Lower North Shore · AS 3660.1
Perimeter and under-slab termite protection fitted before the pour on Greenwich rebuilds, from the Federation streets near Greenwich Point to the sloping blocks above the harbour.
Quick answer
Yes, a new home in Greenwich needs a termite management system, since the peninsula sits in a termite-prone part of the Municipality of Lane Cove. The system is built to AS 3660.1, with collars on every penetration and, on sloping blocks, careful detailing around any retaining walls. A durable notice in the meter box and an installation certificate then clear the way for your Occupation Certificate.
Termite barriers in Greenwich
Greenwich sits on a peninsula in the Municipality of Lane Cove, at the point where the Lane Cove River opens into Sydney Harbour, and it holds some of the lower North Shore's oldest housing, including Federation bungalows that date back to when the suburb grew as a commuter destination from the 1880s. Building work here today is almost entirely knockdown rebuilds on those older harbourside blocks, sloping down from the ridge streets toward Greenwich Point, Manns Point Park and the ferry wharf. A compliant termite management system has to go in before the certifier will sign off on any of them.
What makes a Greenwich rebuild different is the combination of sloping harbour ground and foreshore bushland. Blocks running down toward the water sit on damp sub-floor ground for much of the year, and reserves along the shore keep leaf litter and tree cover close to the rear boundary on many properties. Termites forage through soil like that toward whatever gives them the easiest concealed run, usually a service penetration or an untreated slab edge. Detailing the barrier properly before the pour, with the slope and the moisture in mind, is the only way to close those routes off on a site like this.
Reviewed by Ismail, founder · Lower North Shore coverage · Updated September 2026 · More Lower North Shore suburbs
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Local conditions
Three conditions particular to Greenwich change how we detail a barrier on a harbourside rebuild.
Many Greenwich blocks step steeply down toward the water, which means multiple slab levels and retaining walls on a single build. Each step-down is a junction where a barrier can be bridged if it isn't drawn and priced properly before work starts.
Blocks nearer the harbour hold more moisture in the sub-floor soil than those further up the ridge. That dampness suits foraging termites, so slab edges and any suspended sections on lower blocks get closer attention than a standard inland site.
Reserves along the shore keep tree cover and leaf litter close to the rear of many Greenwich properties. Rebuilds backing onto that green edge get a fuller perimeter, since the colony pressure from established bushland is higher there than elsewhere in the suburb.
What we install here
Our Greenwich work is almost entirely knockdown rebuilds on older harbourside blocks, with suspended floors and piers common where the land falls away toward the water, alongside waffle pod and raft slabs on the flatter sections. Every service penetration gets a collar ahead of the pour, and we detail the perimeter around any retaining walls or step-downs the plans call for. We time our visit to your builder's program, from the plumber's rough-in through to the pour, and one fixed quote covers every stage to the final certificate.
Local knowledge
Most of our Greenwich work sits between the ridge streets and Greenwich Point, taking in the older housing around Greenwich Baths and Manns Point Park down toward the ferry wharf. Blocks closer to the harbour and the foreshore bushland reserves get the fullest perimeter detailing, particularly where retaining walls step the slab down toward the water, while rebuilds further up the ridge are generally more standard waffle pod jobs.
The Municipality of Lane Cove certifies building work in Greenwich, and sign-off hinges on two pieces of paper: a durable notice mounted inside the meter box that records the system installed, and an installation certificate covering the products, the coverage and the installer's details. Both are ready the day the job finishes, alongside product information and advice on keeping the barrier intact as landscaping goes in.
Greenwich at a glance
| Suburb | Greenwich, NSW 2065 |
|---|---|
| District | Lower North Shore |
| Distance from Sydney CBD | 4.6 km north-west |
| Certifying council | Sydney CBD Council |
| Standard applied | AS 3660.1 termite management systems |
| Installed | Before the slab pour, then staged through the build |
| Documents supplied | Installation certificate and durable notice |
| Typical builds covered | New homes, knockdown rebuilds, granny flats, duplexes, townhouses |
Systems we install
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.
