Pre-Purchase Termite Inspection Sydney.
A timber pest inspection to AS 4349.3-2010: termites, borers, wood rot and the conditions that invite them, across the roof void, the subfloor, the outbuildings, the fences and the garden timbers. Drone, thermal camera and moisture meter on every inspection, at no extra charge. We inspect and report. We don’t sell termite treatment, so the report has no reason to lean either way.
Same-Day Report
Written up, photographed and emailed.
Drone, Thermal, Moisture
On every inspection, no extra charge.
1 Visit, 1 Report
Building and timber pest together.
5.0 On Google
From 30 reviews.
Same-Day Report.
Drone, thermal camera and moisture meter on every inspection, at no extra charge.
Thermal camera included · Same-day report
Book Your Termite Inspection
5.0 from 30 Google reviews · Licensed builder · Timber pest trained · $5M public liability
Drone, Thermal, Moisture Meter
On every inspection, no extra charge
$5,000,000 Public Liability
$2,000,000 professional indemnity
Same-Day Report
Photographed and emailed
5.0 On Google
30 reviews, Sept 2026
We Inspect And Report. We Don’t Sell Termite Treatment.
Every 1 of the 6 pages that ranks for a termite inspection in Sydney belongs to a firm that sells the treatment the inspection leads to. That is not a criticism of them. It is a conflict of interest you should know about before you read their report: a firm that earns more when termites are found has a reason to find them, and a firm that wants the vendor’s next job has a reason to soften a finding.
We only do the inspection. If we find termites, the report names what, where and how much, and you take it to any licensed pest manager you like for competing treatment quotes. If we find nothing, that is the finding, and nobody here earns a cent more or less either way.
If you already know you have termites and need treatment, we can’t help with that. The form flags it so you get a straight answer rather than a wasted call. What we can do is give you an independent report before you sign a treatment contract, which is the second-opinion inspection below.
Termites, Borers, Decay, And What Invites Them.
Carried out to Australian Standard AS 4349.3-2010, zone by zone. "Conducive conditions" is the standard's phrase for the moisture, timber-to-ground contact and blocked ventilation that bring termites in; the report names those too, because fixing them is cheaper than treating what they attract.
| Zone | What we look for | Why it matters in Sydney |
|---|---|---|
| Roof void | Termite workings in the timber framing, mud leads on the walls and chimney, borers in the rafters, decay at leaks. | Older timber-framed roofs in St George and the inner west have 90 years of framing to inspect. |
| Subfloor | Mud leads up piers and slab edges, moisture in the bearers and joists, timber in contact with the ground, blocked vents. | Timber floors on brick piers with low clearance are the highest-pressure environment in the older suburbs. |
| Interior | Hollow-sounding skirtings and architraves, bubbling paint, sagging or spongy floors, sticking doors and windows. | The signs most buyers notice first, and the ones a fresh coat of paint hides best before an open home. |
| Exterior walls and slab edge | Mud tubes over the slab edge and weep holes, garden beds built up against brick, paths bridging the damp course. | Slab-on-ground brick veneer from the 1970s onward gets attacked at the slab edge, not the roof. |
| Outbuildings, fences, landscaping timber | Sheds, pergolas, retaining walls, sleepers, tree stumps and firewood, which is where a colony often starts. | The colony in the back fence is the one that reaches the house 2 summers later. |
Thermal Camera, Moisture Meter, And The Drone.
0 of 14 ranking termite pages mention a drone. It sees the roof, the gutters, the external timber and the boundary fences from above, which is where a lot of the story starts.
Thermal camera
Termite activity and the moisture that feeds it change the surface temperature of a wall. The camera shows the anomaly; the moisture meter confirms whether it's wet; tapping tells us whether the timber behind it is sound.
Moisture meter
A number, not an impression. Subfloor timbers, skirtings, wet-area walls and the base of external walls are read, because moisture is the conducive condition the standard cares about most.
