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A termite inspection is a visual, non-invasive check of the accessible areas of your property: the interior, roof void, subfloor, external walls, fences, garden timbers, trees and stumps within the boundary. The inspector looks for live termites, workings, damage, moisture problems and conditions that attract termites, such as timber in contact with soil. Our inspectors hold the licensing Victoria requires for pest management.

Most homes in the Inner West take between one and two hours. A single-fronted Victorian in Yarraville with a low subfloor takes longer to crawl than a brick veneer on a slab in Sunshine. Time also depends on the size of the block, how much stored material is in the roof and subfloor, and whether the inspector finds activity that needs closer investigation.

AS 3660.2 covers inspections of existing buildings carried out for termite management, including the routine annual check. AS 4349.3 is the standard for pre-purchase timber pest inspections, so it also covers borers and wood decay fungi and is written for a buyer who does not yet own the property. The site work is similar; the scope and reporting differ. We confirm which one applies before we book.

Thermal cameras, moisture meters and termite radar may be used where the inspector believes they will help, for example to check a wall that cannot be opened or to confirm activity behind plaster. They are aids, not a substitute for the visual inspection, and they have limits: a thermal camera shows temperature differences, not termites, so a reading always needs to be interpreted alongside what the inspector can see.

An inspection can only report on what can be seen or reached on the day. Termites inside wall cavities, under floor coverings, behind built-in cupboards or in areas with no access cannot be confirmed without invasive methods, which we only carry out with the owner's written consent. The report lists the areas that were not inspected and why, so you know exactly where the gaps are.

The report records the areas inspected, any evidence of live termites, past activity or damage, conducive conditions such as leaks or soil contact, and recommendations, with photos where useful. AS 3660.2 recommends an inspection at least every twelve months. Properties near creeks, with old timber, or with a history of activity in the street are usually inspected more often than that.

No. A building inspection under AS 4349.1 looks at the condition of the structure and its defects. A timber pest inspection under AS 4349.3 looks specifically for termites, borers and fungal decay and the conditions that lead to them. Many buyers order both, and they can be done on the same visit, but a building inspector who is not a pest technician will not usually report on termites in detail.

Yes. In Victoria a buyer can ask for a special condition making the contract subject to a satisfactory building and pest inspection within a set number of days. It must be written into the contract before signing, and your conveyancer or solicitor should draft the wording. At auction there is no cooling-off period and no conditions, so the inspection needs to happen before auction day.

It does not always mean walking away. The report describes where the activity or damage is and how significant it appears. You can use it to negotiate the price, ask the vendor to treat the property before settlement, or get a builder's opinion on repairs. Structural damage to bearers or joists is a different matter to some chewed skirting, and the report helps you tell the two apart.

Yes. Ask for past inspection reports, treatment certificates and the durable notice that should be fixed in the meter box or a kitchen cupboard when a chemical or physical system has been installed. These tell you what product was used, when, and whether the treatment is still within its label period. Missing records are not proof of a problem, but they are a good reason to inspect carefully.

New homes in Victoria are built with a termite management system that complies with AS 3660.1, but the system still needs to be checked, and the builder's paperwork will state the inspection interval it relies on. Extensions and landscaping can bridge a barrier. In apartments and strata buildings, common areas and the subfloor are the owners corporation's responsibility, so ask your manager what is already in place.

Mud tubes on foundations, stumps or in the subfloor; timber that sounds hollow or papery when tapped; paint that bubbles or blisters with no water source nearby; doors and windows that suddenly stick; and fine soil packed into cracks in skirting or architraves. Termites stay hidden, so damage is often found by accident during renovations or when a skirting board gives way.

Flying termites, called alates, swarm on warm humid evenings in spring and early summer to start new colonies. Seeing them outside near a streetlight means there is a colony somewhere nearby. Seeing them inside, or finding piles of shed wings on windowsills, means a nest is likely in or very close to the house. Either way it is worth an inspection before the workers cause damage.

White ants is just the common Australian name for termites; they are not ants at all. Termites are pale and soft-bodied, with straight antennae and a thick waist. Ants are darker, with elbowed antennae and a pinched waist. Winged forms of both fly in spring, but termite wings are equal in length and roughly twice the body length. If you are unsure, put a few in a sealed jar for the inspector.

Coptotermes acinaciformis is the most destructive species in Victoria and is responsible for most of the serious structural damage we see. It nests in trees, stumps and in the ground and can move through a house quickly. Nasutitermes exitiosus builds mound nests and is more common in older suburbs with mature trees. Both feed on hardwood and softwood framing, flooring and skirting.

No. Spraying with a household aerosol or disturbing the mud tubes kills only a few workers, and the colony will simply reroute through an area you cannot see. That makes it much harder for the technician to find them and treat the colony properly. Leave the area alone, take a photo if you like, and keep children and pets away from it until the inspection.

