Upper North Shore · AS 3660.1
From the quarry-era streets to the fence lines backing Garigal National Park, Davidson's steep, tree-covered postcode 2085 blocks get collars, membrane and perimeter protection before the pour.
Quick answer
Yes, Davidson falls inside a termite-prone zone on the edge of Garigal National Park, which means any new home or extension has to include a termite management system under the National Construction Code. It goes in around slab penetrations and the perimeter before the concrete pour, and once that's done your certifier is given an installation certificate, with a durable notice screwed into the meter box ahead of occupation.
Termite barriers in Davidson
Davidson grew up on land that was once a quarry, with housing development only starting in the late 1970s, about 14.6 km north of the CBD in postcode 2085 and the Northern Beaches Council area. Almost every dwelling is a freestanding house, set on steep, hilly streets that give the suburb its uneven character, and local shops are limited to the small centre at Yindela Street and Pound Avenue. Garigal National Park runs along the eastern side and Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park is close by, so most blocks back onto bush rather than another backyard. A lot of the work we see now is extensions and rebuilds on those original 1970s and 1980s houses, plus the occasional new dwelling on a vacant infill block.
Steep ground changes how a termite barrier gets built here more than almost anything else. Slabs on Davidson's hillside streets are often stepped, with retaining walls and cut-and-fill batters cutting across what would otherwise be a straight perimeter run, and each of those junctions is a place a barrier can be left with a gap if it is rushed. The suburb's bushland edge, running along Garigal National Park and reserves such as Wayne Schimanski Reserve, keeps established colonies close to the back fence, so soil treatment and collar placement matter as much on an extension as they do on a brand-new slab. Where an old house is being extended, we also check how the new work ties into whatever protection, if any, the original 1970s build already has.
Reviewed by Ismail, founder · Upper North Shore coverage · Updated September 2026 · More Upper North Shore suburbs
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Local conditions
Davidson's terrain and its age bring three specific problems to a termite barrier, and each changes how we plan the job.
Hillside streets in Davidson mean slabs are rarely flat, with retaining walls and cut-and-fill batters breaking up the run of a standard perimeter. Every step-down and retaining wall junction is drawn and priced before we start, since that is exactly where a rushed barrier leaves a gap.
With Garigal National Park along the eastern edge and Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park close by, blocks backing onto bush face real colony pressure from established timber and leaf litter just over the fence. Those blocks get the full treatment, a complete perimeter rather than a partial strip.
Much of Davidson was built in one push from the late 1970s, and a lot of those houses have since been extended. Where old and new sections join is a common gap in whatever protection the original build had, so we check that junction before quoting the new work.
What we install here
Most of our Davidson jobs are extensions and rebuilds on the suburb's original 1970s and 1980s housing stock, along with new dwellings on the occasional vacant or subdivided block. Waffle pod and raft slabs are standard on the flatter sections, while stepped and suspended floors are common on the steeper streets backing the national park. We price the whole job from your plans as a single fixed quote and time our visit around the plumber's rough-in and the concreter's pour date, so the barrier never becomes the thing holding up the build.
Local knowledge
Wayne Schimanski Reserve sits within the suburb itself, and blocks near it or along the Garigal National Park boundary get the closest attention to perimeter detailing, since colony pressure there comes from established bush rather than a neighbour's garden. Glenrose Village Shopping Centre, about 1.6 km away, and Old She-Oak Reserve, a little further out, mark the edge of the wider bushland pocket that runs through this part of the Northern Beaches, and blocks toward that boundary get the same treatment as those on the park itself.
Northern Beaches Council handles certification across Davidson. Their sign-off process for the Occupation Certificate calls for an installation certificate spelling out what was used, where it was applied and who holds the installer's licence, together with a durable notice fixed inside the meter box. Because so many Davidson jobs are extensions rather than fresh builds, we also note on that certificate how the new work connects to any existing protection, giving the certifier the full picture in one document.
Davidson at a glance
| Suburb | Davidson, NSW 2085 |
|---|---|
| District | Upper North Shore |
| Distance from Sydney CBD | 14.6 km north |
| 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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Davidson questions
Still unsure? Call and talk it through with a licensed technician.
+61 450 515 215Yes, if the extension adds new footprint or a new slab, that area needs its own termite management system under the National Construction Code, the same as a new house would. We check what protection the original 1970s or 1980s section has, if any, and detail the join between old and new so there is no gap where the two sections meet.
We work from the engineering and the retaining wall design before we start, since every step-down, batter and retaining wall is a place the perimeter has to change direction. Rather than pricing a straight linear run, we cost each junction on the plans, so there are no surprises once the slab is set out on site.
It is the same core system, just with closer attention paid to the perimeter on those blocks, since the bush right over the back fence holds established colonies in old timber and leaf litter. Many owners on that boundary choose a complete physical and chemical barrier running the whole way around, rather than covering just part of the block, particularly where paving or garden beds will later sit over the treated zone.
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.
