THI Foam Removal
What a removal certificate confirms, and what it doesn’t
You’ll often see “certificate” offered with spray foam removal. We call ours a completion record, because that’s what it is: a factual account of the work, not an approval.
No completion record, from us or anyone else, can guarantee that a lender, valuer, insurer or buyer will accept a property.
We haven’t found any lender publishing criteria for accepting a removal contractor’s certificate, or any recognised standard for one. Before you rely on one, ask your lender what evidence they want to see.
The limits
What it can and can’t confirm
It can confirm
- Who did the work, where, when, and which areas of the roof were covered
- The foam as found: type, location, area, and the removal method
- The condition of visible timbers, underlay and fixings when inspected, with readings and dates
- What was repaired or replaced, what residue remains, and what couldn’t be reached
- Who carried the waste, and the transfer reference
- What was reinstated afterwards
- Any assessment by a named independent surveyor, if attached
It can’t confirm
- That a lender, valuer, insurer or buyer will accept the property
- That the roof is sound beyond what was visible and measured
- That timbers will stay dry in future
- That the foam needed removing, which only a specialist surveyor can say
- That no foam remains in places that couldn’t be inspected
- Compliance with Building Regulations, unless Building Control or a competent person scheme has said so
- Any endorsement by RICS, the PCA or TrustMark
- Independence: the company that removed the foam is describing its own work
Checklist
What a good completion record covers
Whoever removes your foam, ask before the work starts what record you’ll get, and check it covers these points.
| Section | What it should say |
|---|---|
| Job reference and dates | A job reference, and the survey, start and completion dates |
| People attending | Names and roles, with competence evidence held on file |
| Scope and variations | Exactly which areas were included, and any changes agreed in writing |
| Independent assessment relied on | Surveyor’s name, qualification and date, or “No independent specialist assessment was provided” |
| Foam as found | The type of foam, what it was applied to, its depth and area, and how the type was identified |
| Method and protection | How it was removed, and how dust was contained |
| Asbestos pre-check | Type of assessment and its outcome |
| Condition after removal | Timbers, underlay, battens and tiles. Moisture readings with location, instrument and date. Areas not accessible, and why |
| Repairs and residue | What was repaired or replaced, and what residue remains, described factually |
| Reinstatement | Material, thickness and ventilation. Any Building Control reference |
| Waste | Carrier, registration number, transfer note reference and classification |
| Photographs | An index of dated photographs: before, during and after |
| Limitations | Visual inspection only, and conditions at that date. Not a structural or surveyor’s report. Not a guarantee of acceptance by any lender, valuer, buyer or insurer |
| Cover and complaints | Workmanship terms, kept separate from any product warranty, and how to raise a concern |
| Sign-off | Signature and date of a named, competent person. An independent surveyor signs only their own statement, disclosing any commercial relationship with THI |
FAQs
Questions about the record
Why not just call it a certificate?
A “certificate” can sound like an approval from an authority. No recognised removal standard or lender criteria exist for one that we’ve found, so we use a name that says what it is.
Will my lender accept it?
We can’t say. Removal “will not always guarantee” that a lender will still lend, in the words of the government’s guidance. Ask your lender what they need before you commit.
Is it the same as a surveyor’s report?
No. A specialist surveyor gives an independent opinion. This record is the contractor’s account of the work and what was seen. Some people ask a specialist to re-inspect afterwards, which you can arrange separately.
Can you send it to my solicitor or lender?
Yes, if you ask us to. It’s your record, and we share it only with your consent.
Keep reading
Related pages
Selling, remortgaging and lending
Who to talk to, and in what order.
How removal works
The stages, from survey to records.
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