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Termite inspections

An inspection is a visual examination with instruments. Knowing what it cannot see is as useful as knowing what it can.

A simplified cutaway of a house divided into zones. Green zones, the roof void, the interior, the subfloor where the house has one, and the exterior and grounds, are what a visual inspection covers and what goes into the report. Orange zones, inside the wall linings, under fixed floor coverings, behind stored goods and inside a slab, are not accessible: the inspector does not cut linings open or move stored goods, so a report saying no live termites were found only describes what could be seen on that day, in those places. A good report lists the inaccessible areas by name, and that list is often the most important part of the document. — A report is a snapshot of accessible areas, not a guarantee the building is free of termites.

A report is a snapshot of accessible areas, not a guarantee

In Australia a timber pest inspection of a home is carried out to AS 4349.3. And that standard is worth understanding because it defines the limits of what you are buying. The inspection is visual and covers accessible areas: the interior, the roof void, the subfloor, the exterior and the grounds within the property boundary. It is not destructive. The inspector does not lift floor coverings, cut open wall linings or move stored goods.

That means a report saying no live termites were found is a statement about what could be seen on that day, in those places. It is not a statement that the building is free of termites, and a good report says so explicitly. Areas the inspector could not reach are supposed to be listed, and that list is often the most important part of the document.

Instruments extend the eye rather than replace it. A moisture meter finds the damp that termite workings create inside timber. Thermal imaging shows temperature differences behind a surface, which can indicate activity or moisture but does not see through walls. Radar-type movement detectors can indicate activity inside a wall. A borescope looks inside a cavity through a small hole. None of them produce a yes or no on their own; they tell the inspector where to look harder.

How often depends on where you live and what is around you, and it is one of the few genuinely evidence-based recommendations in this whole subject. It also interacts with your insurance and any builder's warranty. And with the barrier system your house was built with, since most barriers are only valid if they are inspected on schedule.

Inspections guides

Inspections What a termite inspection covers — and what it cannot

Accessible areas, visual limits, the instruments used and the section of the report most people skip: the list of what could not be reached.

Inspections How often should a house be inspected?

Why twelve months is the usual answer, when it should be more often, and how the interval ties to keeping a barrier or a warranty valid.

Inspections Pest control licences: who can inspect, who can treat

The product is registered federally, the applicator is licensed by the state, and building work adds a third permission — plus what to ask before you book.

Inspections Termatrac and other inspection tools: what they can and cannot show

Radar, moisture meters and thermal cameras: what each one senses, where each is blind, and why a reading is a lead and not a verdict.

Inspections Pre-purchase pest inspection: what the report can and cannot tell you

What a pre-purchase pest report covers, why the limitations section matters most, and what to do if it finds evidence.

Inspections Timber pest inspection: what it checks and how to read the report

Termites, borers and decay under AS 4349.3: what the visual inspection covers, how to prepare, and how to read the result.

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.

Queensland Building and Construction Commission. Protect against termites — termite management systems and inspections
Standards Australia. Australian Standards (AS 3660 termite management, AS 4349.3 timber pest inspection)