How much does termite damage repair cost?

An average termite repair costs $5,000 to $10,000, according to trade directory LocalTradeGuide (June 2026). Small fixes like new skirting cost far less, while damaged floor joists or wall frames can pass $15,000.

Below are repair prices from minor to structural, what treatment costs, who does what and in what order, why insurance rarely pays, and the termite rules in Queensland. These are market prices from cost guides, checked on 5 October 2026. They are not a quote from us.

How much does termite damage repair cost?

It depends on which timber the termites reached. Trim like skirting is cheap to replace. Framing and floors cost thousands.

The first five rows are general carpentry and plastering prices, not termite prices. They show what the trim and lining part of a repair costs. We could not find a published price for bearers on their own.

A Brisbane pest manager quoted by Domain in March 2026 put it simply. Minor early damage "may cost several thousand dollars", and once structural timber is hit, repairs can reach "the tens of thousands or more".

What does a minor termite repair cost?

A minor repair, where only trim like skirting or architraves is damaged, is usually priced by the metre. What's The Damage's Gold Coast page puts skirting at $20 to $54 a metre (typically $34) and architraves at $10 to $44 a metre (typically $18). So 5 metres of skirting would be about $100 to $270 in labour, before paint (our sum).

Door frames are another common repair. We could not find a published price for a door frame on its own. The closest figures are a door repair or rehang at $98 to $295, and a door installation at $245 to $635, on the same Gold Coast page.

The catch with "minor" damage is that you often cannot see how far it goes. Canstar notes that termites in walls are often invisible to the naked eye, so the frame behind a damaged skirting board can be hit too. Get the repair quote after a pest inspection, not before, so the carpenter can see the pest manager's report.

What does structural termite damage cost to fix?

Structural repairs usually cost thousands, and often tens of thousands. LocalTradeGuide puts wall framing at $2,000 to $15,000 or more, and floor joists at $5,000 to $25,000 or more (June 2026).

Structural timber is the part that holds the house up:

• Wall frames are the studs and plates inside the walls. Fixing them means taking off the wall lining first, then patching and painting after.
• Floor joists are the timbers the floorboards sit on.
• Bearers are the big beams under the joists that rest on the stumps or piers.

Access adds to the cost. Work under a floor can mean propping it, lifting boards or working in a tight subfloor. What's The Damage says bills for severe damage "can easily reach $50,000-$100,000+" (October 2026).

Repair work valued over $3,300 must be done by someone with a QBCC licence. For structural repairs, an engineer or building certifier has the final word on what your house needs.

How much does termite treatment cost on the Gold Coast?

A termite inspection costs $245 to $490 on What's The Damage's Gold Coast page, with $295 typical (October 2026). Treatment costs more.

Source: What's The Damage (Gold Coast page, October 2026). Its national page adds that a chemical barrier on an existing home lasts about 5 to 8 years, and baiting systems cost $500 to $1,000 a year to monitor. These are the pest manager's costs. The carpentry repair is on top.

Who fixes termite damage, and in what order?

A licensed pest manager deals with the termites first, then a carpenter or builder fixes the timber. Doing it the other way round means putting new timber in front of an active colony.

1. Leave them alone. The Queensland Government's advice is "don't disturb them" and call a licensed pest manager (2009). Canstar also suggests professional help over hardware store products, as colonies are hard to get rid of.
2. Inspection and treatment. Chemical termite management needs a QBCC licence at any job value. Canstar says the first step is a pest inspection.
3. Confirm they are gone. Wait until the pest manager confirms the activity has stopped before any timber goes back in.
4. Repairs. A carpenter replaces the damaged timber. For structural work, a builder, engineer or certifier may also be involved.
5. Ongoing checks. Book regular inspections so a new colony is caught early.

The QBCC also warns that renovations and landscaping can damage your termite management system. So tell your carpenter what system you have before work starts.

Does home insurance cover termite damage?

Almost never. Choice reviewed 86 home insurance policies and found more than half specifically exclude the "action of termites" (April 2026). The rest exclude insect damage more broadly.

Canstar says most insurers exclude damage by insects, vermin and pests, termites included, because dealing with pests is seen as normal home maintenance (February 2025). Finder gives the other reason: insurance is for sudden damage, and termite damage happens slowly (March 2024).

Finder also notes that some pest control companies offer timber replacement cover when you have a full termite system installed. These usually last 3 to 5 years and need yearly inspections. They are not the same as insurance, so read what they cover.

If you want to check your own policy, look in the Product Disclosure Statement for the exclusions on insects, vermin or pests. That is where the termite wording usually sits.

How big is the termite risk on the Gold Coast?

High. The QBCC says termites are "a problem for homeowners throughout Queensland", and most aggressive in North Queensland. A Queensland Government statement from 2007 said "virtually every area" of the state is open to termite attack. It added that a home on a concrete slab still has a "high" risk.

Brisbane, just to the north, shows up in the data. Airtasker's analysis of pest control jobs from 2020 to 2025 ranked South Brisbane and West Brisbane among the top termite areas in Australia. The Gold Coast was not in that top list.

Nationally, Canstar quotes the University of Technology Sydney: termites cause more than $1.5 billion of damage to homes each year. Any home with timber floors, decks or stumps has timber for termites to eat. Our deck restoration guide covers what to look for under a deck.

What are the termite rules for new building work?

New houses and other new building work in termite areas must have termite protection under the National Construction Code 2022, Part 3.4, which still applies in Queensland. The system must meet Australian Standard AS 3660.1.

• Main structural parts made of steel, aluminium, concrete, masonry, fibre cement, or termite-resistant or treated timber do not need extra protection.
• A durable notice must be fixed to the building. It says what system was used, when it went in, how long any chemical lasts, and how often to inspect.
• The QBCC says this notice is usually in your electrical meter box.

That list is a useful guide for repairs too. Damaged timber replaced with a termite-resistant or treated timber is less at risk next time. Our decking timber guide covers which timbers resist termites. A certifier has the final word on what your job needs.

How often should I get a termite inspection?

At least once a year. The QBCC's termite advice for home owners is to have a licensed pest controller inspect and report on your property every year, or more often in high hazard areas. It also says to check your termite management system yourself.

Signs to look for, from the Brisbane pest manager quoted by Domain:

• mud tubes along walls
• timber that sounds hollow when tapped
• bubbling paint
• discarded wings near windowsills

What's The Damage puts the case plainly: a $350 pest inspection can catch termites before they cause $50,000 or more in structural damage (August 2026).

We do termite damage repairs across the Gold Coast, replacing skirting, door frames and damaged timber once your pest manager has dealt with the termites. We are carpenters, not pest managers. See our carpentry work on the Gold Coast.

Where do these figures come from?

Checked on 5 October 2026: What's The Damage (Gold Coast carpenter, plastering and pest control costs, and national pest control costs, all October 2026; true cost of owning a home, August 2026), LocalTradeGuide (termite treatment cost, June 2026), Domain (March 2026), Choice (home insurance and animal damage, April 2026), Canstar (termite treatment cost, February 2025), Finder (home insurance for termites, March 2024) and Airtasker (pest-infested cities, data to July 2025). Rules and advice from the Australian Building Codes Board (NCC 2022 Part 3.4), the QBCC (protect against termites, March 2024; when you need a licence, August 2021) and Queensland Government media statements (2007 and 2009). The 5-metre skirting total is our sum. We will check the prices again every three months.

See our carpentry work, or check what your job will cost.