Propserve Soil Poisoning & COCs Division
Division 05 of 09
Termite soil treatment applied to the ground before the slab is cast, with the treatment certificate that banks, engineers, inspectors and conveyancers ask for.
One chance to do it. It closes when the slab is cast.
Soil treatment before construction is the one termite defence you cannot retrofit cheaply. It has to be applied to the prepared surface bed and trenches before the concrete goes down. Once the slab is cast, the opportunity is gone and any future termite problem has to be solved from above, at far greater cost and disruption.
The treatment creates a continuous treated zone under and around the structure, applied at label rate by a registered pest control operator using a product registered for the purpose under Act 36 of 1947. Coverage matters more than volume: the value is in an unbroken barrier, correctly applied at the perimeter trenches, around every service penetration and at construction joints, which is exactly where it is most often skimped.
On completion you receive a treatment certificate recording the site, the date, the product, the concentration and the area treated. Banks commonly ask for it as a bond condition, engineers and building inspectors ask for it during the build, and conveyancers ask for it years later on transfer.
What we treat and certify
- Surface bed treatmentThe full prepared fill under the slab treated at label rate before the concrete is poured.
- Perimeter trenchesFoundation and perimeter trenches treated to form a continuous barrier around the structure.
- Service penetrationsPlumbing, conduit and duct penetrations detailed individually, because that is the classic entry point that gets missed.
- Extensions & additionsNew slabs on additions treated and certified, and the junction to the existing structure detailed.
- Treatment after constructionWhere a structure is already built, perimeter and injection treatment as a remedial alternative.
- Treatment certificateIssued on completion for your bank, engineer, inspector, insurer or conveyancer.
How it is scheduled
- Book against the pour dateContact us as soon as the pour date is set. It happens on the day, before the concrete goes down, and the window is narrow.
- Site readiness checkThe fill must be prepared, compacted and free of standing water. We confirm readiness with your builder.
- ApplicationTrenches, surface bed and penetrations treated at label rate, with coverage recorded as we go.
- Photographic recordThe treated area is photographed before the slab covers it, which is the only proof that survives the pour.
- Certificate issuedThe treatment certificate is issued and emailed, ready for your bank, engineer or inspector.
Needed by
- Owners building a new home
- Building contractors and project managers
- Developers and estate builds
- Anyone adding a slabbed extension
- Sellers whose conveyancer has asked for it
- Buyers whose bank has made it a bond condition
Where the certificate sits legally
A soil treatment certificate is not one of the statutory compliance certificates in the way an electrical CoC is. In practice it is still required often enough to matter: banks regularly make it a bond condition, engineers and building inspectors ask for it during the build, and conveyancers ask for it on transfer. Treatment must be carried out by an operator registered with the Department of Agriculture, using a registered product applied strictly to label. Keep the certificate with your building file, because it will be asked for again.
Common questions
When exactly must this be done?
After the fill is prepared and compacted, and before the concrete is cast. If the slab is already down, treatment before construction is no longer possible and we move to a post construction approach.
How long does it take?
Most residential sites are a single visit of a few hours. The critical part is coordination with your builder so the pour is not delayed and the treated ground is not disturbed before casting.
How long does the treatment last?
That depends on the product, the soil and the site. The certificate records what was applied and when; treated zones are not permanent and long term protection is best supported by a monitoring or maintenance arrangement.
Can you certify work someone else did?
No. We certify what we applied, because the certificate carries our operator details and our responsibility. If treatment was done by another operator, that certificate has to come from them.