Do Steel Frame & Concrete Buildings Need Termite Protection?

The short answer

The Code requires termite management only where a primary building element is susceptible to termite attack. Primary building elements are the parts designed to carry the building’s loads, such as wall, floor and roof framing.
Elements made of steel, concrete, masonry, fibre-reinforced cement, naturally resistant timber or preservative-treated timber are not considered susceptible.
So a building can comply with no termite management system at all, and still be full of things termites eat.
Termites don’t eat steel or concrete. They go through the gaps: around service penetrations, through construction joints and at the perimeter.

What the Code leaves unprotected

The industry’s own code of practice, published by the Australian Environmental Pest Managers’ Association (AEPMA), says the Building Code and AS 3660.1 mostly require protection for the structural elements only, and that this can leave many other parts of a building open to attack. It lists:

Door frames, window frames and tiling battens
Kitchen units, vanities and other joinery
Skirtings and architraves
Wiring, cabling and their fixtures
Furniture and furnishings
Contents such as books and documents

AEPMA notes that termites can also damage materials they don’t eat, such as soft plastics, rubber and cloth.

It also says that even where the frame is termite-resistant, termites can still cause significant damage to fittings and contents such as cabinetry, plaster wall linings, trims, architraves and electrical wiring.

This isn’t a new lesson. An 1876 report on termite damage in Europe advised building in “only metal and stone”, and noted that termites still destroyed stored timber and archives inside those buildings. A 2022 review of termite control lists the same point among its key lessons: termites damage goods and contents, not only the structure. A steel or concrete frame can satisfy the Code and still leave the fit-out, joinery and stored materials exposed.

Commercial buildings

Commercial buildings are usually built from concrete, steel and masonry. Under Volume One of the Code (clause B1D4), termite management is only required where a primary building element is subject to attack, and those materials are not considered susceptible. So many commercial buildings can comply with no termite management system at all.

What goes inside them is a different story:

Fit-out joinery, counters and shelving
Door frames, partitions and wall linings
Data and electrical cabling
Stock, packaging and paper records

None of these is a primary building element, and all of them sit on a slab full of service penetrations and joints. Once the building is handed over, any termite damage becomes the owner’s or tenant’s problem.

That is why some commercial specifications now go further than the Code and ask for termite management that protects all timber and timber products in the building, not just primary building elements.

Why it matters after handover

Termites get in unseen. They enter from the ground through concealed gaps, so the first sign is usually damage.
Fixing it later costs more and lasts less. AEPMA says protecting an existing building is generally very costly, and that treatments applied after the fact have a limited working life. Protection installed during construction is generally regarded as cost effective.
The entry point is hard to find. In our experience, once termites are inside a finished building it is very difficult to find where they got in, which makes it hard to protect the building properly afterwards.

Queensland is stricter on houses

For houses, the QBCC’s advisory notes treat door jambs, window frames and reveals, architraves and skirtings as primary building elements. A steel-framed house in Queensland with timber door frames and skirtings is not exempt.

Termite rules in Queensland →

What builders and specifiers can do

Protect the entry points, whatever the frame is made of. Service penetrations, construction joints and the perimeter are where termites get through a slab.
Write the scope into the specification. State that termite management is to protect all timber and timber products in the building, not just primary building elements.
Decide before the slab is poured. Penetrations and joints can only be protected properly before the concrete goes in.

Service penetrations →Construction joints →Perimeter →Architects & consultants →Inspection zones →Termite barrier cost guide →

Frequently asked questions

Question not covered here? Talk to the estimating team.1300 825 373

Do steel frame homes need termite protection?

The Code may not require it, because a steel frame is not considered susceptible to termite attack. Termites can still enter through the slab and damage door frames, skirtings, joinery, wall linings and contents. In Queensland, timber door jambs, window frames, architraves and skirtings on a house count as primary building elements.

Does a concrete commercial building need termite protection?

The Code may not require it, because concrete, steel and masonry are not considered susceptible to termite attack. Termites can still enter through penetrations and joints in the slab and damage the fit-out, cabling and contents, which is why some specifications ask for termite management regardless.

Do termites eat steel or concrete?

No. They travel through gaps around pipes and conduits, through construction joints and at the slab edge to reach the things they do eat.

What is a primary building element?

A part of the building designed to carry its loads, such as wall, floor and roof framing. The Code’s termite provisions are built around protecting these.

Does treated timber framing mean termite protection isn’t needed?

Preservative-treated framing is not considered susceptible under the Code. AEPMA notes that even where frames are termite-resistant, termites can still cause significant damage to fittings and contents.

What does it cost to protect the entry points?

Our indicative rates are $15 per service penetration, $12 per metre of construction joint and $12 per metre of perimeter, excluding GST.

Sources

Official sources used for this guide. Rules change: confirm the current requirements with your building surveyor.

Do steel frame and commercial buildings need termite protection?