Annual termite inspection across Greater Darwin.
AS 3660.2 expects every Australian home to have a competent inspection at least every 12 months. In the Top End it’s not optional — tropical climate, year-round termite activity, and Mastotermes pressure on rural acreage make annual the absolute minimum. Many of our clients on 6-monthly. $320–$480 urban, $420–$680 rural Litchfield.
What an AS 3660.2 annual inspection covers.
The standard method.
AS 3660.2-2017 (Termite management Part 2: In and around existing buildings and structures) sets out a specific inspection methodology. It’s not a walk-around. It’s a systematic audit of every cellulose-bearing zone in the building with documented findings.
- Sub-floor / stump base inspection — every joist, bearer, stump, ant-cap. Moisture-meter readings. Mud-tunnel scan. Particularly important on high-set Nightcliff and Casuarina stock.
- Roof void inspection — every truss, top plate, rafter, fascia, eave. We schedule early-morning slots to avoid 50°C mid-afternoon Darwin roof-void temperatures.
- Perimeter inspection — slab edge, weep holes, brick courses, weatherboard joints, slab penetrations.
- Chemical-barrier integrity check — sample points around the perimeter to verify the chemical band is still active. Test 4–6 points per house in Darwin.
- Garden + outbuildings — sheds, fences, retaining walls, landscape timbers, mulched beds.
- Interior wet areas — bathrooms, kitchen, laundry. Termites love wet timber.
- Written report — AS 3660.2 format with photos, readings, recommendations.
Why annual isn’t a black-letter law but matters legally.
AS 3660 isn’t legislation but it’s the standard the courts use to decide whether “reasonable care” was taken. If a home gets eaten by termites and the owner skipped inspections, the insurance won’t pay AND there’s no recourse against previous owners, building inspectors, pest treaters or the warranty insurer. Annual inspection is the documented “reasonable care” threshold. Skipping it is taking the entire termite risk onto your own balance sheet.
Top End-specific adjustments to the standard schedule.
- High-set pre-1990 stock — 6-monthly recommended (sub-floor humidity is wet for 6–9 months/yr)
- Bushland-boundary rural acreage — 6-monthly recommended (Mastotermes ingress pressure)
- Coastal Nightcliff / Casuarina foreshore — annual + perimeter chemical-barrier test at every visit (faster degradation)
- Renovated stock — annual + post-renovation reinstatement check if barriers were disturbed
- Modern Palmerston slab-on-ground — annual sufficient if reticulation under warranty and physical barriers intact
What you get with our annual inspection package.
- AS 3660.2-compliant written report with photos, readings and recommendations within 48h
- Chemical-barrier status (current life remaining or expired)
- Form 16 paperwork review where applicable
- Next-inspection scheduled (we send reminders)
- Same-pest-controller continuity (you see the same inspector year-on-year so trend data is comparable)
Where we work.
Book your annual inspection.
AS 3660.2-compliant. Written report within 48h. Annual reminders.