Spray foam surveys: what an independent inspection covers

Government guidance says you should get advice from a specialist surveyor before deciding anything about spray foam, and that your surveyor should be familiar with the Sprayed Foam Insulation Inspection Protocol (March 2023), produced by the PCA and the Residential Property Surveyors Association. Here's what that inspection looks at, so you know what you're paying for.

What the surveyor records

The roof itself

• How the roof is built and the condition of its coverings and underlays
• Its approximate age and any repairs, renewals or additions
• Features such as hips, valleys, dormers, parapets and flashings
• Any signs of water getting in, staining, mould, fungal decay or wood-boring insects
• The moisture content of the main roof timbers

The foam

• Whether it appears to be open-cell or closed-cell
• What it's sprayed onto – an underlay, sarking boards, spacer cards, or directly onto tiles or slates (the protocol says surveyors shouldn't assume, and should say if they can't tell)
• Whether it covers every slope, gable and party wall, and roughly how thick it is
• Whether timbers are fully encapsulated
• Workmanship issues – uneven finish, flaking, overspray, gaps, cracks, poor bonding, or poor work around flues and chimneys

The loft space and the rooms below

• Whether the loft is ventilated or sealed, and whether there's also insulation or a vapour control layer at ceiling level
• Extract fans or positive input ventilation venting into or drawing from the loft
• Downlighters through the ceiling, foam covering cables or plastic pipes, and uncovered water tanks
• Whether the rooms below appear adequately ventilated

Visual inspection or deeper investigation?

The protocol is a framework for non-invasive visual inspections. It says a visual inspection before purchase needs a different level of knowledge from a specialist evaluation involving sampling, opening up and calculations, and that surveyors should only report on what's within their experience. If the visual inspection can't answer the key questions, expect a recommendation for further investigation.

What the report will conclude

The protocol suggests three kinds of conclusion:

1. the foam doesn't significantly increase the risk of defects, and no action is needed now;
2. the risk is increased, and further advice should be sought to reduce it; or
3. there isn't enough information, and further investigation is needed.

Ask for the report in writing with photos, and check it clearly states any assumptions and areas the surveyor couldn't access.

Choosing a surveyor

The joint industry customer guidance recommends an assessor who belongs to an appropriate body such as the PCA, RPSA, RICS or CABE, knows the March 2023 protocol, has professional indemnity insurance, and declares any commercial interest – for example, if they also profit from removal work. RICS likewise recommends advice from independent experts with no commercial link to the installer or manufacturer.

To be open about our own position: we introduce both assessors and removal specialists and may be paid by them. If you want a fully independent opinion, ask us for an assessor who doesn't carry out removals.

What it costs

One published UK cost guide puts an independent assessment report at around £250–£600. More detailed investigations involving opening up or calculations may cost more. See our cost guide for sources.

Before the visit

• Clear safe access to the loft hatch and some space to move around
• Have any installation paperwork, guarantees and earlier survey or valuation comments ready
• Tell the surveyor about any sale, remortgage or equity release deadline

Related guides

• Spray foam & mortgages
• Removal costs
• Selling a house with spray foam
• Spray foam & equity release
• Is spray foam insulation bad?

Sources

1. GOV.UK – Spray foam insulation: remediation, removal and lending (22 Oct 2026)
2. PCA/RPSA – Sprayed Foam Insulation Inspection Protocol (March 2023)
3. PCA, IMA, RPSA et al. – Spray Foam Customer Guidance (2025)
4. RICS – Spray foam insulation consumer guide
5. PCA – Find a specialist
6. InsulationMatch – Spray foam removal cost UK 2026

Sources checked 29 October 2026. Guidance changes – always confirm with your lender and a qualified surveyor.