Upper North Shore · AS 3660.1
St Ives grew after World War II into leafy blocks bordering Ku-ring-gai Chase and Garigal National Parks, postcode 2075, and a rebuild this close to bushland needs its barrier fitted before the pour.
Quick answer
Yes, a new home or knockdown rebuild in St Ives needs a termite management system under the NCC, since it borders national park bushland in a termite-prone part of Sydney. The system is installed to AS 3660.1 before the concrete pour, with collars fitted at every penetration. A durable notice for the meter box and an installation certificate for the certifier are both required before the Occupation Certificate.
Termite barriers in St Ives
St Ives is one of the larger Ku-ring-gai Council suburbs, about 17 km north of the CBD in postcode 2075, built up mainly during the suburban expansion after World War II. Houses still make up around seven in ten dwellings, with flats and semi-detached homes making up the rest. The suburb has no railway, and local life centres on St Ives Shopping Village, with more than 110 stores, and the Village Green nearby. St Ives is bordered by Ku-ring-gai Chase and Garigal National Parks and includes the 123-hectare Ku-ring-gai Wildflower Garden, and knockdown rebuilds of the original post-war homes are the main source of our work across the suburb.
Post-war brick and brick-veneer houses on leafy blocks, many now renovated, sit very close to bushland in parts of St Ives, and that proximity puts termites, funnel-webs, ticks and possums high on the list of concerns for any rebuild. Blocks nearest the national park boundary or the wildflower garden face steadier pressure than those closer to the shopping village, so a barrier here has to be sized to the block's actual distance from genuine bush rather than treated as a uniform suburb-wide detail. We plan every St Ives job around exactly where the property sits against the surrounding parkland.
Reviewed by Ismail, founder · Upper North Shore coverage · Updated September 2026 · More Upper North Shore suburbs
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Local conditions
Three local factors shape how we detail a barrier in St Ives.
St Ives is bordered by two national parks, and blocks near either boundary face steady termite pressure from established bushland colonies. These blocks get a full, continuous perimeter rather than a partial run limited to the street-facing side.
Many St Ives homes date from the post-war expansion and sit on leafy, tree-covered blocks now decades old. Original sub-floor timber on these properties has often carried termite activity for years by the time a rebuild starts.
The 123-hectare Ku-ring-gai Wildflower Garden adds a further stretch of bushland within the suburb itself, not just at its edges. Blocks near it need the same careful attention as those bordering the two national parks directly.
What we install here
St Ives work is mostly knockdown rebuilds and extensions of the suburb's post-war brick and brick-veneer homes, on blocks ranging from those close to the shopping village to others backing directly onto national park bushland. Waffle pod and raft slabs suit most sites, with suspended floors where a block falls toward a reserve boundary. We fit collars to every penetration and run the perimeter to the true boundary, with bushland-adjacent blocks getting the fullest coverage, and we work to your builder's program throughout.
Local knowledge
Maunder Avenue Reserve sits close to much of our St Ives work, its ground cover a reminder of how leafy the suburb's residential streets remain. St Ives Shopping Village marks the busier commercial centre, while Terramerragal Reserve, part of the wider bushland network, is where termites, funnel-webs and possums can move toward nearby homes. Pymble Golf Club adds further irrigated turf on the suburb's southern side, another factor we weigh when assessing ground moisture near that boundary.
St Ives is certified through Ku-ring-gai Council, and reaching an Occupation Certificate means two records exist first: a durable notice placed in the meter box, and an installation certificate that names the products, the areas covered and the licensed installer. Both are supplied as soon as our stage of a St Ives rebuild finishes, whether the block sits deep in bushland or closer to the shopping village.
St Ives at a glance
| Suburb | St Ives, NSW 2075 |
|---|---|
| District | Upper North Shore |
| Distance from Sydney CBD | 16.8 km north |
| Certifying council | Ku-ring-gai 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
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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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St Ives questions
Still unsure? Call and talk it through with a licensed technician.
+61 450 515 215Yes. Post-war brick homes on leafy blocks close to Ku-ring-gai Chase or Garigal National Park face steadier termite pressure than those nearer the shopping village, because established bushland colonies can cross toward gardens and sub-floors. We install a fuller, continuous perimeter on these bushland-adjacent blocks rather than a partial run.
St Ives is certified through Ku-ring-gai Council, which needs a durable notice fitted in the meter box and an installation certificate recording the products, the areas treated and the licensed installer before it will grant an Occupation Certificate. Both are prepared as soon as our stage of the rebuild is complete.
Often, yes. Many St Ives homes date from the post-war expansion and have carried decades of termite exposure on leafy, tree-covered blocks. We check existing sub-floor timber and garden conditions before recommending a system for the new build, particularly where bushland sits close by on either side of the property.
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.
