Upper North Shore · AS 3660.1
Perimeter barriers and under-slab membrane fitted to North Wahroonga's leafy interwar blocks, installed before the pour on streets running from the M1 boundary to Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park.
Quick answer
Yes. North Wahroonga borders national park bushland, so a new home or rebuild needs an NCC termite management system installed to AS 3660.1. Collars and under-slab work go in after the plumber's rough-in and before the pour. The durable notice for the meter box and an installation certificate for Ku-ring-gai Council are both required before the Occupation Certificate is issued.
Termite barriers in North Wahroonga
North Wahroonga is a small Ku-ring-gai Council suburb about 20 km north of the CBD, in postcode 2076. It was once an area of orchards and timber cutting, and became popular in the 1920s and 1930s for homes with large gardens after the railway arrived nearby. Today it is bounded by the M1 motorway to the west and Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park to the north, which keeps the suburb quiet and leafy, with bushland close to many streets. Most of our work here is knockdown rebuilds on those older, established blocks rather than greenfield construction.
Land that was orchard and timber country before it was subdivided tends to carry decades of buried root systems and old garden beds, on top of whatever the interwar-era house itself has left behind in the way of ageing timber and sub-floor structure. That history, combined with national park bushland pressing in from the north, means a North Wahroonga rebuild needs the soil treatment and under-slab system taken as seriously as the perimeter. Skipping that groundwork before the slab goes down is the single easiest way for a new barrier to fail early.
Reviewed by Ismail, founder · Upper North Shore coverage · Updated September 2026 · More Upper North Shore suburbs
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Local conditions
Three things shape termite risk on a North Wahroonga rebuild, tied to the suburb's orchard history and its bushland edge.
Much of North Wahroonga was orchard and timber-cutting country before the 1920s and 1930s building boom, and that history often means old root systems and buried timber remain in the soil. Rebuild sites need proper soil treatment ahead of the slab, not just a perimeter strip around the edge.
With national park bushland bordering the suburb to the north, properties on that side sit against established bush that will never be cleared or managed like a neighbouring yard. Those blocks get a full perimeter system, with extra care at any junction where the slab meets the bush edge.
Homes built through the 1920s and 1930s boom typically sit on generous blocks with mature gardens that have had close to a century to develop buried timber and root systems. That material can feed a colony well before a new slab is poured, so we check the whole block, not just the house footprint.
What we install here
We work on North Wahroonga knockdown rebuilds, renovations and granny flats on established interwar-era blocks across the suburb, most of them either close to the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park boundary or on the leafy streets further from the M1. Suspended floors and piers turn up on blocks with more challenging fall, alongside waffle pod slabs on the flatter pads. You get one fixed written quote from the plans covering every stage, and we attend around your plumber's rough-in and the concreter's pour date.
Local knowledge
Most of our North Wahroonga work sits near Eric Evans Park and Wahroonga Reserve, where mature trees and the bushland running toward Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park shape how far the perimeter needs to extend. Closer to the Palmerstone Centre, sites are more often renovations on established homes, where we check what protection, if any, the original build already has before detailing new work.
Before an Occupation Certificate is granted for a North Wahroonga property, Ku-ring-gai Council wants a durable notice inside the meter box recording the termite system, plus a certificate from the installer covering the products, the treated areas and their licence. Both documents are ready the moment our stage of the North Wahroonga job is complete, with no delay on our side.
North Wahroonga at a glance
| Suburb | North Wahroonga, NSW 2076 |
|---|---|
| District | Upper North Shore |
| Distance from Sydney CBD | 20.2 km north |
| Certifying council | Ku-ring-gai 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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North Wahroonga questions
Still unsure? Call and talk it through with a licensed technician.
+61 450 515 215It can. Land that carried orchards or timber cutting before the suburb was built up often has old root systems and buried organic material in the soil, which can feed termite activity before a new slab is ever poured. We treat soil preparation and the under-slab system as seriously as the perimeter on rebuild sites here.
Yes. Bushland along the park boundary holds established colonies that forage into nearby gardens, so we run a full perimeter system on those blocks rather than a partial strip, and pay close attention to any retaining wall or step-down where the slab meets the bush edge. We also check whether any established trees near that edge are being retained or cleared as part of the build.
As soon as you have a rough slab date from the builder. Collars and any under-slab system go in after the plumber's rough-in and before the pour, so we lock our visit into that window. On older, well-established blocks, tell us early about any large trees or garden beds being cleared for the build.
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.
