Pre-purchase termite inspection checklist.
Most NT home contracts include a building-and-pest subject-to clause. This is your one chance to get a proper read on a 30-year-old Darwin, Palmerston or Litchfield home before you commit. Don’t waste it on a $99 walkthrough.
The 11-point buyer’s checklist.
Before booking:
- Confirm inspector is NT Pest Control licensed. All NT pest controllers must hold Pest Management Licence (look up at the NT Government Pest Management licence register). Some operators license-skirt by employing licensed inspectors but the actual person attending is not.
- Confirm inspection follows AS 4349.3. Australian standard for pre-purchase pest inspections. Should be explicitly listed in the inspector’s service description.
- Confirm written report within 24 hours. Verbal reports are not contractually binding. You need it in writing for your solicitor.
- Confirm photos included. 20–40 photos for a typical home, covering every issue and every area inspected.
During the inspection (be there if possible):
- Ask the inspector to walk through findings on-site. Photos and report are great; on-site explanation is gold. Ask about anything you don’t understand.
- Ask about access limitations. What couldn’t be inspected? Was the sub-floor accessible? Roof void? Sealed-off areas?
- Ask about conducive conditions specifically. Not just “any termites?” but “what would attract them here?”
Reading the report:
- Look at the limitations section first. The report’s legal force is limited to what was actually inspected.
- Check for prior treatment evidence. Does the property have a Certificate of Termite Protection? When was the last treatment? Is the barrier within its warranty period?
- Check for evidence of past damage. Old galleries, abandoned mud leads, repaired or replaced structural timber. Past activity isn’t a deal-breaker but indicates ongoing risk profile.
- Check the overall risk rating. Most reports use Low/Medium/High overall risk. High-risk properties need to be priced accordingly OR have a treatment system installed as part of the purchase.
What “findings” mean for your purchase decision.
Pure clean — no active activity, no past damage, good conditions:
Proceed. No price adjustment needed.
Conducive conditions only (no active or past damage):
Proceed with conditions noted. Negotiate $1K–$3K credit to fix conducive conditions post-settlement.
Past damage, no current activity:
Negotiate structural repair quote ($3K–$20K typical). Treat as a known cost. Get full treatment installed (chemical + baiting combined) before moving in.
Active current termite activity:
Negotiate seller treatment + structural repair before settlement. OR negotiate $8K–$30K price reduction. OR walk away. Don’t buy with active termites unresolved — ongoing liability.
Structural damage:
Get a separate structural engineer’s assessment ($1,500–$2,200) before proceeding. Damage may be cosmetic or may indicate replace-the-roof-frame work.
The Top End-specific risks.
Properties at higher pre-purchase termite risk in Greater Darwin:
- 1985–2005 builds: earliest with mandatory barrier systems, but many barriers now beyond their warranty period
- Pre-1985 builds: often no barrier system at all; check carefully
- Canal estates (Howard Springs, Humpty Doo, Paradise Point): high water table = moist soil = preferred termite habitat
- Acreage / hinterland (Howard Springs, Humpty Doo, Berry Springs): mature vegetation, wooded surrounds, often outside annual-inspection regimes
- Beachside fixed-frame timber homes: particularly vulnerable to weather-driven decay AND termite combined
Where we work.
Pre-purchase termite inspection from $280.
2–3 hour on-site, written report in 24 hours, advice you can take to your solicitor.