Guide · barrier types
Five ways QBCC describes a barrier. None is a brand recommendation.
AS 3660.1:2014, on the Standards Australia preview, sets design and construction requirements for subterranean systems on new work. It says the options can be used alone or together, and that they cannot guarantee a building will never be entered.
| System | What QBCC says it does | What still needs a question |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical, including reticulation | Deters concealed access. Queensland expects a short-lived chemical under a non-temporary Class 1 slab to be replenishable. Hand-spraying is constrained unless a 50-year life is shown. Perimeter work is described as a trench, treatment, backfill, treatment, then a 300 mm by 50 mm concrete strip. | Which APVMA-registered product, its label life, and whether the person also holds the Queensland Health pest management licence. QBCC’s chemical class is required at any value. |
| Graded stone | Particles that, when placed and compacted, are meant to leave no path. The physical licence class is restricted to systems such as graded stone or stainless mesh. | Penetrations and the perimeter may still need a second method. QBCC notes combinations can complicate warranties. |
| Stainless steel mesh | Used under a slab, at a perimeter or around penetrations. QBCC relays the manufacturer’s claim that the mesh is too fine and too strong for termites to pass or chew. Termites can still use an untreated penetration. | That mesh claim is the manufacturer’s, as reported by QBCC. It is not an independent test published here. |
| Exposed slab edge and ant caps | They do not stop termites. They are meant to force travel into view. Ant caps sit on stumps and piers. An exposed slab edge is not the same thing as ant capping on a clad frame. | Penetrations through the slab still need protection. A garden bed over the edge removes the view. |
| Termite-resistant materials | Steel, concrete, naturally resistant timber in Appendix C of AS 3660.1, and preservative-treated timber in Appendix D. Queensland’s primary-element definition also covers jambs, frames, architraves and skirtings. | Using resistant materials for primary elements can mean extra barriers are not required under the code path QBCC describes. Ask whether the whole building, or only the frame, was in scope. |
A durable notice in a place such as the meter box should record the method, date, chemical life where relevant, and the inspection advice. No notice is a reason to ask. It is not evidence of termites. For the single supplier starting price we cite, see the cost guide. It is a “from” figure for a standard house, not a price for each row of this table.