Reserve and national park edges
Ku-ring-gai Chase, Berowra Valley and the creek gullies between suburbs hold mature timber that supports established colonies, so perimeters run continuously on blocks along those fringes.
Quick answer
A new home on the Upper North Shore needs a termite management system under the NCC, installed to AS 3660.1. Collars and under-slab protection are fitted before the pour and the perimeter completed during the build. Ku-ring-gai or Hornsby certifiers require the installation certificate and durable notice before the Occupation Certificate.
Barriers across the Upper North Shore
Large planted blocks against reserve country
The Upper North Shore covers 22 suburbs on this site, running from Lindfield and Killara through Gordon, Pymble, Turramurra and Wahroonga up to St Ives, Hornsby and Berowra. Most blocks are large and heavily planted, with Federation and Californian bungalow homes and a strong heritage presence. Building work means substantial replacement houses, secondary dwellings and apartment slabs clustered near the stations and the Pacific Highway.
This is the most bush-adjacent district in the city. Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, Berowra Valley and a network of creek gullies push reserve country right up to back fences, and mature canopy keeps soil shaded and damp along the building line. Blocks fall away into those gullies, so pads are benched with retaining and step-downs, often with piers or suspended floors. Whatever the design, a slab is tested at its penetrations, its edge and its joints, all closed before the pour.
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Local conditions
Why upper north blocks need careful detailing
Three conditions drive barrier work on the Upper North Shore.
Century-old garden soil
Large planted blocks carry stumps, sleepers and buried timber from generations of gardens, and that material can sustain a colony before your pad is even prepared.
Benching into sandstone
Sloping blocks are cut and retained to create a platform, leaving junctions where a barrier is easily compromised unless the detail is drawn in advance.
What we install here
Building across the Upper North Shore
Work here is mainly replacement homes on established blocks, granny flats, dual occupancies and apartment slabs near the stations. Raft slabs are common, with piers and suspended floors where the block falls into a gully. We collar every penetration, install the specified under-slab component, then complete perimeter and cavity protection as walls rise, detailing every retaining junction. Reticulation is often included where landscaping will cover treated soil. All stages are priced up front.
- Under-slab membraneA termite-resistant sheet laid across the prepared ground before the pour.
- Penetration collarsCollars sealed to every pipe and conduit that comes up through the slab.
- Perimeter & slab edgeA barrier at the slab edge and into the cavity, so nothing can track up hidden.
- Chemical soil barrierAn APVMA-registered treated zone in the soil under and around the building.
- ReticulationA pipe network laid before paving so the treated zone can be topped up later.
- Piers & suspended floorsProtection for bearers, piers and suspended timber floors on sloping blocks.
Councils & certifiers
Getting signed off in the Upper North Shore
Ku-ring-gai Council certifies most of the district, with Hornsby Shire covering the northern suburbs. Heritage and tree-preservation conditions are common and affect the build rather than the termite requirement. Either certifier needs a certificate recording products, protected areas and the licensed installer, plus a durable notice mounted in the meter box, before granting the Occupation Certificate.
Our run covers the Pacific Highway corridor through Lindfield, Killara, Gordon, Pymble and Turramurra, the leafy streets of Wahroonga, Warrawee and St Ives, and the bush-edge suburbs around Hornsby, Mount Colah and Berowra. Blocks bordering Ku-ring-gai Chase, Berowra Valley or a creek gully get the fullest perimeter treatment and the closest attention where the slab steps down the fall.
Know your pour date?Send the slab plan and we will stage the barrier around your builder.
Upper North Shore
Suburbs we install barriers in
Every suburb has its own page with the local ground conditions, the councils that certify there and the questions builders ask us most.
Systems we install
The right barrier for your slab and your site
Every photo below is from one of our own Sydney jobs. We look at your slab design, site and budget, then recommend a system or a combination.
01Under-slab membrane
A termite-resistant sheet laid over the whole prepared footprint before concreting, so termites can't come up through the slab anywhere.
02Penetration collars
A sealed collar on every pipe, conduit and service that passes through the slab. These gaps are the most common hidden way in.
03Slab edge & cavity barrier
Protection at the slab edge and into the wall cavity, which stops termites building hidden tunnels up the outside of the slab.
04Chemical soil barrier & reticulation
An APVMA-registered termiticide zone in the soil, with an optional pipe network under paving so it can be recharged later without digging.
