A year in the life of a house, in Queensland

Termite inspections: how often, and what they cover

QBCC’s advice for Queensland homes is to have a licensed pest controller inspect and report on the property every year, or more often in high hazard areas, and to check the house and its termite system yourself in between. What a particular inspection should cover is set by the installer’s or manufacturer’s recommendations on the durable notice, usually found in the meter box.

General information, not building advice. The official places to check are QBCC’s termite pages and the notice on your own house.

The rhythm of the year

Three Queensland sources set the pace, and they fit together: a professional once a year at least, the owner more often, and the system’s own maintenance on top.

Every three to four months
The Queensland Government’s fact sheet says regular inspections by the owner at three to four month intervals, looking for signs of termite activity, reduce the chance of a serious infestation. QBCC’s booklet puts it more simply: owners should carry out their own inspections between professional ones.
At least once a year
QBCC’s advice is to “Have the building inspected at least annually by a suitably qualified termite management contractor, licensed in Queensland by QBCC”, and notes that more frequent inspections may be required in high risk areas, such as near trees or bush. Its home maintenance guide adds that most systems require a licensed pest controller to service them at least every 12 months.
When the notice says
Each system has its own maintenance requirement, stated on the termite management notice; QBCC’s example is yearly top-ups for chemical barriers. For a chemical system, the booklet says an owner may find it appropriate to contract a QBCC-licensed termite management contractor for inspection and ongoing treatment as the product label recommends.
After heavy rain or a flood
QBCC asks homeowners to stay extra vigilant after heavy rainfall and flooding, checking for signs of activity and whether the termite system has been compromised, and to seek an inspection straight away from someone with a QBCC termite management contractor licence if it has.

Who may carry out the inspection

In Queensland, the licence classes for termite management include QBCC’s two termite classes, chemical and physical, and a contractor must hold one of them to give advice or reports about termite management systems or infestations.

Termite management, chemical

Its scope includes inspecting or investigating a completed building and giving advice or a report about its termite management systems and any infestation in it. Anyone supervising or performing chemical termite work must also hold a Queensland pest management licence issued by the Department of Health.

Termite management, physical

Narrower: it covers installing a particular material or system named in a condition on the licence, and inspecting a completed building to give advice or a report about the use of that material or system.

QBCC’s booklet says a free licence history check can be done on its website; the place to do it is the QBCC licensee register, on its lists and registers page. Question 04 covers both licences in more depth.

What the inspector looks at, and with what

The purpose, in QBCC’s words, is to make sure termites have not bridged the barrier. The Queensland Government’s fact sheet describes how a competent inspector goes about it:

From the Queensland Government fact sheet on termites in buildings and Business Queensland’s drywood termite page. A summary, not an inspection standard.
Part of the job	What the source describes
Tools	A screwdriver, small knife, moisture meter, borescope and microwave instruments that can detect movement inside timber; often a bright light, and overalls, respirators and other protective equipment where needed.
Order	The parts of the building in contact with or close to the soil first, then damp or humid places such as bathrooms, laundries and leaky pipes or drains.
Large timbers	House stumps and other timbers with a large cross-section may need to be drilled or probed to find out their condition.
Drywood termites	A thorough inspection that always includes the roof and void space, because these termites can start a colony anywhere in a building; thermal imaging and moisture meters can help find them.

Access matters as much as tools. Under a suspended floor, termite systems rely totally on access for inspection and for treatment if activity is found, so an access door or panel to the sub-floor must be provided. Under a slab, much of the building is out of sight, which is why the exposed slab edge and the weep holes on the home page drawing need to stay visible.

The owner’s checks in between

These come from QBCC’s booklet and homeowner pages. None of them involves breaking into timber or touching chemicals; they are about keeping the edge of the house clear and visible.

Inspect the termite management system yourself, regularly.
Keep at least 75 mm between the bottom of any weep hole and the top of a garden bed, concrete or paving.
Don’t leave loose timber stacked up or leaning against the house.
Watch for anything new against the walls: turf, paving, paths, bark or garden beds can bridge the system.
Think before adding services with underground connections to the house, or a water tank against it.
Fix leaks: QBCC says a leaky hot water system is a real risk of foundation movement, building damage and termite attack.

If you find something

Don’t disturb the workings or start replacing timber. The Queensland Government’s fact sheet says early repairs can make termites withdraw for a while and get in the way of effective treatment. Question 01 lists the signs.