Pre-purchase inspection checklist for termites: what to do before and after
You do not inspect the house yourself. Your job is to set the inspector up to succeed and to read what comes back.
The short answer: arrange access, ask questions, read the limits
This checklist is for the buyer, not the inspector. You are not looking for termites yourself. You are making sure the person who is can reach everything, and that you understand what the report does and does not say.
Work through it in three stages.
Before the inspection
- Book a separate timber pest inspection from a licensed professional, even if a building inspection is already arranged.
- Ask for access to be cleared. The subfloor hatch, the roof void, sheds and any locked areas. A blocked area becomes an exclusion.
- Ask the agent for any earlier reports and for records of past treatments or a termite management system. Records are a document, not a promise.
- Check which standard the report will follow. For timber pests the answer should be AS 4349.3.
Do not go around the house tapping skirting boards before the visit. If there is live activity, you could disturb it.
On the day, if you attend
Attending is worth it when you can. Stay out of the way and ask questions at the end rather than during the work.
- Ask which areas could not be reached, and why.
- Ask whether anything found looks current or old.
- Ask what conditions around the house favour termites, such as damp, stored timber or soil against walls.
- Ask what the inspector would want to see on a second visit, if anything.
Short answers are fine. A vague answer to the first question is the one to note down.
Reading the report
Go to the limitations section first. It tells you how big the clean result really is. Then read the findings, then the recommendations.
| What the report says | What it usually means for you |
|---|---|
| No evidence found | Nothing visible in the areas that were reached on the day |
| Evidence of current or past activity | Get the inspector to explain extent and what could not be seen |
| Area not inspected | Unknown, not clear. Ask what it would take to see it |
| Conducive conditions noted | Not an infestation, but a reason to plan regular inspections |
If the report finds activity
Do not treat it, and do not let anyone spray or break into it. Interfering can drive the colony away from that spot and into the hidden parts of the house. Treatment is work for a licensed pest management technician using registered products.
What the result means for your contract, your deadline or your insurance is a question for a conveyancer, solicitor or insurer. Ask quickly, because contract timelines can be short.
After settlement
A clean report describes one day. Put the next inspection in your diary now, and keep every report together so the history is on paper.
Frequently asked questions
Can I inspect the house for termites myself before I buy?
You can look, but a licensed timber pest inspector has the training and instruments to find what you cannot. Avoid probing or disturbing anything, because live activity can be pushed out of sight.
What is the most important part of a pre-purchase termite report?
The limitations section. It lists what the inspector could not reach, which tells you how much of the house the clean result actually covers.
Does a clean pre-purchase report mean the house is safe from termites?
No. It describes the house on one day. Termites can arrive after settlement, so regular inspections still matter.
Sources
What this page explains is based on these official sources. If you check one and it does not match what you read here, send it to us and the article gets corrected.
- Standards Australia. Australian Standards (AS 3660 termite management, AS 4349.3 timber pest inspection)
- Queensland Building and Construction Commission. Protect against termites — termite management systems and inspections