Northern Beaches · AS 3660.1
Termite barriers fitted before the pour on Collaroy rebuilds along Pittwater Road, where the June 2016 storm eroded the beach and left a stretch of backyards needing to be rebuilt from the footings up.
Quick answer
Yes, a rebuild or new home in Collaroy needs a termite management system before Northern Beaches Council issues an Occupation Certificate. The beachfront strip is termite-prone, so AS 3660.1 detailing applies, with collars fitted and any under-slab work completed before the pour. We provide the meter box notice and installer's certificate once the barrier work is finished.
Termite barriers in Collaroy
Collaroy sits along one continuous surf beach of about 3.4 km that runs north and joins Narrabeen Beach at Wetherill Street. The suburb is in postcode 2097, roughly 17.6 km north-east of the CBD, and Northern Beaches Council is the certifying authority. Long Reef headland marks the southern end, and Pittwater Road is the main street, with cafes, restaurants, a cinema and the Collaroy Hotel. In June 2016 a major storm eroded the beach and left a row of beachfront houses on Pittwater Road with their backyards washed away. Rebuilding after that event, plus the usual run of renovations and knockdown rebuilds further back from the sand, is most of the new construction here, and council will not sign off any of it without a compliant termite system in place.
Being right on the open beach gives Collaroy its own construction challenges as well as its own termite risk. Houses and apartment blocks close to the sand have sub-floors and basements exposed to salt spray and damp, conditions that suit subterranean termites as much as they suit the timber decay more commonly associated with beachfront buildings. Storms and erosion, like the 2016 event, can also disturb soil and footings, which is worth factoring into any barrier plan on a rebuild along that stretch. Units further back share bin rooms and car parks where other pests move freely, but for a new slab, an unsealed penetration or a bare stretch of slab edge is still all it takes to let termites in unnoticed.
Reviewed by Ismail, founder · Northern Beaches coverage · Updated September 2026 · More Northern Beaches suburbs
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Local conditions
Three things about Collaroy's exposed beachfront setting shape how a barrier is planned here.
Houses and apartment basements close to the sand carry salt spray and damp into the sub-floor for much of the year, conditions that suit subterranean termites as well as timber decay. A physical collar and membrane system holds up better here than soil treatment left to work alone.
The 2016 storm that eroded the beach and washed away backyards along Pittwater Road is a reminder that footings here can be disturbed by weather events, not just by construction. Rebuilds on that stretch get a full assessment of the ground before the barrier is planned.
Apartment and unit developments closer to Pittwater Road carry more penetrations on a single slab than a standalone house, and shared basements mean a missed collar can affect several units. We work from the builder's full penetration schedule rather than treating each unit separately.
What we install here
We work on Collaroy beachfront rebuilds, renovations further back from the sand, and apartment or mixed-use slabs along Pittwater Road. Waffle pod and raft slabs are standard, though basement-level apartment work needs its own penetration schedule worked through with the builder. Collars are fitted once the plumber's rough-in is complete, and on beachfront sites we pay particular attention to how any storm or erosion damage has affected the ground before recommending a system. Every job is priced in one fixed written quote from the plans.
Local knowledge
Frazer Reserve and Collaroy Beach are where much of our work here is concentrated, since salt spray off the sand keeps sub-floors and basements damp through much of the year, supporting termites as well as silverfish and timber decay. Long Reef Golf Course, a little further south, keeps its turf irrigated, which can add to moisture on nearby blocks. The busy Pittwater Road strip, with its cafes and the Collaroy Hotel, is where most of the apartment and mixed-use slab work happens.
Northern Beaches Council certifies Collaroy builds, and it requires two documents before releasing an Occupation Certificate: a weatherproof notice fixed inside the meter box naming the system, plus a record from the installer setting out what products went in, who carried out the job and which parts of the building they cover. On beachfront rebuilds we also note any ground disturbance from storm or erosion events, since it can matter for future maintenance.
Collaroy at a glance
| Suburb | Collaroy, NSW 2097 |
|---|---|
| District | Northern Beaches |
| Distance from Sydney CBD | 17.6 km north-east |
| Certifying council | Northern Beaches 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
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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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Collaroy questions
Still unsure? Call and talk it through with a licensed technician.
+61 450 515 215It can. Where a storm or erosion event like the one in June 2016 has disturbed the ground or footings, we assess the site before recommending a system rather than assuming standard conditions apply. In most cases a continuous physical barrier at the slab edge is the more reliable option on beachfront blocks, since it does not depend on soil chemistry that storms can disturb.
The requirement, a compliant system to AS 3660.1, is the same, but apartment and mixed-use slabs along Pittwater Road carry more pipe penetrations and shared basement structures than a single house. We work from the builder's full penetration schedule for these sites and provide one installation certificate covering the whole slab rather than treating each unit separately.
Salt spray off the beach keeps sub-floors and basements damp for longer than an inland block, and damp timber and soil are exactly what a subterranean colony looks for on its way toward a structure. We generally recommend a continuous physical barrier over soil treatment alone on these blocks, since a chemical zone in persistently wet ground can need more frequent maintenance.
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 Northern Beaches.
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.
