Comparing termite inspection fees between providers

The current booking price for our termite inspection is shown in the booking card on this page. Before comparing inspection fees between providers, compare scope: how much of the house and grounds an inspection covers, whether the roof void and subfloor are entered, whether outbuildings are included, and what the written report records.

Two homes in the same street can be very different jobs: a compact slab-on-ground house with a clear roof space, for example, and a highset Queenslander with a built-in lower level, a garage, a deck and garden beds along every wall.

Already found termites? Leave them undisturbed and read our guide on what to do when you find termites first.

What an inspection fee pays for

QBCC’s description of a standard pre-purchase timber pest inspection shows what a fee can cover: an inspection by a QBCC-licensed contractor of the house and the property around it, and a written report. In Queensland, inspecting a completed building and giving advice or a report on termite infestation falls within a QBCC termite management licence; our guide on finding termites explains how to check a company’s licence.

Area covered

QBCC describes the standard pre-purchase timber pest inspection, under Part 3 of AS 4349, as covering the house and the surrounding property within 30 metres of the building. So for a pre-purchase timber pest inspection, the inspection area reaches beyond the rooms you live in to the property around the house.

Access

According to QBCC, the standard describes the pre-purchase timber pest inspection as visual, with non-marking sounding of elements and an assessment of the moisture content of materials. QBCC also says termite systems beneath a suspended floor rely totally on access for inspection.

The written report

QBCC says a timber pest inspection report should comment on evidence of present or past timber pest activity and damage, and any signs of previous treatments. It should also assess how susceptible the building is, point out conditions that could increase the risk, and recommend further investigation or action where needed.

How your house changes the job

QBCC and CSIRO describe different places to check on slab homes, such as the slab edge, and on raised homes, such as the subfloor, stumps and ant caps. QBCC says most infestations occur at the perimeter of the building, and that termites can get inside through wall cavities, cracks in mortar or concrete slabs and gaps beside service entry points.

Site and access details that decide what can be checked

Site and access details decide how much of the property can be checked, because every hidden or hard-to-reach area should be checked, or noted in the report as not inspected. Details to look at:

• Roof void: a manhole that is easy to reach and clear of stored items.
• Subfloor: tight or low crawl spaces. CSIRO advises enough crawl space under elevated floors to allow easy visual inspection.
• Stored goods and furniture: boxes, wardrobes and shelving against walls. CSIRO lists skirting boards, door and window frames, wardrobes and storeroom contents among the places to search for damaged wood.
• Outbuildings and attached structures: sheds, garages, carports, decks, pergolas and retaining walls. QBCC says attaching fences, carports or garages to the home may raise termite risk.
• Against the walls: garden beds, paving, turf or bark built up against the house, which QBCC says may make a termite system less effective, and timber stacked under or against the house, which CSIRO advises against.
• Trees and stumps: QBCC treats areas near trees or bush as higher risk.
• Land size: QBCC describes the pre-purchase timber pest inspection area as the property within 30 metres of the building.

QBCC says any timber pest inspection is limited by impediments, including areas or items that cannot be inspected for any reason, so check that the report says what was not inspected and why. QBCC also describes the standard inspection as non-invasive, so an inspection that opens wall linings or floors goes beyond that description and should be scoped and agreed separately.

Free check or reported inspection: questions to ask

Before accepting a free look at a termite problem, ask how it compares with a reported inspection: what gets checked and what gets written down. Queensland Government advice for home buyers is to know exactly what an inspection report covers, and the same applies to any free offer. Ask these questions first:

Our quotes are free. In general, a free quote is a price for the work, so ask any provider whether it comes with a written inspection report.

Inspection fee and treatment quote are separate questions

Ask whether any treatment would be scoped and quoted separately from the inspection fee. QBCC says a report should, where necessary, recommend further investigation or action. For the cost of getting rid of termites, see our guide to termite treatment cost factors. Whether termite control is worth paying for at all is covered in our article on that question.

Buying a home? CSIRO says it is advisable to have a termite inspection before purchase, and Queensland Government advice is to arrange property inspections before you start negotiating. The same advice says you can get a combined building and pest inspection from an inspector with a current QBCC licence. Our termite inspection booking is a termite inspection only, not a pre-purchase building inspection. If you are buying and also need the building part, ask through our free quote page before you book, and confirm who will carry out the building inspection and under which QBCC licence.

Checklist: comparing two inspection quotes like for like

Two companies can quote differently for the same house because they may be pricing different scopes. Ask each provider the same questions and compare the answers before you compare the totals:

1. Licence: is the inspector licensed by QBCC for termite work? QBCC says checking is the home owner’s responsibility, and its licensee register shows a complete licence history free of charge. You can look up our QBCC licence, number 894337, on the same register.
2. Areas included: the house, roof void, subfloor, outbuildings and the grounds.
3. Exclusions: what is left out, or likely to be recorded as not accessible.
4. Method: a visual inspection with sounding and moisture checks, as QBCC describes for a pre-purchase timber pest inspection. CSIRO notes professionals may also use other detection methods, so ask whether any are included in the fee.
5. Written report: whether you receive one, and what it records.
6. Treatment: whether any treatment quote is separate from the inspection fee.

If one quote leaves out the subfloor, the outbuildings or the report, you are comparing two different inspections.

Next steps

If an inspection finds termites, the next cost question is treatment: our guide to termite treatment cost factors explains what changes that price. For how often to book, read why termite inspections are important every year. To see the service itself, visit our residential termite inspections page. Bob Gunn Termite Solutions works across south-east Queensland, from Brisbane and Moreton Bay to Logan, Ipswich, Redlands, the Gold Coast, the Scenic Rim and the Sunshine Coast.