Drone
Roof timbers at the eaves, fascia and barge boards, the gutters, the top of the boundary fences and any timber on a neighbour's side you can't see from the ground. Photographed, not guessed.
“I was particularly impressed with the level of detail in the inspection, including the use of thermal imaging and drone photography to assess areas that can be difficult to inspect through a standard visual inspection.”
What’s In It, And What To Ask Next.
A report to this standard typically records live activity, damage (active or old), the conducive conditions found, the areas that couldn’t be accessed and why, and a recommendation on what to do next, with a photo on every finding. The full section-by-section walk-through is in the inspection report explained guide.
If the report says treatment is needed, the questions to put to the licensed pest manager quoting it are: which species, where the activity is, which method they propose and why, what the ongoing monitoring is, and what their warranty covers. Advising you on the treatment itself is their licence, not ours.
Termite inspection cost in Sydney
A termite-only inspection and a combined building and pest inspection are priced differently, and the combined one is the better buy on a purchase. A standard building and pest inspection is $550 including GST ($500 plus GST). Larger or unusual properties are quoted before you book, and the figure you are given is the figure you pay.
What affects the price →Inside A Cooling-Off Period? Say So When You Book.
Building and timber pest in 1 visit, your report the same day. The day-by-day plan is in the cooling-off period guide.
Found, Suspected, Or Just Checking.
If we find termites
The report names what, where and how much, with photos. Don’t disturb the workings or spray them (it scatters the colony and makes the treatment harder). Take the report to 2 or 3 licensed pest managers for competing quotes. On a purchase, it goes to your conveyancer as a negotiating document, the way Meena Ahn used hers.
Been told you have termites?
Get an independent second opinion before you sign a treatment contract. A treatment firm’s inspection and its quote come from the same business. Ours doesn’t. If the activity is real, you’ll know its extent before you agree a price; if it isn’t, you’ll know that too.
Annual termite inspection
For a house you own, a 12-month inspection interval is the general recommendation for Sydney’s termite pressure, and shorter where there is a history of activity or bushland next door. The value is in catching a colony at the fence line before it reaches the frame.
Building And Pest In 1 Visit, 1 Report.
Because the same licensed builder, trained in timber pest inspection, does both, the structural inspection and the timber pest inspection happen in the same visit, by the same person, and come back to you together. On a purchase that is the product to buy: the drone flight, the thermal pass and the subfloor entry serve both reports at once, and you are not co-ordinating 2 trades against 1 settlement date.
- 1 booking, 1 visit, 1 report, 1 person to ring afterwards
- The equipment does double duty, so nothing is inspected twice or missed between 2 trades
- Timed to the cooling-off period as a single job
The buyer’s side of that product is the pre-purchase building inspection page.
Sydney’s Older Timber-Frame Stock, Region By Region.
The termite risk in Sydney is not evenly spread. It follows old timber framing, low subfloors, bushland and moisture, which is why 3 of our 6 region pages lead with it.
Canterbury-Bankstown & St George
Interwar bungalows and semis on timber floors: the highest-pressure stock in the 6 regions.
Penrith
The Blue Mountains foothills and the older stock west of the CBD, next to bushland.
Northern Beaches
The bush-fringe suburbs adjoining Garigal and Ku-ring-gai Chase, and the beach cottages.
Signs of termites to look for before you book
- Mud leads (pencil-width tubes of soil) up piers, the slab edge or brickwork.
- Timber that sounds hollow or papery when tapped; bubbling or rippled paint; doors that suddenly stick.
- Discarded wings on sills after a warm, humid evening.
All 8 signs, with how to tell termites from water damage and borers, are in the signs of termites guide. The moisture that invites them is the rising damp guide.
Across Greater Sydney, From Smithfield.
6 regions, each with its own housing stock and its own page. If your suburb is not listed, send the enquiry anyway and we'll confirm.
