What a Termite Inspection Actually Finds in the Northern Suburbs

What we actually check

A timber pest inspection carried out to the Australian standard AS 3660 covers four areas: the roof void, the subfloor where there is one, the full external perimeter, and all accessible internal timbers. On a typical home that takes one to two hours.

Two instruments do the work that eyes cannot. A moisture meter finds damp zones in wall framing and flooring, which is significant because subterranean termites need moisture and concentrate where it is. Termatrac microwave radar detects movement behind plaster, under floors and inside wall cavities without cutting anything open, which is how activity gets confirmed in a concealed space rather than guessed at.

What you get afterwards is a written report setting out what was inspected, what was found, what could not be accessed and why, and what we recommend. The inaccessible areas are worth reading properly, because they are where the remaining risk sits.

The finding that comes up most: landscaping over the slab edge

On a slab-on-ground home the exposed slab edge is the inspection zone. It is the strip a builder relies on to make termite entry visible, because a colony bridging from the soil into the wall cavity has to cross it. Keep it exposed and you can see mud leads forming. Cover it and you cannot.

Across the northern corridor we find that edge covered on a large share of the homes we inspect, and almost never deliberately. Garden beds get built up against the house. Mulch is topped up year after year until it sits above the edge. Turf is laid to the wall. Pavers or a concrete path go in level with the slab. A deck or alfresco area is added and the substructure covers the perimeter. Each of those is a normal thing to do to a house, and each of them removes the ability to see a termite entering.

This is why the age of a home is a weaker predictor than people assume. A twenty-year-old estate home in Craigieburn or Mickleham that has had two decades of landscaping added can carry more risk than an older home whose perimeter has been left alone.

The other recurring findings

Timber in ground contact

Pergola posts set into soil, retaining wall sleepers, garden edging, a shed sitting directly on the ground, and stored timber or firewood stacked against the house. Each gives a colony established timber to build in before it reaches the structure, and each is a common feature of a maturing estate garden.

Moisture against the structure

Leaking or overflowing gutters, a downpipe discharging at the base of a wall, an air conditioning condensate line dripping against the slab, a leaking outdoor tap, and poor drainage on a block that slopes toward the house. Termites need moisture, and any of those makes one part of the perimeter considerably more attractive than the rest.

Old stumps and buried timber

The northern growth corridor was built over farmland and grazing land, and old fence lines, tree stumps and buried timber are common on and around estate blocks. A colony established in that material is already on the property before anything is built.

Subfloor access that has been closed off

In the older northern suburbs — Glenroy, Broadmeadows, Thomastown, Lalor — subfloor vents get painted over, blocked by garden beds or covered by a later extension. That reduces airflow, keeps the subfloor damp, and removes our ability to inspect the very area where activity would show first.

What a clear inspection is actually worth

A clear result is genuinely useful, and it has a shelf life. It tells you the property is clear on the day and it tells you which conditions to fix. It does not tell you the property will stay clear, because gardens grow, landscaping gets added, gutters block and colonies travel underground.

Annual inspection is the standard interval, and there is a second reason for it beyond catching activity early: where a property has a barrier or baiting system installed, the manufacturer warranty is conditional on annual inspections being carried out. Skipping them is the most common way that cover is lost. We set that out plainly on our termite treatment cost page, including the fact that Protech does not offer a structural-damage warranty of its own.

An inspection starts from $220 ex GST. Treatment, where it is needed, starts from $1,800 ex GST and is quoted from the inspection rather than over the phone, because the perimeter length and the extent of activity are what decide it.

Booking an inspection in the northern suburbs

We work from 4/11 Cooper Street, Campbellfield, so the northern corridor is our home ground and inspections here are usually available quickly. We cover Craigieburn, Epping, Wollert, Mickleham, Kalkallo, Broadmeadows, Glenroy and the surrounding suburbs.

More detail on the service is on our termite control page, and our subterranean termite guide covers identification and biology. Call 03 9449 4244 or request a quote.