Local Townsville trades we coordinate with.
Termite barrier work has to sequence carefully with the rest of a new build — particularly the slab pour and any adjacent pool, garage or shed pours. Below is how we coordinate with the other Townsville trades, plus the QBCC, AEPMA and AS-standard references every Burleigh, Mermaid, Kirwan and Hope Island homeowner should bookmark.
The trade we coordinate with most on Townsville new builds.
Pool builders — pre-pour soil treatment.
Concrete pool shells sit in the ground for the life of the build. Once the shell is in, accessing the surrounding soil for chemical reticulation systems becomes much harder — we have to drill the coping or paving, run the reticulation through penetrations, and reset the nozzles. Pre-construction treatment of the soil under coping, paving and pool surrounds (to AS 3660) is cheaper and has a longer design life.
Gold Coast Pool Builders bring us in before excavation begins. We treat the soil under the eventual paving footprint, install the reticulation main with accessible refill points outside the pool coping, and sign off on AS 3660 compliance before the pool builder continues. The pool builder gets a Form 5 / Form 51 (depending on treatment system) for the building file.
The regulatory references for Townsville termite work.
- Queensland Building & Construction Commission (QBCC) — public licence register. Termite barrier installation requires Builders Licence (Restricted - Termite Management) or equivalent. qbcc.qld.gov.au
- AEPMA — Australian Environmental Pest Managers Association — national industry body for pest managers. Their member register and code of conduct are useful consumer reference. aepma.com.au
- AS 3660 — Termite management — the Australian Standard for pre-construction termite barriers. Three parts: new building work (3660.1), assessment of existing buildings (3660.2), assessment criteria (3660.3). Standards Australia
- AS 4349.3 — Timber pest inspection — the Australian Standard for inspection reports on existing residential buildings. Pre-purchase inspections must be to this standard. Standards Australia
- Queensland Health — Pest Management Technician licence — registration register for chemical application licences. Anyone applying termiticide chemicals commercially must be registered. Queensland Health — pest management
- CSIRO — Termite species identification — authoritative reference for identifying Coptotermes and Mastotermes in southern Queensland. csiro.au — wood borers and termites
How Townsville termite trades coordinate with builders.
When in a new build do we install the barrier?
7-10 days before slab pour. The barrier is the last work done before the concreter arrives. We need the pad prepared (compacted sand or DPM membrane laid) and 4 hours of clear access on the day of installation. After installation, the slab pour proceeds without delay.
Can the barrier be installed retroactively?
Yes — through perimeter reticulation systems retrofitted around an existing house. Cost is 2-3x a new-build barrier and the design life is shorter (5-10 years vs 50 years for a pre-construction barrier). Retrofits are commonly done after a termite attack, or pre-sale when AS 4349.3 inspection identifies deficiencies.
Do I need a pre-purchase termite inspection?
Strongly recommended. AS 4349.3 inspections cost $350-$650 and identify active activity, conducive conditions, and timber damage. The report is also required by most home loan lenders for older properties (pre-1990). Schedule the inspection during the building and pest inspection period of the contract.
Free quote — honest Townsville termite pricing.
Pre-construction barriers (Termidor SC, Sentricon, Kordon, Termimesh), AS 4349.3 inspections, post-treatment of active infestations. Effective against both Coptotermes and Mastotermes.