Inner West · AS 3660.1
Tempe's historic cottages sit on the northern bank of the Cooks River near Lymerston, postcode 2044, where moist riverbank ground shapes every termite barrier before the pour.
Quick answer
Yes, a new home or knockdown rebuild in Tempe needs a termite management system under the NCC, since the suburb sits on riverbank ground 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 Tempe
Tempe is an Inner West Council suburb in postcode 2044, about 7.7 km south-west of the CBD, sitting on the northern bank of the Cooks River and separated from Sydney Airport by the Alexandra Canal, also known as Sheas Creek. Tempe Reserve, beside the river, has the Robyn Webster Sports Centre, netball courts and sports fields, while the Princes Highway carries a commercial strip that includes a large IKEA store opened in 2011, along with other retail and light industrial premises. Housing includes heritage homes such as Lymerston, an Italianate villa from the 1840s, historic cottages and newer residences, and rebuild work is concentrated on the older cottages closest to the river.
Moist riverbank land at Tempe suits termites and mosquitoes alike, and older cottages here may have timber floors that need termite checks before any rebuild proceeds. Moist ground along the river and canal also affects new construction, since subterranean termites forage through soil like that regardless of what's being built. Businesses on the Princes Highway add their own conditions to the commercial side of the suburb, but for a rebuild near the water, it's the Cooks River itself, not the retail strip, that determines how the barrier needs to be detailed.
Reviewed by Ismail, founder · Inner West coverage · Updated September 2026 · More Inner West suburbs
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Local conditions
Three local conditions shape how we detail a barrier in Tempe.
Moist riverbank land at Tempe suits termites and mosquitoes, and that dampness is exactly what subterranean termites forage through. Rebuild sites near the river or the Alexandra Canal get a full, continuous perimeter to account for the wetter soil.
Older cottages in Tempe may have timber floors that need termite checks, given how long some of this housing stock has stood. We assess existing sub-floor conditions before recommending a new system for a knockdown rebuild.
The Princes Highway strip, including the IKEA precinct, brings a different scale of construction to parts of Tempe. Commercial and light-industrial slabs here need collar counts and staged access planned separately from a standard cottage rebuild.
What we install here
Tempe work spans knockdown rebuilds and renovations of the suburb's historic cottages near the river, plus retail and light-industrial slabs closer to the Princes Highway. Waffle pod and raft slabs suit most residential sites, with particular care taken on ground moisture near the river and canal. We fit collars to every pipe and conduit penetration and run the perimeter to the true boundary, checking existing timber floors on older cottages before finalising a design, and we work to your builder's program throughout.
Local knowledge
Station Street Reserve sits close to much of our Tempe work, its vegetation and leaf litter a reminder of how much moisture the riverbank holds. Tempe station marks the suburb's rail corridor, while Robyn Webster Sports Centre, beside the Cooks River, reflects the irrigated fields and riverbank vegetation that keep ground damp on that side of the suburb. Between the river, the canal and the highway retail strip, Tempe carries a genuinely varied set of conditions that we weigh individually before detailing any barrier here.
Tempe is certified through Inner West Council, and it needs a durable notice fitted in the meter box together with an installation certificate naming the products, the treated areas and the licensed installer before it will grant an Occupation Certificate. We finalise both as soon as our stage of a Tempe job is done, cottage rebuild or highway-facing commercial slab alike.
Tempe at a glance
| Suburb | Tempe, NSW 2044 |
|---|---|
| District | Inner West |
| Distance from Sydney CBD | 7.7 km south-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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Tempe questions
Still unsure? Call and talk it through with a licensed technician.
+61 450 515 215Yes. Moist riverbank land at Tempe suits termites, and that dampness is exactly what subterranean termites forage through looking for timber. We still install a compliant AS 3660.1 system on every job, but run a fuller, continuous perimeter on blocks closest to the river or the Alexandra Canal, where soil stays wettest.
Often, yes. Older cottages here may have timber floors that need termite checks, and by the time a knockdown rebuild starts, original sub-floor timber has often carried activity for years. We assess existing conditions before recommending a new system for the rebuild, rather than assuming the old protection still holds.
Tempe is certified through Inner West Council. The certifier requires a durable notice in the meter box and an installation certificate naming the products, areas protected and licensed installer before your Occupation Certificate can be issued, and we supply both as soon as our stage of the job is complete.
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.
