Termite Management Requirements in Queensland
What the National Construction Code, Queensland’s variations and the QBCC require for termite management on new buildings, and what builders need to hand over.
Written for builders, developers and specifiers. It isn’t legal advice: your certifier makes the call on each project.
The short answer
- The QBCC says termites are a problem throughout Queensland, so plan termite management on every new build.
- Queensland uses NCC 2022 (Amendment 2). NCC 2025 starts in Queensland on 1 May 2027.
- Class 2 to 9 buildings: Queensland’s version of Volume One clause B1D4 requires AS 3660.1 where a primary building element is subject to termite attack, plus a durable notice.
- Class 1 and 10 buildings: Part 3.4 of the Housing Provisions applies with Queensland variations, including a 50-year design life for the system on houses.
- Installers need a QBCC licence for termite management (physical or chemical). Chemical work also needs a Queensland pest management licence.
Queensland variations to the Code
For Class 1 and 10 buildings, Queensland varies Part 3.4 of the Housing Provisions:
- The termite management system on a (non-temporary) Class 1 building must have a design life of at least 50 years, unless it can be readily accessed and replenished, such as a reticulation system.
- A chemical perimeter barrier must be covered by a concrete strip at least 300 mm wide and 50 mm thick.
- A durable notice is required.
The QBCC’s advisory notes for builders also treat door jambs, window frames and reveals, architraves and skirting as primary building elements on houses, and say hand-sprayed treatments under slabs aren’t suitable unless the 50-year life can be shown.
Who can install termite management systems
Termite management work is building work in Queensland, and it needs a QBCC licence:
| QBCC licence class | Covers |
|---|---|
| Termite management: physical | Installing the particular physical system named as a condition on the licence |
| Termite management: chemical | Pre-slab and perimeter chemical treatment of new building work. Also needs a Queensland pest management licence and professional indemnity insurance. |
Physical systems like JH Termite Barrier are also restricted by the manufacturer to installers it has trained and registered.
What builders are responsible for
The QBCC’s advisory notes put several responsibilities on the builder:
- Show the termite management system on the drawings and specification at the application stage.
- Coordinate the trades so the system isn’t damaged or bridged: clear debris, formwork and pegs; brief plumbers, electricians and concreters; and make sure landscaping and paths don’t cover the inspection zone.
- Make sure the durable notice is fixed and the owner gets the maintenance information.
We schedule each stage against your pour program and record it before the concrete goes in, so nothing is covered up unprotected.
Certificates and paperwork
- Installer’s certificate: records the owner, builder, property and real property description, the work done and the areas protected, with a diagram.
- Durable notice: at the meter box, recording the system, installation date, life expectancy and recommended inspections.
- Inspection certificates: your certifier may issue or ask for an inspection certificate for the termite stage. A QBCC licensee certificate (Form 43) is used only for single detached Class 1a and Class 10 buildings.
Tell us which forms your certifier wants and we’ll provide them with the installation records and marked plans at handover.
Is all of Queensland a termite area?
No Queensland law declares the whole state a termite area, but the QBCC says termites are a problem throughout Queensland, and the National Construction Code’s termite provisions apply wherever termites are a risk. In practice, plan termite management on every new building in Queensland.
Do I need a QBCC licence to install a termite barrier?
Yes. Installing a termite management system needs a QBCC termite management licence (physical or chemical). Chemical work also needs a Queensland pest management licence.
What is the 50-year requirement in Queensland?
Queensland’s variation to the Housing Provisions requires the termite management system on a Class 1 building to have a design life of at least 50 years, unless it can be readily accessed and replenished, such as a reticulation system.
What is a Form 43?
A certificate from an appropriately licensed QBCC licensee about building work they carried out. Since September 2021 it can be used only for single detached Class 1a and Class 10 buildings.
When does NCC 2025 start in Queensland?
On 1 May 2027. Until then, NCC 2022 (Amendment 2) applies in Queensland.
Sources
Official sources used for this guide. Rules change: confirm the current requirements with your building surveyor.
- QBCC: Termite management systems, advisory notes for builders and homeowners (April 2024)
- QBCC: protect against termites
- NCC 2022 Volume One, Queensland B1 variations
- ABCB Housing Provisions, Queensland 3.4 Termite risk management
- Queensland Building and Construction Commission Regulation 2018
- QBCC: Termite management (chemical) licence
- Building Regulation 2021 (Qld)
- NCC 2025 state and territory adoption
Building in Queensland?
Send us your drawings and we’ll price the termite management system your certifier will ask for.