Guide · before you book
Questions that change the quote, and habits that bridge a barrier.
Take this list to the business. It is paraphrased from QBCC’s April 2024 advisory note, not a substitute for reading the note or the standard you are relying on.
Ask in writing
- Which system: chemical, reticulation, graded stone, stainless mesh, exposed slab edge, resistant materials, baiting, or a combination?
- Is the price for your bedroom count and your construction, and is GST included? Do not assume either.
- What is the chemical’s life on the APVMA label, and how is it replenished if it will not last the life of a Class 1 house?
- What inspection frequency does the installer recommend, and is the next year’s monitoring inside the price or extra?
- Will you receive a durable notice for the meter box: method, date, chemical life, inspection advice?
- What bridging voids the warranty: garden beds, paths, attached fences, a new water tank?
- Can the subfloor actually be inspected? QBCC says suspended floors depend on access. A minimum clearance of 400 mm is generally needed, reducible to 150 mm within 2 m of a point that has the 400 mm clearance, on the note’s summary of the housing provisions.
- Who is licensed, and will they show the QBCC licence and, for chemicals, the Queensland Health licence?
What owners disturb
QBCC’s “reduce the risks” list says concealed entry is often a bridged or breached perimeter. The practices it names include:
- Turf, paving, paths, bark and garden beds against the wall. Keep at least 75 mm from the bottom of a weep hole to the garden, concrete or paving.
- Loose timber stacked against the house.
- New underground services, such as a pay-TV lead, cut through the system.
- A water tank against the wall, across the management zone.
- A pergola with timber posts too close to the ground. QBCC suggests at least 75 mm from finished ground or pavement to the bottom of the post.
- Fences, carports or garages attached to the home, unless the soil around members in the ground is treated.
- A concrete path or driveway against the building, which may need reticulation installed before the concrete goes down.
- Freestanding structures without at least a 25 mm inspection gap to the house.
QBCC also says owners should look between professional inspections, and that more frequent professional inspections may be needed near trees or bush. Decide that with the licensed contractor for your block. This site has no suburb risk ranking.
What we would ask you, and what we will not
The closed form asks for postcode, building type, whether anyone has already reported activity, and a short description. It does not ask for the street address. Do not send identification documents. If you do not own the building, say so: you may not be able to authorise the work.