THI Foam Removal
Selling, remortgaging and lending
If spray foam has come up in a sale, a remortgage or a survey, it’s easy to feel you must act now. Here’s what the official guidance says, and who to speak to, in what order.
Removing the foam “will not always guarantee” that a lender will still lend.
Those are the words of the government’s guidance, published on 22 October 2026. It also warns that improper removal could lead to further issues. So talk to your lender and take specialist advice before you pay for any work, including ours.
In what order
Who to speak to first
- Find out exactly what’s being asked forHas a surveyor, valuer, lender or buyer actually asked for something? Ask to see it in writing. “Foam is a problem” and “removal is a condition of the loan” are very different statements.
- Speak to your lender or brokerAsk what they need to see for your property. Each lender sets its own requirements. A broker can compare several.
- Gather the paperworkThe installer’s handover pack helps: the pre-installation roof evaluation, the hygrothermal evaluation, the BBA or Kiwa certificate, installer details and any guarantee. If you don’t have it, the guidance says the installer or manufacturer should be able to provide it retrospectively.
- Take advice from a specialist surveyorThe guidance says only specialist surveyors experienced in spray foam can tell you whether it should be removed. Find one through the Property Care Association. They should know the March 2023 inspection protocol.
- Then decideThe report may say no action is needed, that something can be fixed, or that the foam should come out. If it’s removal, get written quotations, and check what your lender wants to see at the end.
Which lenders?
We link to the list, we don’t copy it
The government says many mortgage providers are open to lending on properties with spray foam, subject to their own requirements, and it publishes a list. Lenders can be added, so a copy here could soon be wrong.
Read the current list on gov.uk.
Being on that list isn’t a promise about your home. We can’t tell you what any lender will decide, and we won’t name a lender as accepting our paperwork.
What we can and can’t do
- Give you a written quotation for the work
- Give you a factual record of what was done and what was seen
- Share that record with your surveyor or lender, if you ask us to
- Tell you whether a lender will lend
- Say the foam needs to go, which is for a specialist surveyor
- Promise a date that meets your deadline before we’ve surveyed
Your situation
Questions that come up
I’m selling
Find out what the buyer’s surveyor or lender has asked for, and speak to your conveyancer. Whether you have to tell a buyer about the foam is one for your conveyancer, not for us.
I’m buying
Ask your own surveyor and lender. Your conveyancer can advise on what to raise with the seller. Foam on its own isn’t always a reason to walk away.
I’m remortgaging
Ask your current lender about a product transfer as well as a new lender’s position, since the requirements can differ. A broker can help.
Equity release
Take your time, and ask your adviser and provider first. If you enquire, we’ll have a person talk it through with you before any quotation.
I’ve inherited a home
Look for the installer’s paperwork, and take specialist advice before making any decision. There’s no need to decide straight away.
The foam went in under a government scheme
Schemes since 2020 had to use TrustMark-registered installers. If it was under 6 years ago and the installer is still trading, the guidance points to TrustMark’s dispute process. If they’ve gone, contact the guarantee provider. TrustMark can help you find them.
Deadlines
If you have a date to meet
Tell us the date and who set it when you enquire, and a person will review it. We can’t promise to meet it until we’ve seen the roof, and we won’t rush you into a decision because of it. If someone tells you a same-day decision is needed, that’s a reason to slow down.
If someone phoned or visited you about your foam, read our advice on cold callers.
Keep reading
Related pages
What the completion record confirms
And what it can’t.
Cost factors
What affects the price of removal.
Request a Loft Assessment
Start with your name, postcode and how you’d like us to get in touch. Tell us about any deadline if you have one. Everything else is optional, and “not sure” is fine.
We reply as soon as we can.