Timber Pest Inspections
When buying property in Australia it is essential to check for pest activity that can damage the structure and lead to significant repair costs. Every year many buildings are damaged in Australia by termites, wood-boring insects and fungal decay (rot). In fact it is estimated that up to 1 in 4 properties will be impacted by termites in their lifetime.
A Timber Pest Inspection, also known as a Pest Inspection, is conducted in accordance with the Australian Standard AS4349.3 and does not seek to identify every pest just ones that can damage the structure. For this reason it will not report on pests such as spiders, cockroaches and rats but will assess the evidence and severity of damage caused by timber pests, susceptibility of building to infestation by timber pests and any remedial and protective measures required.
What’s included in a timber pest inspection:
Interior of the building
- Ceilings
- Walls
- Floors
- Windows
- Doors
- Stairs
- Kitchen
- Bathroom
- Laundry
- Roof Space
Exterior of the building
- Walls
- Chimney
- Stairs
- Balconies, verandas, patios and decks
- Guttering & downpipes
- Eaves, fascias & barges
- Sub-floor space
- Roof Exterior
Site up to 30m from the main dwelling
- Detached car accommodation - Garage, Carport
- Garden Sheds
- Retaining Walls
- Paths & Driveway
- Steps
- Fencing
- Timber elements - Garden Boxes, Logs, Firewood, Pool Surrounds, Sleepers
- Tree & stumps greater than 100mm in diameter
What’s not included:
A timber pest inspection report is not an all-encompassing report dealing with every type of pest activity at the property. Items not typically covered by a timber pest inspection include:
- Non wood damaging pests – inspection is limited to subterranean and damp-wood termites, borers of seasoned timber and wood decay fungi
- Drywood termites – although wood damaging are excluded due to the extreme difficulty in locating the small colonies and rare incidence in Australia
- Visual only inspection - it should be noted that the inspection does not involve any cutting, dismantling, or moving of objects nor accessing areas that are concealed, obstructed or unsafe
- Underground inspection
- Mould (mildew) or non-wood decay fungi
- Inspection of areas without suitable access – minimum measurements exist for access holes, crawl space and ladder heights
- Rectification costs – unless specifically stated as offered as part of the service
Please Note – inspections of apartments/units are limited to the internal of the apartment only and do not include any common property areas such as external walls, roof, basement or paths and gardens.
The above is merely a broad summary and therefore it is important to read the inspector’s terms and conditions to fully understand what is included and excluded in the inspection before you proceed.
