Spray foam and lenders
What paperwork should a seller look for if foam was sprayed under the tiles?
Look for the installer’s invoice, the product data sheet, any guarantee, and whether the roof covering’s own guarantee survived the work. A home survey cannot recreate those papers from a yellow layer on the rafters.
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?
RICS’s consumer guide asks owners to be ready for lenders and surveyors to ask what was used and who installed it. The seller holds that file, if it exists. Your solicitor should ask. Papers that name an open-cell product used as an insulation layer are not the same as a closed-cell foam stuck to the underside of an old felt. The surveyor may not know which they are looking at.
If there are no papers, say so. The lender may then want the foam removed or the roof recovered so the timbers can be seen. That is their choice to confirm. A specialist roofer can say how this roof could be inspected. Inspection and removal are different quotes. Ask for both only if you need both.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Can you tell the product from the colour and the texture?
- What parts of the roof structure were hidden?
- Did you see condensation, staining or a rotten rafter at the edges of the foam?
What are the typical next steps?
- Put a document list in the solicitor’s enquiries: invoice, product, guarantee, date.
- If the file is empty, ask the lender what they will accept instead.
- Ask a roofer how they would inspect without a destructive strip, and what that would cost.
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
Is a ten-year guarantee on the foam a roof guarantee?
Not necessarily. Read what it guarantees. It may not cover the tiles, the felt or a later leak. It may not transfer to you.
Should the seller remove the foam before marketing?
Only if they are willing to do it properly. Bad removal can wreck the covering. The RICS guide is the warning. It is the seller’s decision, not a rule we are imposing.