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Spray foam and lenders

Why does the RICS spray-foam guide ask for photographs from before the foam was sprayed?

Because once the foam is on, the surveyor cannot see the timbers, the felt and the defects that were there already. RICS says records and photographs should be taken before, during and after the work and kept with the handover information. Without them, a later buyer cannot show a valuer what the roof looked like.

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 guide is written for people having foam installed and for people buying a house that already has it. The same photographs serve both. They show whether vents were blocked, whether rotten rafters were foamed over, and whether the covering was already tired. A home survey conducted years later cannot recreate those pictures. The surveyor can only describe the foam they see and the limits that follow.

Ask the seller for that set. If they never had it, that is the fact to give the lender. Do not stage new photographs of a small cut-out and present them as a record of the whole roof. Removal, if the lender insists, is a roofer’s job and can damage the covering. Get a method before anyone cuts.

What should you ask your surveyor?

  • What can you no longer see that those photographs would have shown?
  • Are you able to comment on the rafters at all?
  • What should we tell a valuer about the limits of this inspection?

What are the typical next steps?

  1. Request the before, during and after photographs in writing.
  2. If they do not exist, tell the lender before the valuation inspection.
  3. Do not cut inspection hatches through the foam on a viewing.

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 dated invoice a substitute for photographs?

It shows someone was paid. It does not show the timber. RICS asks for both kinds of record. Pass on what you actually have.

Can a drone replace the loft photographs?

A drone sees the outside. The foam problem is on the inside. They answer different questions.

Sources