Termite inspections — Sutherland Shire & St George

What does a termite inspection involve?

We work to AS 3660.2 for how we detect subterranean termites in and around your home, and we report to AS 4349.3, the standard that governs timber pest inspection reports. On the day, a licensed technician checks the roof void, the subfloor or slab edge, every internal room, the exterior walls and weep holes, the fence lines, garden beds, retaining walls and any yard timbers or old stumps.

We're looking for live termites, mud tubes (the "leads" they build to travel), timber that sounds hollow when tapped, and the moisture and conducive conditions termites move toward. You get a written report the same day, with photos and a plain-English summary of what we found and what to do about it.

How much does a termite inspection cost?

Our termite inspections start from $249 for a standard single-storey home. Around Sydney you'll see quotes anywhere from $200 to $550, depending on the size of the property, how easy the subfloor and roof void are to reach, and whether a proper written report is included. We tell you the price before we start, and there's no upsell on the day. Larger homes, tight subfloors or dual-occupancy sites cost a little more, and we quote that up front too.

How often should you get one?

CSIRO recommends termite inspections "at least annually". That's the baseline for every home. For houses backing onto bushland — and plenty do across Engadine, Menai, Sutherland and Oatley — we suggest every six to twelve months, because a colony can travel from a reserve or a neighbour's stump and cover a lot of ground between yearly checks. That tighter interval is our recommendation based on local conditions, not a published standard.

Pre-purchase and pre-auction inspections

Buying? Get a timber pest inspection before you sign or bid. Termite damage is usually hidden behind plaster and paint, and most home insurance won't help you after settlement. We inspect the property, report to AS 4349.3, and give you a clear read on active termites, past damage and the risk factors a valuer won't flag — in time to renegotiate or walk away. A pre-auction inspection can usually be turned around within a few days.

Why Shire and St George homes need regular checks

Termites occur right across NSW, and they cause serious structural damage you can't see until it's well advanced. The risk isn't uniform street to street. Homes that back onto bushland or a reserve sit closest to natural colonies. Housing age matters too: the Federation-era timber homes around Oatley, and the post-war fibro and brick-veneer homes across the Shire, all have timber framing a subterranean colony will happily work through. Damp subfloors near the water — parts of Sylvania, Sans Souci and Caringbah — give termites the moisture they need. None of this is cause for panic; it's the reason an annual inspection is cheap insurance.

What happens if we find termites?

First rule: don't disturb them. Don't spray them, don't knock the mud tubes off, and don't open up the damaged timber. Disturbed termites abandon the workings and relocate elsewhere in the building, which only makes treatment harder. Leave it, call us, and we'll talk you through termite treatment options — direct colony treatment, a chemical soil barrier, or a baiting system — with a fixed quote once we've confirmed the extent.

Not sure what you're looking at? Our guide to the signs of termites shows what mud tubes, alates and damaged timber look like, and our cost guide sets our prices against the market range. We inspect homes right across Engadine, Menai and Oatley, and everywhere in between.