Western Sydney
Parramatta, Blacktown, Merrylands, Fairfield. Post-war fibro and brick veneer on reactive clay.
Inspections in Western SydneyPenrith
Penrith, Glenmore Park, St Marys, Emu Plains. Brick veneer estates and the Nepean floodplain.
Inspections in PenrithHills District
Castle Hill, Kellyville, Baulkham Hills, Epping. Project homes on cut-and-fill blocks, pools and retaining walls.
Inspections in Hills DistrictSouth West Sydney
Liverpool, Campbelltown, Oran Park, Leppington. New estates inside the warranty period, and 1970s stock.
Inspections in South West SydneyCanterbury-Bankstown & St George
Bankstown, Kogarah, Hurstville, Earlwood. Interwar bungalows and semis, damp courses and termites.
Inspections in Canterbury-Bankstown & St GeorgeNorthern Beaches
Manly, Dee Why, Narrabeen, Avalon, Belrose. Salt, weatherboard, steep-block subfloors and the bush fringe.
Inspections in Northern BeachesTermite Inspection FAQs.
How much does a termite inspection cost in Sydney?
It depends on the size of the property and the access. A standard building and pest inspection is $550 including GST ($500 plus GST). Larger or unusual properties are quoted before you book, and the figure you are given is the figure you pay. The combined building and pest inspection is priced as 1 job and is the better buy on a purchase. What changes the price is on the inspection cost page.
Do you treat termites?
No. We inspect and report only. That is deliberate: it means the report is independent of any treatment sale. If treatment is needed, the report tells you what and where, and you take it to a licensed pest manager for quotes.
Is thermal imaging extra?
No. Drone, thermal camera and moisture meter on every inspection, at no extra charge. It is in writing from us and it is on every job, not an upsell.
What's the difference between a termite inspection and a timber pest inspection?
A timber pest inspection is the full scope under AS 4349.3-2010: termites, borers, wood rot and fungal decay, plus the conducive conditions. A “termite inspection” is what most people call it. We do the full timber pest scope every time.
Are white ants the same as termites?
Yes. “White ants” is the old Australian name for termites. They are not ants, and the treatment for ants does nothing to them, which is 1 reason not to spray what you find.
What's the difference between a termite inspection and a building inspection?
The building inspection reports on the structure and the fabric of the house: roof, walls, floors, wet areas, drainage, defects and safety hazards. The timber pest inspection reports on what is eating it. They are different scopes under different standards, and on a purchase you want both, in 1 visit.
How often should I get a termite inspection?
For a house you own in Sydney, every 12 months is the general recommendation, and more often where there is a history of activity, bushland next door, or timber in contact with the ground. A colony reaches the frame from the fence line in a couple of seasons, so the interval is what catches it early.
What happens if you find live termites?
The report records what, where and how much, with photographs, and recommends the next step. Don’t disturb or spray the workings. Get treatment quotes from licensed pest managers, and on a purchase, hand the report to your conveyancer before your cooling-off period ends.
Can I attend?
Yes. Being shown a mud lead or a moisture reading on site is worth more than reading about it afterwards.
Can you do building and pest together?
Yes, and it is the default on a purchase. The pre-purchase building inspection page is that product: structure and timber pests in 1 visit, 1 report, the same day.
You might also find this useful
- Signs of TermitesThe 8 signs, how to tell termites from water damage, and what not to touch.Open
- Reading the Inspection ReportThe sections, the severity ratings, what the termite report covers, and what 'not inspected' means.Open
- Rising Damp and MoistureThe 7 signs, the 1.2-metre rule, subfloor ventilation, and how the inspection finds it.Open
- Inspection CostWhat changes the price, what is included, and what a cheap quote usually leaves out.Open
- Pre-Purchase InspectionFor buyers. Structure and timber pests in 1 visit, timed to your cooling-off period.Open
- Cooling-Off Period NSW5 business days, 0.25%, no cooling-off at auction, and a day-by-day plan.Open
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