Northern Beaches · AS 3660.1
Under-slab and perimeter termite barriers installed to AS 3660.1 for Manly apartment and rebuild sites between Sydney Harbour, North Head and Manly Beach. We factor that into the schedule as well.
Quick answer
Yes, a new home, rebuild or apartment building in Manly needs a termite management system, since the suburb sits in a termite-prone part of Northern Beaches Council with salt air on both the harbour and ocean sides. The system is installed to AS 3660.1, with collars and under-slab work completed before the pour, and the durable notice plus installation certificate supplied to your certifier before the Occupation Certificate.
Termite barriers in Manly
Manly occupies the narrow strip of land between Sydney Harbour and the Pacific Ocean, about 11 km north-east of the Sydney CBD in postcode 2095, and is one of the administrative centres of Northern Beaches Council. The Corso, a pedestrian mall lined with cafes and shops, links the ferry wharf on the harbour side to Manly Beach on the ocean side, with North Head rising to the south-east, and housing is a dense mix of apartment buildings, older heritage terraces and cottages, and larger homes on the hills. Our work here ranges from apartment podium slabs near the Corso to knockdown rebuilds on the older streets above the beach.
Being squeezed between two bodies of salt water gives Manly a moisture-driven pest profile that affects termites as much as anything else. Salt air keeps sub-floors, basements and car parks damp across much of the suburb, and heritage cottages have old timber and cracked render that can already be carrying activity before a rebuild starts. North Head and the bushland reserves nearby add another source of termite pressure for homes on the hills, while apartment podium sites bring their own challenge, a single large slab with many penetrations where a missed collar can undo the whole system.
Reviewed by Ismail, founder · Northern Beaches coverage · Updated September 2026 · More Northern Beaches suburbs
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Local conditions
Three conditions shape termite risk in Manly, and they change depending on which part of the peninsula you are building on.
With water on both sides, salt air keeps sub-floors, basements and car parks damper across Manly than in an inland suburb. That moisture is favourable to subterranean termites as well as general timber decay, so ventilation detailing matters here.
Manly's heritage terraces and cottages often have old timber framing and cracked render that can already carry termite activity before a rebuild starts. We check that context during the quote, since neighbouring structures affect the pressure on a new build.
North Head and the bushland reserves on Manly's hills add a bush-pressure element on top of the salt-air moisture near the water. Homes closer to those reserves usually need a fuller perimeter than an apartment site closer to the Corso.
What we install here
We work on Manly apartment and townhouse podium slabs near the Corso and the stations, knockdown rebuilds on the hillside streets, and holiday-let conversions where an older structure is being extended. We install under-slab membrane, collars and a physical or chemical perimeter suited to salt-affected, damp ground, with a collar count worked out from the plumbing plans on multi-dwelling sites. One fixed quote from your plans covers every stage. Every visit is scheduled around your actual pour date, not a guess.
Local knowledge
Our Manly work sits close to Collins Flat Beach and Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve, where salt damp affects basements and car parks on both sides of the peninsula, and near Bower Street Reserve, where vegetation and leaf litter shelter pests close to homes on the hill. Around the Corso and the ferry wharf, our work shifts to apartment podium slabs with a much higher collar count than a house.
Manly is certified through Northern Beaches Council, which requires the standard termite documentation before issuing the Occupation Certificate: a durable notice goes up inside the meter box, and an installation certificate sets out the areas covered, the treatment products and the licensed installer's details. We supply both, along with maintenance advice suited to a salt-affected coastal property, as soon as the work is finished.
Manly at a glance
| Suburb | Manly, NSW 2095 |
|---|---|
| District | Northern Beaches |
| Distance from Sydney CBD | 10.5 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
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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Manly questions
Still unsure? Call and talk it through with a licensed technician.
+61 450 515 215Yes. Any new building on termite-prone land needs a compliant system under the NCC, apartments and podium slabs included. On a multi-dwelling site we work out the collar count from the plumbing and service plans before the pour, since these slabs carry far more penetrations than a house. We are glad to answer further questions once we are on site.
Old timber framing and cracked render on cottages like this can already carry termite activity, so we check the existing structure closely during the quote. Expect the standard collars, under-slab work and perimeter installed to AS 3660.1, sized to what we find on site. This keeps everything properly documented for future reference too.
It changes what we focus on in the inspection more than the products themselves. Salt air keeps sub-floors and basements damper, so ventilation and drainage detailing get particular attention alongside the standard collars, membrane and perimeter on any Manly build. Just get in touch and we will talk through the details.
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.
