Why no single figure fits your job

No single figure can tell you what termite treatment will cost, because the price follows the scope of your job, and the scope depends on your house, your site and how far the termites have spread. This guide gives no dollar figure. Instead, it shows how to work out what your job must include and how to read a quote.

The Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) says the cost of termite control methods and the effective life of the treatment can vary considerably, as can ongoing costs and renewal treatments. Its advice to homeowners is to weigh up how much a system costs, how durable it is and how much maintenance it needs. QBCC also warns that the cheapest method of termite management may not be the most appropriate one for a particular site.

So an average tells you little about your own home.

Finding, removing and protecting: three different costs

A termite problem can carry three separate costs: finding the termites, removing the active colony and protecting the building afterwards. A quote may cover one, two or all three, so check which.

Finding the termites

An inspection looks for where termites are active and how they are getting in. In Queensland, inspecting a completed building and giving advice or a report on a termite infestation falls within a QBCC termite management licence class. Our guide to termite inspection cost factors covers what changes the cost of that step.

Removing the active colony

CSIRO says successfully deterring or eradicating a termite colony usually needs a licensed pest manager and involves insecticides. QBCC notes that when an inspection discovers an infestation, re-treatment may be needed to remove the problem and give the building protection.

Protecting the building

Removing one colony usually does not stop the next. CSIRO says most colony control methods give no lasting protection against other colonies, so inspections, at least annually, are still needed. A termite management system aims to minimise the risk of concealed termite entry and damage, though QBCC points out that a barrier will not stop termite activity on the site. Our guide on how termites are treated explains each approach.

Repairing timber the termites have already damaged is a fourth cost again. Queensland law counts the repair of a building as building work, so ask a builder to quote it separately.

Your situation and what the job must include

What a termite treatment job must include depends mostly on where the termites are active and how your house meets the ground. QBCC says most infestations occur at the perimeter, and CSIRO says most termite attacks originate from the soil. Door frames matter: QBCC lists door jambs, window frames, architraves and skirting among the parts of a new Queensland home the building code requires to be protected against termites.

What makes a treatment job bigger or smaller

These scope drivers explain most of the difference between a small termite treatment and a large one:

• Extent of activity: one active area is a smaller job than termites in several rooms, walls or outbuildings.
• Perimeter length and soil access: perimeter soil treatment normally involves trenching and treating soil along the walls.
• Concrete, paving and garden beds against the walls: paved areas without reticulation may need drilling and injecting, and QBCC says paths, garden beds, patios and landscaping can make a termite system less effective.
• Subfloor height and access: low or closed-in subfloors are slower to inspect and treat.
• Construction type: CSIRO says service holes and joins in a slab must also be protected for a perimeter treatment to succeed.
• Soil conditions: QBCC says contractors need to check the soil is suitable before applying any chemical.
• Approach: soil treatment, baiting and dusting involve different work and visits.
• Product quantity: the APVMA explains that a chemical is meant to be used according to its label instructions, so a larger treated area generally needs more product.
• Follow-up visits: CSIRO says baits should be checked every few weeks for termite activity.
• Ongoing inspection and renewal: QBCC advises a yearly inspection and meeting the system’s maintenance requirement.

Reading a written proposal line by line

A written termite treatment proposal should show what is being treated, how, with which product, and what you need to do afterwards. Check that it states:

1. The inspection it is based on: when it was done and what it found.
2. Areas treated: which walls, rooms, stumps and paved sections, ideally with a diagram, as QBCC suggests for installation certificates.
3. Method or system: colony treatment, soil treatment, baiting, a management system, or a combination.
4. Product named: QBCC describes chemical termite systems as using a chemical registered for the purpose by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA), so a named product can be checked.
5. Follow-up visits: how many, and when.
6. Effective life and renewal: QBCC says a termite management notice must state the method, the installation date and, for chemicals, the life expectancy on the APVMA label; a proposal should too.
7. Warranty terms and conditions: what is covered and for how long.
8. Your obligations: QBCC says owners must not disturb or breach a termite management system if they want to keep their warranties and insurance entitlements.
9. Exclusions: what the price does not cover, such as repairing damaged timber.

For existing homes, CSIRO lists AS 3660.2 as the part of the Australian Standard for termite management in and around existing buildings and structures. You can ask whether the proposal refers to it. Short answers to common questions are in our termite inspection and treatment FAQ.

Why two quotes for the same house can differ

Two quotes for the same house can differ because they price different scopes, so compare the scope line by line before you compare the totals. These steps help:

1. Put both proposals side by side, using the checklist above.
2. Mark what each one treats: areas, perimeter, stumps and paved sections.
3. Compare the method and the named product, and the quantity if it is stated.
4. Count the follow-up visits and inspections each one includes.
5. Compare effective life, renewal and warranty terms. QBCC advises comparing the warranty benefits of different methods, along with costs and effective life, before committing.
6. Only then compare the totals, and ask each company about any gap you found.

A lower total that leaves out part of the perimeter, the follow-up visits or the warranty is a different job, not a cheaper version of the same one.

Checks before you sign

Before you sign a termite treatment proposal, check the licence, the insurance and the product in writing:

• Licence: QBCC advises asking to see a contractor’s QBCC licence before you sign or pay, and says termite chemical work also needs a Queensland pest management licence; our guide on what to do when you find termites explains the licence check.
• Insurance: QBCC requires professional indemnity insurance for a contractor licence in the termite management (chemical) class, so ask to see the certificate of currency.
• Named product: ask for the product name in writing, so you can check it is registered with the APVMA and read its label directions.
• Written scope: make sure the proposal lists every area you discussed.

Next steps

For the protection side, our guide to termite barrier cost factors explains what changes the cost of a barrier. To see the service itself, visit our termite inspection and treatment page. We work across south-east Queensland, from Brisbane and Moreton Bay to Logan, Ipswich, Redlands, the Gold Coast, the Scenic Rim and the Sunshine Coast, and our quotes are free.