The government published guidance on spray foam insulation, removal and mortgage lending on 22 October 2026. Here it is in plain English, with links to the full guidance and every organisation it names.
We last checked the guidance on 6 November 2026.
Spray foam is a liquid insulation that expands and sets into a firm layer, usually on the underside of the roof in a loft. The guidance says it works well in many homes, but it isn't the right product for every home, and some installations need fixing or removing.
The deciding step is a survey. The government says only a specialist surveyor with spray foam experience can tell you whether yours should be removed, and that they should know the Property Care Association's Spray Foam Insulation Inspection Protocol (March 2023). The PCA has a find a specialist tool.
Source: GOV.UK spray foam guidance
Taking the foam out won't always mean a lender will lend, and the guidance warns that removal done badly can cause further problems. Ask your lender what they need to see before you book any work.
Source: GOV.UK spray foam guidance
The guidance lists these mortgage providers as open to lending on properties with spray foam, each subject to its own requirements:
So foam that stays in place isn't automatically a barrier to a mortgage, but each lender sets its own rules, so ask yours what it needs to see. Lenders can join the list at any time. Keep your installation paperwork to hand. If you don't have it, the installer or the manufacturer should be able to supply it after the event.
Source: GOV.UK spray foam guidance
The guidance doesn't give a checklist. It leaves the decision to a specialist survey. On ours we look at the roof structure, the condition of the timbers, moisture levels, ventilation, the roofing felt and the foam itself. We don't automatically recommend removal or a new roof: we tell you what genuinely needs attention and what may not need any work, with photos, moisture readings where they help, and clear recommendations you can show your surveyor or lender.
Sometimes the answer is that the foam was installed correctly. One customer's Google review of a survey with Dean:
"He actually told us that, in our case, the spray foam had been fitted correctly — which he explained is very rare. It had been applied onto a proper backing card, there was excellent ventilation throughout, no condensation, and the rafters were in solid condition."
They still chose to have it removed for peace of mind, which is their call to make. And when foam does need to come out, it doesn't always mean a new roof. A Midlands homeowner had been told by several roofers that closed-cell foam meant a whole new roof, at about £20,000. Our two-hour inspection found it could be removed carefully by hand, with no new roof and no abrasive ice blasting, and we did it for £8,000, documented, signed off and certificated.
Whatever the survey finds, the guidance's advice stands: speak to your lender before any work starts.
Since 2020, spray foam fitted under government schemes has had to be installed by a TrustMark-registered installer. If there's a problem with yours, it went in less than six years ago and the installer is still trading, you can use the TrustMark dispute resolution process. Your installation paperwork names the installer and the scheme provider; if not, search the installer on TrustMark's Find a Business page. If that doesn't settle it, the next step is the Dispute Resolution Ombudsman.
If the installer has stopped trading, go to the provider of your insurance-backed guarantee, which the guidance says typically lasts up to 10 years. Lost the paperwork? TrustMark can tell you who the provider is. For foam fitted before 2020, look in your paperwork for a guarantee, a scheme, a certification body or a quality mark, and contact them.
Source: GOV.UK spray foam guidance
The guidance notes a rise in cold calls and unsolicited offers to sell or remove spray foam. You can report them to trading standards, and if you think an installer passed your details to a removal company, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office.
Source: GOV.UK spray foam guidance
We carry out specialist spray foam and roof surveys, which tell you whether the foam needs to come out and what the roof under it needs. When it does, we do the spray foam removal and, as roofers, any felt, timber or roof work behind it, with photos and documents for your lender and surveyor. See our Acorn Drive job in Belper, which went on to pass with HSBC.
Tell us what your surveyor or lender has said and we'll tell you what it needs.