Eastern Suburbs · AS 3660.1
A century-old brick house can sit next door to a brand new concrete rebuild on the same Bellevue Hill street, postcode 2023, and the new slab still needs its termite barrier signed off by Woollahra's certifier.
Quick answer
Yes. Bellevue Hill sits within the Municipality of Woollahra in a termite-prone part of Sydney, so any new slab, whether a full knockdown rebuild or a rear extension, needs a compliant termite management system under the National Construction Code. Collars go in ahead of the pour, satisfying the AS 3660.1 standard, with the notice and certificate ready for Woollahra's certifier.
Termite barriers in Bellevue Hill
Bellevue Hill sits on a ridge about 4.4 km east of the Sydney CBD, in postcode 2023 and the Municipality of Woollahra. Much of the suburb was built between about 1910 and 1930 after the tram line opened the area up, and it still holds substantial houses on big blocks, several heritage-listed mansions and the grounds of Cranbrook School and The Scots College. Many older homes have since been rebuilt or extended, so a single street can hold a century-old brick house beside a newer concrete one, and that pattern of ongoing knockdown rebuilds and major extensions is the main source of new termite management work in the suburb today.
That range in housing age matters for how a barrier gets detailed. Older houses often keep timber floors, deep roof spaces and mature gardens with mulched beds, all conditions that suit termites as well as spiders and rats, and a rebuild on one of these blocks is starting from ground that has had a century to accumulate old timber and planting. Newer rebuilds tend to have slab edges, landscaped retaining walls and irrigation systems that termites can exploit if moisture is allowed to sit against the building, so the barrier and the landscaping plan need to be considered together rather than as separate jobs. The bushy gully of Cooper Park adds possums and spiders to streets nearby, though it is the mature, established gardens that most shape termite risk here.
Reviewed by Ismail, founder · Eastern Suburbs coverage · Updated September 2026 · More Eastern Suburbs suburbs
Get my fixed quote
Local conditions
Bellevue Hill's mix of century-old homes and fresh rebuilds creates its own particular set of risks.
Blocks that have carried the same substantial house for a hundred years often have deep, mulched garden beds and mature trees close to the walls, conditions with decades to develop termite activity nearby. A knockdown rebuild on one of these sites needs soil preparation that accounts for that history, not just a new slab poured over it.
Newer Bellevue Hill rebuilds often come with landscaped retaining walls and automated irrigation close to the building, and if that watering keeps soil against the slab edge consistently damp, it gives termites exactly the moisture they need. We plan barrier and drainage details together with the landscaping rather than treating them separately.
The gully running through Cooper Park brings possums and spiders into streets nearby, and while that is a different pest picture to termite activity, it points to how much shaded, damp ground sits close to some Bellevue Hill blocks. We take that into account on any barrier detailed near the park.
What we install here
Most Bellevue Hill work is full knockdown rebuilds and major extensions on established blocks, ranging from heritage-adjacent renovations to entirely new houses replacing older stock. Slabs here often tie into retaining walls, terraced gardens and irrigation systems installed as part of the landscaping, so we detail collars and perimeter protection around those features rather than assuming an open, flat site. We work to the builder's program, booking our visit for the window after the plumbing rough-in and before the pour, and return for later stages where a project is delivered in separate approvals.
Local knowledge
March Street Reserve sits close to the older streets, its lawns and watered gardens a reminder of how much irrigation and shaded ground already exists around established Bellevue Hill blocks. Woollahra Golf Club keeps a large area of turf watered nearby, adding to that moisture across the wider neighbourhood. Westfield Bondi Junction, a similar distance away, is a major food retail centre, and while its influence is more about general pest activity than termites specifically, it marks how close Bellevue Hill sits to one of the busiest parts of the eastern suburbs.
Bellevue Hill is certified through the Municipality of Woollahra, and two documents need to be ready for the certifier: a durable notice mounted inside the meter box, and an installation certificate that records the products used, the areas covered and who carried out the work. Heritage-adjacent rebuilds and major extensions get the same paperwork as a straightforward new build, and both documents are ready the moment our stage of the job wraps up.
Bellevue Hill at a glance
| Suburb | Bellevue Hill, NSW 2023 |
|---|---|
| District | Eastern Suburbs |
| Distance from Sydney CBD | 4.4 km east |
| Certifying council | Sydney CBD 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.
Get a fixed quote
Bellevue Hill questions
Still unsure? Call and talk it through with a licensed technician.
+61 450 515 215The termite management requirement itself does not change because a building sits near heritage stock, but the site preparation often does. Rebuilds on blocks with a century of established gardens tend to have more old timber and planting in the soil, so we pay closer attention to that history before recommending a system, even though the barrier is still installed to the same AS 3660.1 standard.
It can, if watering keeps soil against the slab edge consistently damp, since that moisture is exactly what termite activity favours. We plan barrier details and drainage together with the landscaping design where possible, and can advise on keeping irrigation lines clear of the slab edge so the barrier is not working against constant dampness.
Yes, any new footing or slab, including a rear or side extension, needs its own compliant termite management system under the National Construction Code, even if the rest of the house predates any such requirement. We tie the new barrier into the existing structure where the detailing allows, and the extension still needs its own durable notice and certificate for the Woollahra certifier.
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 Eastern Suburbs.
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.