05Suspended floors & piers
Barriers for bearers, piers and raised timber floors on sloping or elevated blocks, where there's no slab to protect.
06Retaining walls & tricky sites
Detailing for sandstone cuts, block retaining walls, step-downs and cut-and-fill sites, which are common across Sydney.
Why during construction
Do it now, or pay more to do less later
A retrofit can only treat around a finished house. A pre-construction system protects the parts nobody will ever be able to reach again.
Costs far less
A barrier put in during the build costs a fraction of a post-construction system, and far less than repairing termite damage.
Meets the NCC
New houses (Class 1) and outbuildings (Class 10) with termite-susceptible framing need a compliant termite management system.
Hidden gaps sealed
Pipe penetrations and slab joints can only be fully protected while they're still open, before the concrete goes in.
The whole footprint
An under-slab system covers ground that no treatment from outside the finished house can ever reach.
No OC delays
Your certifier needs the certificate and durable notice before issuing the Occupation Certificate. We supply both together.
Easier to sell
Documented, compliant protection gives buyers, building inspectors and lenders confidence when the home is sold.
Installation stages
Installed in stages that follow your build
A termite barrier isn't a single visit. Each part goes in when the site is ready for it, and we fit around your plumber, concreter and bricklayer.
Step 01Design / DA
Plans & fixed quote
Send your plans and slab details. We recommend a system and give you one fixed price that covers every stage.
Step 02Before the pour
Collars & under-slab
Collars go on every service once the plumber has set out, then the membrane or soil treatment is installed across the prepared site.
Step 03Walls going up
Slab edge & cavity
Perimeter and cavity protection is fitted as the brickwork or cladding goes up, so there's no unprotected gap at the slab edge.
Step 04Before landscaping
Final perimeter
Where it's specified, the chemical perimeter or reticulation system is completed around the building before paths and gardens go in.
Step 05Pre-OC
Notice & certificate
A durable notice goes in the meter box, and the installation certificate goes to your builder and certifier.
Step 06Handover
Owner advice
The owner gets simple care instructions and an inspection schedule so the system keeps doing its job for years.
Compare systems
Physical or chemical termite barrier?
Both can meet AS 3660.1. The best choice depends on your slab type, what surrounds the house and how much ongoing upkeep the owner wants.
Physical protection
Physical membrane, mesh or graded stone
No chemicals- How it worksA layer termites can't chew through, laid under the slab or around its edge.
- Life & upkeepDesigned to last as long as the slab while it isn't disturbed. No top-ups.
- Good fit forSlab-on-ground homes, and owners who prefer a non-chemical option.
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Natural, lasting defence
Entry-point protection
Penetration collars
- How it worksCollars sealed around each pipe and conduit that passes through the slab.
- Life & upkeepLong-lasting when fitted properly before concreting.
- Good fit forEvery slab, usually paired with a perimeter system.
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Small detail, big difference
Soil protection
Chemical soil barrier
- How it worksA treated zone of termiticide in the soil under and around the building.
- Life & upkeepDepends on the product label and soil conditions. Can be re-applied.
- Good fit forTighter budgets and some complex sites.
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Flexible and provable
Top-up protection
Reticulation system
Rechargeable- How it worksPipes laid before paving so termiticide can be pumped back into the soil.
- Life & upkeepCan be recharged for the life of the building without lifting paths.
- Good fit forHomes that will be surrounded by paving or landscaping.
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Protection you can renew
Most of the Sydney builds we work on use a combination: physical collars on every penetration plus a physical or chemical perimeter.
For builders & developers
Built around your program, not ours
Builders, developers and owner-builders get a fixed quote from plans, a technician who turns up when the site is ready, and paperwork that never holds up sign-off.
What we need to quote
Architectural or slab planSlab type: raft, waffle pod or suspendedSite addressRough pour dateRetaining wall & step-down details
Fitting in with your trades
- Collars in before the pour inspection
- Slab edge & cavity as walls go up
- Perimeter done before paving
Multi-unit & repeat work
Consistent pricing across lots, one point of contact and a full document set for every dwelling.
No certification delays
Missing durable notices and unclear install records are a common reason Occupation Certificates get held up. We hand everything over together so your certifier has it all in one go.
Paperwork
Everything you get at handover
A complete document set for the builder, the certifier and every future owner of the property.
Durable notice
A permanent notice in the meter box showing the system, install date, installer, any chemical's life expectancy and inspection advice.
