Identify the system and the parts it serves
Termite reticulation uses installed pipework to deliver a suitable termiticide to designated areas. The network is a delivery system; the visible cap is not evidence that every part of the house has current protection. A property may have more than one termite-management method or different arrangements around an extension. Start by asking what is actually installed before requesting a generic refill. Avoid opening fittings, connecting a hose or adding anything while its identity is uncertain.
The Altis installation manual illustrates why the layout matters: it describes different configurations for under-slab and perimeter use, with recorded injection points and treatment areas. Your system may be another brand with different requirements. Ask the contractor to identify the manufacturer and configuration from the records and site evidence, and explain which parts remain uncertain. A brand on a cap should be checked against the plan rather than treated as a complete description.
Keep bait stations, physical barriers and reticulation access points distinct in your notes. They can look like related pest equipment to a new owner while performing different functions. Photograph accessible labels and their locations without disturbing the equipment. If a sales listing simply said termite system, ask the seller or agent for the actual documents. The useful question is what protects which part of this building, not whether the property has a reassuring general label.
Build a usable handover folder
Collect the installation plan, system information, service invoices and recent termite inspection reports in one place. Include documents for additions, patios or later perimeter work that might have been completed under a different contract. Keep the original files and dates. A photograph of a receipt with the heading refill is helpful, but it may not identify the product, treated sections or limitations. Ask the previous provider for the associated service record rather than assuming the invoice contains everything.
QBCC's termite management guide explains the role of the durable notice and ongoing care. Photograph the notice where it is safely accessible, often in the meter-box area, without touching electrical components. Use it as a starting point for identifying the system and contact details. If the notice is faded or documents disagree, ask the inspecting contractor to state what they can verify and what further records are needed.
Create a simple document index with the date, provider and area of the property covered. This avoids treating an inspection report as proof of a refill or a refill invoice as proof that the building was inspected. If you bought the home recently in Edmonton, Smithfield or another Cairns suburb, add this folder to the other handover records. Give the managing agent a copy if the property is rented so inspection and access requests do not depend on reaching an owner overseas.
Map access points without disturbing them
Walk the accessible perimeter and match visible access points to the documents. Use photographs showing both the fitting and a wider view of its position relative to a wall, gate or path. Label the photographs so you can refer to the same location during a telephone conversation. Record an expected point that you cannot find instead of digging for it. The contractor can decide how it should be located and whether excavation is appropriate.
Note the practical obstacles: a locked side gate, a large planter, a deck over a recorded point or a storage cabinet blocking a wall. Ask what must be moved before the visit and who is responsible for moving it. A refill appointment can become a separate access job when records do not match the present landscape. Raising that possibility before booking gives you a clearer quote and avoids someone attempting an improvised repair simply to finish the appointment.
In a townhouse or unit arrangement, check who can authorise work in shared areas and who holds the relevant plans. Do not assume a point within your courtyard serves only your dwelling. Ask the provider to explain the service boundary and any neighbouring access needed. If a body corporate is involved, give the committee a marked plan and a clear scope rather than a request to approve unspecified termite work. Our strata guide covers the broader coordination questions.
Separate the inspection date from the replenishment decision
An inspection checks the building and accessible conditions for evidence and risk; replenishment applies product through an identified system. They are related tasks, but one does not stand in for the other. Ask whether your appointment includes both and request separate descriptions of what each covers. If you have an inspection report recommending further investigation, do not assume a routine refill will close that recommendation without the contractor reviewing it.
Replenishment timing should be tied to the installed system, the actual product, its directions and the property's condition and service history. Do not take a generic interval from another house or a broad website article and treat it as your due date. The APVMA's chemical-selection advice explains how registered products and their labels can be checked. Ask the contractor to name the proposed product and explain why it is suitable for the system and treatment area.
If records are missing, request an assessment of the uncertainty. That might lead to document recovery, a system check, an inspection or a different treatment proposal. It should not lead to an invented previous treatment date. Tell the contractor about suspected current termite activity when booking so that it is considered separately from planned servicing. Avoid disturbing suspicious workings to make access easier; photographs and an undisturbed location give the inspector more useful evidence.
Review work done around the house since installation
Make a chronology of changes near the building: new paving, garden-bed levels, drainage repairs, air-conditioning services, a patio, an extension or removal of a tree close to the wall. You do not need to know whether each change affected the termite system. The chronology tells the inspector where to compare the original plan with the current layout. Include work commissioned by a previous owner if you have documents or dated photographs.
Before new works begin, show the termite plan to the person designing or quoting them. Ask how service access and the existing management system will be considered. Keep the termite contractor involved where the work may affect their system, rather than asking the landscaper to guess what a buried line does. QBCC's homeowner guidance warns that changes around the perimeter can compromise termite management. The practical response is coordinated scope before excavation, not an assumption that a later refill repairs every alteration.
After the work, retain photographs and ask whether a review or updated plan is required. If the contractor cannot confirm part of the system, get that limitation stated against the affected location. This matters on a Cairns home with a mix of original slab, later patio and landscaped side access: the original document may remain useful while no longer describing the whole property. Keep old and updated plans together so the history is understandable rather than replacing the older file with an unexplained sketch.
Compare a refill quote by its included work
Ask whether the quote includes reviewing the plan, identifying access points, checking suitability for servicing and documenting the application. Clarify whether a timber-pest inspection is included or separately priced. Request a description of the parts to be serviced, especially where the home has additions or uncertain records. A quote based only on a house address may need revision after assessment; knowing the assumptions makes that revision easier to judge.
Agree what happens if a fitting is damaged, a section cannot be confirmed or the system does not behave as expected during the professional checks. The contractor should explain the need for further assessment before presenting a completed service as if the whole network was verified. Ask whether repairs require separate authorisation and how the unserviced section will be identified in the report. A partial service can still be useful, but its limits need to be explicit.
Discuss household access and treatment precautions using the proposed method. Mention pets, ponds, vegetable gardens, rainwater collection and any activity around the work area. Get the preparation instructions before the visit so that family members and a gardener do not interfere unknowingly. Do not ask for a stronger mix as a substitute for proper design and application. The relevant questions are compatibility, coverage, access and records, not whether the contractor can add extra chemical for reassurance.
Check the service record before filing it away
After servicing, compare the report with the original scope. It should let you identify what was done, when, which system or sections were involved and any unresolved limitations. Ask the contractor to explain unfamiliar terms and missing locations while the visit is fresh. Keep any product information and the recommended inspection or service dates with the report. A paid invoice confirms a transaction; a usable service record explains the work.
If a repair or access problem remains, name its owner and next action. For example, the owner may need to arrange safe access before the termite provider can assess a concealed point. Keep that item visible in the folder instead of hiding it within a scanned invoice. Where an agent manages the property, send the relevant action separately so it can be scheduled without someone having to interpret the whole technical report.
Use the folder at the next inspection and when quoting future landscaping or selling the home. It should show the installation evidence, subsequent changes, inspections and servicing as a sequence. That sequence is more informative than saying the barrier was recently done. For broader choices, read the barrier comparison; for this existing system, the decision should rest on its identified configuration and present condition. This keeps replenishment connected to the house it is meant to protect.