About Lignum Timber Inspections

Why a borer-only service, and not general pest control?

Borer is a timber question before it is a pest question. The common house borer, the native two-toothed longhorn, the powderpost beetle and the huhu each leave different holes and dust, attack different timbers and point to different follow-up, so the useful skill is reading the wood. Concentrating on that one problem keeps the findings specific and keeps the advice honest about when nothing needs doing.

Most older Auckland houses carry some borer holes, and many of those holes are decades old. A service whose answer is always a spray would not serve buyers or owners well. Here the inspection is the product: the borer inspection page sets out every line the inspector fills in, and the pre-purchase borer check explains how the visit fits a buyer's condition dates.

What each visit records, line by line

Every inspection fills in the same six fields for each part of the house, so a finding in the roof space can be compared with one under the floor and read later by someone who was not there: the species, the activity, the timber, the moisture, a structural flag and the next step. Areas that cannot be reached safely are written down as not inspected rather than guessed at.

• Species

  Read from hole shape and size, dust texture and the timber involved.

• Activity

  Fresh, pale holes and dust that returns after cleaning, against dark, weathered holes.

• Timber

  Sapwood edges, heartwood, native or radiata, finished or bare.

• Moisture

  Subfloor damp, blocked vents, leaks: the conditions that keep borer going.

• Structural flag

  Timber that dents or crumbles under a probe goes to a builder.

• Next step

  Leave it, treat before the next emergence, recheck, or refer for repair.

How to read a finished set of findings is covered in the guide to reading a borer report.

What sits outside the service

A borer inspection is not a building inspection and does not produce a building report under NZS 4306, the standard for a visual whole-house survey. It does not cover weathertightness, wiring, plumbing or consents. It does not include structural repairs, which are quoted by a builder, and it does not offer tented whole-house fumigation, which Consumer NZ notes is not usually suitable for houses.

• Building reports: buyers usually need one as well; the two answer different questions.
• Repairs: with your agreement the findings go to a builder who quotes the work. See borer damage repair.
• Exotic termites: a biosecurity matter for the Ministry for Primary Industries, not something to treat privately first.

The New Zealand rules the work sits under

Several pieces of New Zealand law shape what happens after a borer finding. Insecticides and preservatives are hazardous substances under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 and are applied to their label directions. Repairs to damaged timber fall under the Building Act 2004. Buyers dealing with agents are protected by the real estate conduct rules on disclosing known defects.

Timber treatment history matters too: boron treatment of framing began in 1952, untreated kiln-dried framing was allowed from September 1995, and treated framing was required again for consents from 1 April 2004, according to Standards New Zealand. That timeline is why the build year of each part of a house is noted.

Where the service travels

The service is mobile and covers all of Auckland, from Takapuna and Birkenhead on the North Shore to Titirangi in the west, the central villa suburbs, Onehunga and Botany. There is no shopfront or office to visit: the inspector comes to the property, and the fee is the same wherever in Auckland the house stands.

Local notes on housing age, ground and character overlays are collected under locations, with a page for each suburb where older timber houses are common.

How the fee works

An inspection booked here costs $285 + GST. The fee is credited against the treatment if you go ahead with the recommended work through the same operator. If the findings show only old, inactive damage, nothing more is needed and the fee covers the visit and the written findings. Treatment figures shown on this site are published Auckland ranges, and the actual price for a house is confirmed in writing after it has been seen.

The full breakdown, including what moves a treatment price, is on the borer prices page.

Who carries out the work

This site arranges the visit and takes the booking. The inspection and any treatment are done by an independent Auckland timber-pest operator who works with this site, and booking requests are sent to that operator directly. The partner is not named on this site, and no staff, licences, reviews or years in business are claimed here, because none of that should be taken on trust from a web page. Ask the inspector directly about qualifications and insurance when they call.

The booking steps are set out on how it works, and phone, email and hours are on phone and hours.

Where to go from here

• Borer inspectionWhat a borer inspection records, part by part, and what it costs
• Pre-purchase borer inspectionA borer check timed to your building condition, read alongside the building report
• Reading a borer reportEach line of borer inspection findings explained, and what it means for a buying or repair decision
• LocationsAuckland suburbs with local notes on housing age, ground and borer risk