Upper North Shore · AS 3660.1
Physical perimeter and collar protection detailed for Hornsby Heights ridge-line rebuilds, where Berowra Valley bushland and Galston Gorge run hard against almost every back fence.
Quick answer
A new home in Hornsby Heights needs a termite management system, and the requirement here is a strict one given how directly the suburb borders Berowra Valley bushland. The NCC calls for a system built to AS 3660.1, installed while the slab is open rather than added later. Before occupation is approved, the certifier wants a meter box notice and a signed record of the installation.
Termite barriers in Hornsby Heights
Hornsby Heights is reached by a single road in, Galston Road, with streets and cul-de-sacs following the ridges cut between steep valleys. Berowra Valley bushland wraps around much of the suburb, Galston Gorge lies on the western side, and the Great North Walk runs along its edge, leaving little room for anything other than knockdown rebuilds on the existing ridge-line blocks. There is no significant new land release here, so almost every project we see is a house being replaced on its original footprint, and each one needs its own certified termite management system before the certifier will allow anyone back in.
Locals regularly see wallabies, possums and echidnas moving through their streets, a telling sign of just how close the bush really comes. Ridge-edge blocks back onto leaf litter, rock ledges and fallen timber where subterranean termites are already established, and that colony pressure forages toward whatever ground it can reach, including a freshly poured slab with an unprotected penetration or edge. On a site like this, the barrier has to be treated as a serious piece of the build rather than a formality, because the bushland pressure here is well above the Sydney average.
Reviewed by Ismail, founder · Upper North Shore coverage · Updated September 2026 · More Upper North Shore suburbs
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Local conditions
Three things about Hornsby Heights' ridge-line setting push termite risk higher than most Sydney suburbs.
Bushland wraps around much of the suburb, holding established termite colonies in fallen timber and leaf litter close to the ridge-line streets. A full physical perimeter is the standard recommendation here rather than a partial system.
With Galston Road as the only way in and streets following the ridge, blocks often step down toward the valley on one or more sides. Those step-downs and any retaining work need careful barrier detailing to stay continuous.
There is essentially no vacant land left in Hornsby Heights, so every project is a knockdown rebuild on an established, heavily planted block. Decades of garden growth and buried timber mean soil treatment matters as much as the edge.
What we install here
Every job we do in Hornsby Heights is a knockdown rebuild on an existing ridge-line block, generally on a waffle pod or raft slab with suspended sections where the land steps down toward the valley. A collar goes on as soon as the plumbing rough-in allows, and we run a full physical perimeter given the surrounding bushland. Booking follows your builder's own timetable, and the plans set a single fixed price for the whole job.
Local knowledge
Our Hornsby Heights work sits close to Berowra Valley National Park and the ridge streets running off Galston Road, with several jobs near Ulolo Community Park and the bushland toward Galston Gorge. Almost every site here borders bush on at least one side, so the perimeter and any retaining wall junctions get the fullest possible detailing rather than the more standard treatment used on a typical suburban infill block.
Hornsby Shire is the certifying authority for Hornsby Heights, and occupation approval turns on two things landing with them: a durable notice permanently mounted in the meter box, and a written account of what was installed, where, and by whom. We put both together the day the barrier is finished, plus guidance suited to a property sitting this close to national park bushland.
Hornsby Heights at a glance
| Suburb | Hornsby Heights, NSW 2077 |
|---|---|
| District | Upper North Shore |
| Distance from Sydney CBD | 24.1 km north-west |
| Certifying council | Hornsby Shire |
| 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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Hornsby Heights questions
Still unsure? Call and talk it through with a licensed technician.
+61 450 515 215Very little, if any. The suburb is almost entirely built out along its ridge-line streets, hemmed in by Berowra Valley bushland and Galston Gorge, so new construction here is overwhelmingly knockdown rebuilds on existing blocks. That still requires its own compliant termite management system regardless of what protection the original house may have had.
In most cases, yes. Wallabies, possums and echidnas moving through the streets are a visible sign of how close the bush sits, and termite colonies are established in that same bushland. A full physical perimeter is the usual recommendation, with particular care taken at any retaining wall or step-down where the slope meets the new slab.
As soon as your builder can put a date on the pour, since the installation sits in the gap between the plumbing rough-in and the concrete arriving. Given the ridge terrain, send through the engineering plans early if retaining walls or a stepped slab are involved, so we can price that detailing properly.
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 Upper 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.
