Service · inspection

An inspection is a report, not a treatment.

Booking “a termite inspection” can mean a pre-purchase timber pest report or a later check of a management system. They are not the same document, and neither one installs a barrier.

Pre-purchase timber pest inspection

The QBCC’s April 2024 advisory note says a pre-purchase building inspection and a pre-purchase timber pest inspection are separate recommendations. The building inspection looks for major defects under AS 4349 Part 1. The timber pest inspection should be done by a contractor licensed by the QBCC. QBCC says Part 3 of AS 4349 sets minimum requirements for a non-invasive timber pest inspection of the house and the surrounding property within 30 metres.

On QBCC’s description of that standard, the inspection is visual. It includes non-marking sounding and moisture assessment. Timber pests in that definition include subterranean and dampwood termites, borers of seasoned timber and wood decay fungi. Drywood termites and mould are excluded. The report should comment on present or past activity and damage, signs of earlier treatment, susceptibility, conditions that could raise the chance of activity, and where further investigation is needed.

QBCC also says any inspection is limited by access, weather, concealment and the information the owner provides. A clear report is not a promise that activity will never be found later.

Inspecting a system that is already there

AS 3660.2:2017 is the Standards Australia guide for subterranean termites in and around existing buildings. Its scope statement says it is not for a pre-purchase timber pest report, and it does not apply to drywood or dampwood termites. AS 3660.1, the new-building standard, says it does not cover maintenance and inspection procedures, and that installing a system does not remove the need for later competent inspections.

QBCC recommends inspections at least every 12 months by a QBCC-licensed termite management contractor, and more often in high-risk areas such as near trees or bush. That “such as” is QBCC’s general example. It is not a finding that any western Brisbane suburb is high risk.

The only inspection price cited here

Jets advertises a 1–4 bedroom inspection at $285 on its Brisbane and Ipswich page. That is one supplier’s advertised figure for that bedroom band. It is not an average quote, it is not a price for a five-bedroom house, and this site does not state whether GST is included. Several western suburbs have a high share of four-or-more-bedroom houses. If your house is outside the 1–4 bedroom band, ask the business which of its published figures applies. See the Brookfield, Pullenvale and Fig Tree Pocket note.

What to ask before you book an inspection

• Is this a pre-purchase AS 4349.3 timber pest inspection, or a check of an existing system under the AS 3660.2 approach?
• Which QBCC licence class will the person hold, and will you sight the licence?
• What cannot be accessed: subfloor, roof void, locked sheds, furniture hard against walls?
• Is the $285 figure, or any other figure, for your bedroom count, and is GST included?
• Will the report recommend further work without you having agreed to a treatment?

If you are not sure which service you need, the pipeline treats “unsure” as an inspection match only. It will not send an unsure enquiry to a business that has not agreed to take inspections.

Pre-purchase reports · Signs that are not a diagnosis · How to check the licence yourself · Quote form (closed)