Spray foam insulation was installed in many UK homes over the last decade, often sold as a quick way to improve energy efficiency. Applied to the underside of a pitched roof, it can restrict ventilation, trap moisture against the roof timbers and hide them from view. That is why mortgage lenders, valuers and buyers now treat it with caution.
If you are selling, buying or remortgaging a property with spray foam, or you are concerned about the condition of your roof, an independent survey tells you exactly what is there and what, if anything, needs to be done.
Inspections are carried out by our associate chartered building surveyor, who has more than 10 years’ post-qualification experience and follows the latest RICS and Property Care Association (PCA) guidance and practice notes on sprayed foam insulation.
Not every installation is a problem. Open cell foam is more vapour-permeable, and some installations are properly designed and certified. The purpose of the survey is to replace assumptions with evidence.
A written report with photographs covering observations, analysis and recommendations, together with a method statement for removal where removal is advised. The method statement is included in the fee, so you or your contractor have a clear specification to work from.
An assessment of the likely cost of removal and any associated repairs can be added for an additional fee. It is often useful when negotiating a sale or purchase price.
Removing foam is not always the end of the matter. Removal methods vary in quality, and timbers that look sound on the surface can still be affected by hidden decay.
If foam has already been removed, the surveyor can inspect the exposed roof structure, take moisture readings and report on its condition, giving buyers and lenders the reassurance they need.
Guide fee
Includes identification of the foam, inspection of the roof structure, moisture readings, a written report and a method statement for removal. A cost assessment is available for an additional fee.
The fee depends on the size and type of roof and is confirmed before you instruct.
The property address, what you know about the foam, any installer paperwork and any lender or survey correspondence. Enquiries are normally answered within 24 to 48 hours.
You receive a fixed fee and the surveyor’s terms of engagement. You instruct and contract with the surveyor directly.
An inspection of the roof space and the external roof. Safe access to the loft is needed.
Findings, recommendations and, where removal is advised, a method statement for removal.
An estimate of the likely cost of removal and associated repairs, if you have asked for one.
Tell us the address, why you need the survey and anything you know about the foam, such as when it was installed and by whom. Call us on 020 7373 7373 or complete the form below and we will come back to you within 24 to 48 hours.
Specialist surveys are carried out by our associate chartered building surveyor. You instruct and contract with the surveyor directly, on his own terms of engagement.
Other specialist surveys: party wall surveys, specific defect reports, damp and mould surveys and licence to alter surveys.
Lender approaches vary and change. Many will not lend without a specialist report, and some require the foam to be removed. A survey to recognised guidance gives the lender the evidence it needs to make a decision.
Not necessarily. It depends on the type of foam, how it was installed and the condition of the roof. The survey recommends whether removal is advisable and, if so, how it should be done.
Open cell foam is softer and more vapour-permeable. Closed cell foam is denser, more rigid and less permeable, and is generally considered higher risk on pitched roofs because it can trap moisture and bond to timber.
From £1,000 + VAT, including a method statement for removal. A cost assessment is available for an additional fee.
The inspection is non-invasive and foam will not be cut away without your agreement. Where the condition of concealed timbers cannot be confirmed, the report will say so and explain what further investigation is needed.
The latest RICS and Property Care Association guidance and practice notes on the inspection of sprayed foam insulation in pitched roofs.
Often, yes. Buyers and lenders will want evidence that the removal was carried out properly and that the timbers are sound. A post-removal inspection provides it.
No. The surveyor is independent of installers and removal contractors. The method statement gives you a clear basis on which to obtain quotes.
