Spray foam and lenders
Does the RICS spray-foam guide say every lender will refuse the property?
No. RICS explains why foam worries some lenders and surveyors, and what questions to ask. It does not publish a list of lenders who always refuse, and neither does this page. The only accurate step is to ask the lender, with the product details if you have them.
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?
Treat blog posts that say “no bank will touch it” as gossip. Criteria change and they differ between lenders. Your broker can ask, if you have one. You can ask. A refusal from one lender is not a refusal from the market. A refusal is also not something to hide by swapping lenders without telling them about the foam.
While you ask, read what the survey could not see. Even a lender who is content may leave you with an uninspected roof. That is your risk as the buyer, separate from the mortgage. You can still decide the unknown timber is a reason to walk away. That is a judgement, not a RICS ban.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- What could you not inspect, in a sentence a lender will understand?
- Are you advising removal, or recording a limitation?
- What paperwork would make your own inspection more useful?
What are the typical next steps?
- Ask this lender in writing.
- Do not rely on a forum list of “good” and “bad” banks.
- Decide separately whether you can live with a roof structure nobody has seen.
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
If one lender says yes, is the foam therefore fine?
It means that lender will proceed on their terms. It does not make the hidden timber visible. Read the survey limitation anyway.
Should you hide the foam from the valuer?
No. The valuer and the lender are assessing the property. Concealing a known covering is a bad idea and can become your problem later. This is not a trick question.