For: certifier, owner, future owners
Installation certificate
Written confirmation of the system and products used, the areas protected and our licence details.
For: builder, certifier, owner
Product information
Details of the physical system or termiticide installed, including safety data sheets for any chemicals.
For: builder, owner
Care & inspection advice
How to keep the system working, plus the recommended inspection frequency under AS 3660.2.
For: homeowner
From real jobs
Recent termite barrier installations
Photos from our own Sydney sites, not stock images. Tap any photo to see it larger.
Membrane barrier across a large residential slab
Barrier work on a Sydney Harbour site
Installation through sandstone excavation
Perimeter barrier and sleeves on a new slab
Waffle pod formwork with collared penetrations
Membrane detailed against a retaining wall
Membrane sealed around a column
Protected slab edge with collar in place
Collared penetrations before the pour
Perimeter barrier on a completed slab edge
Pipe penetrations sealed into the membrane
Collars fixed through mesh before concreting
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Pricing
What sets the price of a barrier
Every build is different, so we don't guess. We price from your plans and give you one fixed written quote. Quoting is free.
- 01Slab area & perimeterBigger footprints need more material, more edge protection and more labour.
- 02System typeFull under-slab, perimeter-only, chemical and reticulation options are all priced differently.
- 03Number of penetrationsEach plumbing and electrical service through the slab needs its own collar.
- 04Site complexityRetaining walls, step-downs, sandstone and suspended floors add detailing.
- 05Number of visitsStaged installs follow your program. Multi-dwelling sites can often be combined.
- 06Site accessTight blocks, steep driveways and limited street frontage slow the set-out and add time on site.
After handover
Keeping the barrier working
A barrier only works while it stays intact and visible. Pass these on to the owner.
- Keep at least 75 mm of the slab edge exposed. Don't cover it with soil, mulch or paving.
- No garden beds or stacked timber against the house
- Keep weep holes clear of render and debris
- Fix leaking taps, downpipes and hot water units near the walls
- Ask the installer before drilling through the slab or adding pipes
- Book a timber pest inspection at least every 12 months
Annual timber pest inspection
Handed over recently? We inspect the barrier and the building every 12 months.
Free fixed quote
Protect your build
before the pour
Tell us about your build and get a clear, fixed price, fast. We usually reply within 30 minutes during business hours.
- Send your detailsBuild type, suburb and rough slab pour date.
- Share your plansSlab plan or architectural drawings, plus any retaining wall details.
- Get your fixed quoteOne written price covering every installation stage.
- Fast responseWithin 30 mins
- Licensed expertsQualified & insured
- Trusted locallyAcross Sydney
Get a fixed quote
Tell us about your build
within 30 minutes
Upper North Shore questions
Answered
Can't see your question? Call and talk it through with a licensed technician.
+61 450 515 215Our block backs onto Ku-ring-gai Chase. What changes?
The perimeter becomes the priority and runs the full slab rather than the exposed faces. National park country holds mature timber that supports established colonies foraging through soil, so junctions at retaining walls and step-downs are detailed carefully, and reticulation is worth adding where beds or paving will cover the treated zone.
Do heritage homes on the Upper North Shore still need a system?
Any new dwelling or new slab does, and heritage conditions govern appearance and retained fabric rather than what sits beneath the concrete. We work with the builder and certifier on access and disturbance around retained trees and original material, then install to AS 3660.1 as we would anywhere else.
The site slopes into a gully. How is that handled?
With the engineering drawings in front of us. Benched pads leave batters, retaining and step-downs that the barrier has to follow, and designs on falling ground often use piers or suspended floors, which are protected as part of the same system rather than treated as outside its scope.
Does a new home need a termite barrier in NSW?
In most cases, yes. The National Construction Code requires a termite management system for new houses and outbuildings in termite-prone areas where the primary building elements can be damaged by termites. Sydney is termite-prone, so the system is installed to AS 3660.1 and your certifier asks for the installation certificate and durable notice before the Occupation Certificate is issued.
What does a pre-construction barrier cost?
It depends on slab area, perimeter length, the number of pipe penetrations, the system chosen, site complexity and how many visits the build needs. Send us the plans and we return one fixed written quote covering every stage. Quoting is free.
Slab pour coming up?
Lock in your termite barrier before the concrete truck arrives
Send us your plans today for a fixed quote, or call and talk to a licensed technician about your site.
