Spray foam and lenders
What does a BBA or Kiwa certificate show on a spray-foam job, and what does it not show?
RICS says you should ask the installer for the contract, the calculations, the works to the roof, any guarantee, and any independent certificate such as a BBA or Kiwa certificate. That certificate is about the product or the system that was assessed. It is not a statement that this roof was suitable, or that your lender will accept the job.
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.
What is the fuller explanation?
The consumer guide draws a line between a warranty for the insulation material and a warranty for the design and the workmanship. A product certificate does not cross that line by itself. Surveyors and valuers still have to see the roof they can see, and lenders apply their own policy. RICS tells buyers to check with the mortgage provider whether that policy allows the product.
If the seller has a certificate and no photographs, no calculation and no note of what was done to the roof, you have only part of the pack the guide describes. Ask for the rest. If the rest does not exist, tell the lender the pack is incomplete rather than forwarding a logo and calling it approval.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Which documents exist for this installation, not for the product in general?
- Does the guarantee cover workmanship and design, or only the material?
- What could you still not see of the rafters?
What are the typical next steps?
- Collect the pack the RICS guide lists and send that, not a verbal summary, to the lender and the solicitor.
- If there is no pack, say so early. Do not wait until the valuation is booked.
- Do not treat a certificate on a different address as this installation.
Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.
Also asked about this
Does a BBA certificate expire?
Read the certificate. This page will not invent an expiry. The question for the lender is whether they accept this job, not whether a logo is famous.
Can the surveyor sign the certificate?
No. The surveyor reports the roof in front of them. The certificate sits with the body that issued it.