Upper North Shore · AS 3660.1
Collars, membrane and perimeter systems fitted before the pour on Asquith 2077 cottage rebuilds either side of the Pacific Highway and the Main North rail line.
Quick answer
Yes, a new home or granny flat in Asquith needs a termite management system, given Hornsby Shire sits against Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park within a termite-prone area. The NCC ties compliance to AS 3660.1, completed before the slab closes over. Once the work is done, the certifier is given the fixed meter-box notice plus a certificate describing exactly what went in.
Termite barriers in Asquith
Asquith is a Hornsby Shire suburb about 22 km north-west of the Sydney CBD, in postcode 2077, which grew around Asquith station after it opened in 1915. Much of its housing is twentieth-century suburban cottages and brick homes on quiet streets either side of the Pacific Highway and the Main North rail line, and rebuild activity on that older stock is steady, along with granny flats and additions on the larger blocks. A section of Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park reaches into the eastern side of the suburb, so plenty of backyards there end in eucalypt bush.
That combination of older houses and natural bushland is what a barrier here has to guard against. Timber-framed cottages with raised floors give termites hidden routes in through sub-floor gaps and old expansion joints, while bush-backed gardens on the eastern side bring colony pressure right up to the back fence. A rebuild on one of these blocks needs the soil treatment to account for decades of garden growth as well as the bushland boundary, and the closer a property sits to the national park section, the more the perimeter has to be treated as a full, continuous run rather than a partial one.
Reviewed by Ismail, founder · Upper North Shore coverage · Updated September 2026 · More Upper North Shore suburbs
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Local conditions
Three conditions in Asquith change how we plan and detail a termite barrier.
The section of national park reaching into the suburb's eastern side puts eucalypt bush directly behind some backyards, and established colonies there forage well beyond the park boundary. Blocks on that edge get the perimeter run in full, not just along the fence closest to the house.
Suburban cottages and brick homes built through the twentieth century are reaching the age where a full rebuild makes more sense than another renovation, and pulling one down typically exposes old sub-floor timber and expansion joints that have to be addressed before the new slab is poured.
The Pacific Highway and Main North rail line running through the suburb bring more disturbed ground and nearby development than the quieter bush-edge streets. New slabs close to this corridor still get the same full compliance treatment as anywhere else.
What we install here
We work on Asquith cottage rebuilds, granny flats and additions on both sides of the Pacific Highway and the rail line. Waffle pod and raft slabs are standard, with additional attention to the perimeter on blocks backing onto the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park section. Pricing comes from the plans as a single fixed figure, and we slot the visit into your builder's program so the pour date stays exactly where it was set.
Local knowledge
Blocks nearest the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park section, on the suburb's eastern side, get the closest attention to the perimeter because of the established bushland behind them. Closer to Asquith station and the highway corridor, jobs are more often cottage rebuilds or additions on the older twentieth-century stock. Collingridge Reserve, further into the suburb, is another bushland pocket worth checking on any rebuild site nearby.
Hornsby Shire handles certification in Asquith, and before it grants an Occupation Certificate two things need to be on file: a permanent record fixed inside the meter box, and a certificate covering what products went in, where they run and our licence. Both are prepared once the barrier is finished, and on blocks near the national park boundary we also record the extra perimeter detailing that was carried out along that edge.
Asquith at a glance
| Suburb | Asquith, NSW 2077 |
|---|---|
| District | Upper North Shore |
| Distance from Sydney CBD | 22.2 km north-west |
| Certifying council | Hornsby Shire |
| 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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Asquith questions
Still unsure? Call and talk it through with a licensed technician.
+61 450 515 215They usually need a full physical perimeter system rather than a partial one, because established bushland colonies in the national park can forage well beyond its boundary into the nearest yard. We assess the specific boundary and any fencing or retaining work carefully at quoting stage before pricing the job.
We look at the sub-floor space, old expansion joints and any garden beds built up against the original footings, since a twentieth-century cottage rebuild often carries decades of that history with it. Collars, membrane and perimeter work then go in to AS 3660.1 once demolition and the new footings are done.
Yes. A granny flat is treated as its own new structure and needs a compliant system in its own right, sized to how it is footed rather than borrowed from the main house's coverage. On blocks near the national park boundary especially, we look at whether the new structure can share a boundary line with the existing house's protection, or whether it needs to stand alone.
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.
