Spray foam and lenders
Why is a mortgage valuer’s note about spray foam not the same as the home survey?
The valuer is reporting to the lender under the lender’s rules. The home survey is reporting to you about condition. RICS says spray foam affects lender decisions and that you should check the lender’s policy. A sentence on a valuation is not a condition rating of the rafters, and your survey is not the lender’s consent.
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?
People forward the valuation as if it were a building survey. It is usually a short comment: foam present, refer to lender. Your Level 2 or Level 3 may say more about whether the timbers could be seen. RICS is clear that foam can hide the underside of the roof. If your surveyor could not see the timbers, that limit stands even if the valuer used fewer words.
Ask the lender what evidence they want. Ask the surveyor what they could see. Do not average the two into “roof condemned”. Papers, a specialist roof report, or removal are the usual paths, and the lender chooses among their own criteria. There is no RICS fine for having foam. There is a practical problem if the lender will not proceed.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- What could you see of the timbers, given the foam?
- Are you making a condition rating, or noting a limitation?
- Do you know this lender’s rule? If not, say so.
What are the typical next steps?
- Ask the lender in writing. Do not rely on the valuer’s shorthand.
- Read the home survey for what was inspected, not only the valuation.
- If both say the timbers are hidden, budget an inspection that can actually see them, or ask the lender whether they will accept the papers.
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
Can you change lender instead of removing foam?
That is a mortgage question. Policies differ. RICS tells you to check the policy. It does not say all lenders refuse.
Does a home survey bind the lender?
No. You commissioned it. They commissioned the valuation. They can still say no.