01A termite-resistant sheet laid over the whole prepared footprint before concreting, so termites can't come up through the slab anywhere.
02A sealed collar on every pipe, conduit and service that passes through the slab. These gaps are the most common hidden way in.
03Protection at the slab edge and into the wall cavity, which stops termites building hidden tunnels up the outside of the slab.
04An APVMA-registered termiticide zone in the soil, with an optional pipe network under paving so it can be recharged later without digging.
05Barriers for bearers, piers and raised timber floors on sloping or elevated blocks, where there's no slab to protect.
06Detailing for sandstone cuts, block retaining walls, step-downs and cut-and-fill sites, which are common across Sydney.
Why during construction
A retrofit can only treat around a finished house. A pre-construction system protects the parts nobody will ever be able to reach again.
A barrier put in during the build costs a fraction of a post-construction system, and far less than repairing termite damage.
New houses (Class 1) and outbuildings (Class 10) with termite-susceptible framing need a compliant termite management system.
Pipe penetrations and slab joints can only be fully protected while they're still open, before the concrete goes in.
An under-slab system covers ground that no treatment from outside the finished house can ever reach.
Your certifier needs the certificate and durable notice before issuing the Occupation Certificate. We supply both together.
Documented, compliant protection gives buyers, building inspectors and lenders confidence when the home is sold.
Installation stages
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.
Send your plans and slab details. We recommend a system and give you one fixed price that covers every stage.
Collars go on every service once the plumber has set out, then the membrane or soil treatment is installed across the prepared site.
Perimeter and cavity protection is fitted as the brickwork or cladding goes up, so there's no unprotected gap at the slab edge.
Where it's specified, the chemical perimeter or reticulation system is completed around the building before paths and gardens go in.
A durable notice goes in the meter box, and the installation certificate goes to your builder and certifier.
The owner gets simple care instructions and an inspection schedule so the system keeps doing its job for years.
Compare systems
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
Entry-point protection
Soil protection
Top-up protection
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
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.
Consistent pricing across lots, one point of contact and a full document set for every dwelling.
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
A complete document set for the builder, the certifier and every future owner of the property.
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
Written confirmation of the system and products used, the areas protected and our licence details.
For: builder, certifier, owner
Details of the physical system or termiticide installed, including safety data sheets for any chemicals.
For: builder, owner
How to keep the system working, plus the recommended inspection frequency under AS 3660.2.
For: homeowner
From real jobs
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
Google reviews
Real, verified reviews from homeowners and businesses we've worked with.
Pricing
Every build is different, so we don't guess. We price from your plans and give you one fixed written quote. Quoting is free.
After handover
A barrier only works while it stays intact and visible. Pass these on to the owner.
Free fixed quote
Tell us about your build and get a clear, fixed price, fast. We usually reply within 30 minutes during business hours.
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Greenwich questions
Still unsure? Call and talk it through with a licensed technician.
+61 450 515 215Usually, yes. A block that steps down toward the harbour often has several slab levels and retaining walls, and each junction needs its own detailing to keep the barrier continuous from top to bottom. Working from your engineer's plans lets us price those step-downs properly instead of improvising once construction is already underway.
It can. Moisture draws foraging termites, and blocks lower down toward the harbour tend to stay damp for longer through the year, so slab edges and suspended sections on those sites get closer attention during design. Every property is assessed individually rather than treated the same as the block next door up the ridge.
Reach out once your builder has a rough pour date in mind. Collars and any under-slab work fit into the window after the plumber's rough-in and before the concrete truck arrives, so we plan around those two points. If retaining walls are part of the design, send the engineering details through early so step-downs are priced correctly.
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.
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.
Nearby
Same crew, same staging and the same certifier-ready paperwork, right across the Lower North Shore.
Service areas
From the Eastern Suburbs and Inner West to the Hills, the Shire and the western growth corridors. Every suburb has its own page with the local ground conditions, the council that certifies the work and the questions builders there ask us.
Slab pour coming up?
Send us your plans today for a fixed quote, or call and talk to a licensed technician about your site.
