
Area detailNorth Shore and Northern Beaches
Leafy ridgelines from Chatswood to Hornsby and the peninsula to Palm Beach
Area detailGreater west and south-west
Parramatta to Penrith, Liverpool to Campbelltown and the new estates between
Area detailInspection services
Evidence first: every inspection type explained
Annual timber pest inspection
The routine check the AS 3660 series assumes every Sydney property is getting at least once a year.
Pre-purchase timber pest inspection
An independent AS 4349.3 report on termite and timber pest evidence before contracts are signed.
Suspected activity investigation
Something looks wrong: mud on a wall, hollow skirting, flying insects. Find out what it is before touching it.
Thermal and moisture investigation
Thermal imaging, moisture meters and listening devices extend an inspection past what eyes alone can see.
Strata and multi-dwelling inspections
Scheduled inspection programs for strata schemes, duplexes and unit blocks across Sydney.
Straight answers
Inspection questions
What is the difference between an inspection and a treatment?
An inspection finds and documents: evidence of activity, damage, past treatment and the conditions that attract termites. Treatment is the separate discipline of eradicating or managing a discovered problem. Keeping the two apart means the report you rely on is not shaped by what someone hopes to sell afterwards.
How often should a Sydney home be inspected?
The AS 3660 series recommends inspections at least annually, with shorter intervals where risk is elevated: bushland boundaries, previous activity, or construction that conceals entry points. Many owners in the leafier parts of Sydney settle on every six to nine months.
What does a timber pest report actually cover?
Evidence of subterranean termites, borers and wood decay fungi in accessible areas, plus damage, previous treatment indicators such as a durable notice, drill patterns or bait stations, and conducive conditions like poor drainage or timber-to-soil contact. It reports what was observable on the day, not a clearance of concealed areas.
Is the inspection invasive? Will anything be drilled or opened?
A standard inspection is non-invasive: visual examination plus instruments such as moisture meters and thermal cameras. Invasive confirmation (lifting carpet, drilling, removing panels) only happens with the owner's written permission, usually after instruments have flagged a specific spot.
I can see live termites right now. What should I do?
Leave them completely alone. No spraying, no poking, no vacuuming, no opening the lead further. Surface sprays kill a handful of workers and push the colony to reroute out of sight. Cover the area loosely if you must, and book an investigation promptly.
Do I need this as well as a building inspection when buying?
Yes, they are separate documents under separate standards. A building inspection reports structural and maintenance defects to AS 4349.1; the timber pest report covers termite and pest evidence to AS 4349.3. Most Sydney buyers commission both, often as a combined visit.
Never disturb live termites or break open their workings, you will scatter the colony and make treatment harder to target. Take care around damaged flooring and decks, and treat any softened structural timber as unsafe to load until it has been assessed.
How it works
How an inspection runs
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01
Tell us about the property
Construction type, roughly when it was built, why you want the inspection (sale, routine, or something you have spotted) and any access constraints like tenants or locked subfloors.
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02
Receive a scoped quote
The quote states what will be inspected, which instruments are included, what the standard treats as inaccessible, and when the written report will arrive.
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03
The site inspection
A licensed technician works through interior, subfloor, roof void, exterior and grounds in sequence, photographing evidence and logging moisture readings as they go.
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04
Report and walkthrough
You receive the written report with photographs, findings, conducive conditions and prioritised recommendations, plus a plain-language explanation of what actually matters.
Inspection services
Tell us about the job
Send through the job details and we'll connect you with a licensed provider who can quote this work.
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