Inner West · AS 3660.1
Termite protection detailed for heritage-sensitive extensions, granny flats and rebuilds across Haberfield's Federation streets, fitted before the pour and matched to the conservation area rules.
Quick answer
Yes, new construction work in Haberfield needs a termite management system, since Inner West Council sits within a termite-prone area under the NCC. That applies whether the project is a rear extension, a granny flat or a full rebuild, with the system installed to AS 3660.1 before concrete is poured. The certifier then requires a durable meter box notice and installation certificate before occupation.
Termite barriers in Haberfield
Haberfield was developed from 1901 as Richard Stanton's planned garden suburb, and the whole suburb is now heritage protected, with around 1,500 Federation and bungalow homes designed by architects including Spencer, Stansfield and Wormald. New construction here is shaped by that heritage status: rather than the knockdown rebuilds common elsewhere in Sydney, most work is rear additions, granny flats and carefully matched infill that keeps the streetscape intact. Wherever new slab goes down, though, the same requirement applies, and the termite management system has to be fitted and certified before the certifier will allow occupation.
Timber is everywhere in a Haberfield home: floors, verandahs, decorative fretwork and roof framing, much of it original and worth protecting rather than replacing. Established gardens along these tree-lined streets add shade, mulch and root systems close to the walls, conditions that suit subterranean termites looking for an unguarded route upward. On a heritage property, getting the barrier right on a new extension or granny flat slab matters even more, because a termite entry point near original timber can put decades-old joinery at risk rather than just a modern frame.
Reviewed by Ismail, founder · Inner West coverage · Updated September 2026 · More Inner West suburbs
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Local conditions
Three things about Haberfield's heritage housing change how we plan a termite barrier here.
Original Federation floors, verandahs and decorative timber sit throughout these homes, much of it irreplaceable at heritage quality. A new extension's barrier has to be detailed so it protects the join between old and new construction, not just the new footing.
Haberfield's tree-lined streets mean established gardens sit close to the house on most blocks, often right against the wall line. That proximity has to be managed carefully around any new slab, since garden beds are a common way a barrier ends up bridged after the fact.
Work within the heritage conservation area is usually a rear addition or a granny flat rather than a full rebuild, which means the new termite system often has to tie into an existing, older structure rather than starting from a completely clear site.
What we install here
Our Haberfield work is mostly rear extensions, granny flats and small heritage-sensitive infill projects, tied into existing Federation homes rather than starting from a cleared block. We fit collars to every new penetration before the pour and detail the barrier to join cleanly with the existing structure, using methods that do not disturb original materials nearby. Visits are staged around your builder's rough-in and pour dates, with one fixed quote from the plans covering the whole job.
Local knowledge
Our Haberfield work runs through the heritage streets around Ramsay Street and Algie Park, out to the light rail stops at Marion and Hawthorne and the MarketPlace Leichhardt precinct. Almost every site here involves an existing Federation home, so barrier detailing is planned around original verandahs, established garden beds and whatever timber features the owner wants kept intact, rather than around a cleared, open block.
Haberfield sits within the Inner West Council area. Before an Occupation Certificate can be issued, their certifiers expect a durable notice inside the meter box and a signed record of the installation, covering the products, the protected areas and who carried out the work. We leave both with you once the job wraps up, together with advice suited to keeping a system compliant on a heritage property with sensitive materials close by.
Haberfield at a glance
| Suburb | Haberfield, NSW 2045 |
|---|---|
| District | Inner West |
| Distance from Sydney CBD | 6.7 km west |
| Certifying council | Inner West 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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Haberfield questions
Still unsure? Call and talk it through with a licensed technician.
+61 450 515 215Yes, the heritage listing does not change the NCC requirement; any new footing or slab still needs its own certified system before occupation is approved. What changes is the method, since we work carefully around original timber, verandahs and garden features rather than treating the site as a clear block.
Yes, a granny flat gets its own termite management system on its own footing: a collar on every pipe and service, matched to whichever perimeter or under-slab approach suits the slab. Where it's practical, we tie the new work into any existing protection on the main house, but the granny flat is certified in its own right regardless.
We plan the barrier around the join between the new footing and the existing structure, so protection is continuous rather than leaving a gap where old and new meet. Methods are chosen to avoid disturbing original floors, verandahs or decorative timber nearby, and we talk through the approach with you before any work starts on site.
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 Inner West.
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.