Yes. Suburbs such as Footscray, Yarraville, Seddon and Williamstown have a lot of Victorian and Edwardian housing with hardwood floors on stumps, and the heavy clay soils hold the moisture termites need. The Maribyrnong River and Stony Creek corridors, mature street trees and older fence lines all give colonies places to nest. It is not every house, but it is common enough to inspect every year.

The main options are a non-repellent liquid treatment applied to the soil around and under the house, direct treatment of the active workings with dust or foam, and a baiting system placed in the ground or on the activity. Often more than one is used together. The choice depends on the species, where the nest is, the construction of the house and how the site can be accessed.

A chemical barrier is a treated zone of soil around the footings and under slabs that termites cannot pass through without being affected. A physical barrier is a material such as stainless steel mesh, graded stone or a treated sheet installed during construction. Physical barriers are rarely practical to retrofit to an older Inner West house, so chemical treatments are the usual choice for existing homes.

Every registered product has a label period set by the APVMA, and the technician will tell you the period for the product used at your property and record it on the durable notice. Soil type, moisture, disturbance from landscaping and the construction of the house all affect how the treatment performs. Annual inspections during the label period are still needed, and reapplication is planned before it expires.

Baiting works by termites feeding on a slow-acting bait and carrying it back to the colony, so it takes weeks to months rather than days. The technician checks the stations regularly, tops up the bait and looks for signs that the colony is declining. It is slower than a liquid treatment but suits situations where trenching is not possible, such as tight paving or shared walls.

The products we use are registered for domestic use in Australia and are applied as directed on the label. Before starting, the technician will explain where the treatment is going, how long you should keep children and pets away and when it is safe to re-enter each area. Most liquid treatments go into the soil rather than onto surfaces you touch, and baits sit inside locked stations.

Yes. Treatment deals with the colony that was found, but the surrounding area does not change, and a new colony can find the house later. The technician schedules follow-up visits to confirm the activity has stopped, then routine inspections continue every year. Keeping moisture down, storing timber off the ground and leaving the durable notice in place all help protect the house.

The main factors are the size of the property and block, how easy it is to get into the subfloor and roof, the construction type, and the kind of report you need. A pre-purchase AS 4349.3 report takes longer than a routine annual check, and a double-storey house with a low subfloor takes longer than a slab-on-ground unit. Outbuildings and long fence lines add time as well.

Because two houses in the same street can need very different amounts of work. A quote based on your suburb, property type and any known issues is more accurate than a published figure that ends up with surprise extras on the day. The quote is free and there is no obligation. If you give us the details up front, the price we quote is the price you pay unless you ask for extra work.

Generally no. Most home and contents policies in Australia exclude damage caused by termites, borers and other insects, because it is treated as a maintenance issue that regular inspections could have prevented. Some policies exclude gradual damage of any kind. Check the product disclosure statement for your own policy, but it is safest to assume the repair cost would be yours.

For a rental property, pest inspections and treatments are usually treated as an expense of managing the property in the year they are paid, and repairs to termite damage are often deductible too, although improvements are treated differently. We are not accountants, so ask your accountant or registered tax agent how it applies to you and keep the invoice and report for your records.

Fill in the quote form with your suburb, the type of property (house, unit, apartment or commercial), whether it is on stumps or a slab, and the reason for the inspection. If you are buying, include the settlement or auction date. We will come back with a quote and available times. There is no charge for the quote and you are not committed to booking anything.

We inspect throughout Melbourne's Inner West, including Footscray, West Footscray, Yarraville, Seddon, Kingsville, Maidstone, Braybrook, Maribyrnong, Williamstown, Newport, Spotswood, Altona, Flemington, Ascot Vale, Moonee Ponds and Sunshine. If you are in a nearby suburb that is not listed, send through the quote form and we will let you know if we can help.

Make sure the subfloor hatch and the manhole to the roof void are clear and reachable, and move stored boxes, furniture and garden items away from walls, both inside and outside. Unlock side gates and sheds. Put pets somewhere secure. If you have noticed anything, such as a soft patch of floor or a sticking door, point it out at the start so the inspector can look closely.

Tell your property manager or rental provider in writing as soon as you can and include photos. Under Victorian rental laws, termite control is the rental provider's responsibility because it relates to the structure of the property. Do not spray or disturb the area. We can liaise with the property manager to arrange access and send the report to the owner.

Yes. Landlords and property managers book inspections on rentals regularly, often as part of an annual maintenance schedule. Renters must be given proper written notice of entry under the Residential Tenancies Act, which the property manager usually handles. We coordinate a time with the renter, complete the inspection, and send the report to the owner or agent as instructed.

The report is emailed as a PDF once the inspector has finished writing it up, with photos of any findings and a list of the areas that could not be accessed. If live termites are found, the inspector tells you on the spot and explains the options. For pre-purchase inspections, tell us your deadline when booking so the report reaches you before the contract condition expires.

Not necessarily. Many owners arrange access through a key safe, a neighbour or a property manager. Being there is useful though: you can point out anything you have noticed, and the inspector can show you findings in person rather than only through the report. Someone must be able to provide access to the interior, and the inspector will need to know about any alarms or dogs.