The short answer
It can be difficult. Following a BBC investigation reported in the conveyancing press, at least one major equity release provider said it would not lend on a home with spray foam in the roof. Other lenders consider cases individually, and stances have shifted since. Whether you can proceed depends on the provider, the valuer's report and the evidence you can show about the foam and the timbers.
Why equity release providers worry about foam
Equity release is a loan secured on your home, repaid when you die or move into care, and the provider needs confidence that the property will keep its value for many years. A roof covered in spray foam creates two uncertainties. The first is condition: the RICS consumer guide explains that damp may sit unseen behind the foam and the roof becomes hard to inspect, so a valuer cannot confirm the rafters are sound. The second is resale: if buyers and their lenders are cautious about foam, the home may be harder to sell when the loan comes due.
Providers deal with this in different ways. Some decline the application outright. Others instruct a surveyor to inspect the loft, ask for evidence of how and when the foam was fitted, or make an offer conditional on removal. Their rules are not published in one place, and they change. This page gives the position as reported to date, and you should always ask the provider's adviser what applies today.
What has been reported
A report in Today's Conveyancer, drawing on a BBC investigation, listed lenders' stances on mortgages. TSB, Skipton, Co-operative Bank and Principality said they would not lend on homes with spray foam, and Aviva said the same for equity release. Lloyds, Nationwide, Barclays, NatWest and Santander said they would assess it case by case. Those stances were dated, and the Co-operative Bank was later reported to have relaxed its position with controls in May 2025. Treat all of this as a snapshot, not a rule, and say "some lenders" when you talk to anyone about it.
The central message from the industry is that lenders mainly want proof that the foam was installed properly and that someone is accountable for it. A surveyor inspection protocol has been developed by the Property Care Association, as reported by the mortgage trade press in December 2023. That is the direction of travel, though it does not mean every case is accepted. Our page on spray foam and mortgages covers the same ground for ordinary home loans.
Age and plans matter to the provider too. Equity release is usually taken by older homeowners who intend to stay in the property for years, and a lender wants to know the roof will not need major spending that eats into the remaining equity. If a survey shows a roof that is dry and sound, with a covering that has years left, that is reassuring. If it shows damp or a covering near failure, the provider will want the fault repaired first, and it is better to learn that before you apply.
What evidence helps
If you want to apply with foam in place, gather the paperwork before you start: the installer's contract and invoice, the product data sheet, any certificates and guarantees, and records of the thickness and areas covered. Our page on spray foam paperwork lists what to look for. Add an independent survey of the roof showing moisture readings on any accessible timber, photographs of the foam and the covering, and a statement on the ventilation. A report that shows dry timber and a sound roof is far more useful to a lender's adviser than a promise.
We survey foamed roofs and photograph the evidence, but we cannot guarantee that a provider will accept it. Some will want a chartered surveyor's opinion, and we are roofers, so we supply the roof facts, not the lending decision. If you are mid-application, ask the provider what form of report it will accept before commissioning one.
When removal is the way forward
If the provider will not proceed with foam in place, or the survey finds damp, removal can change the picture. The foam is taken off, the timber is checked and repaired, and the roof is re-insulated with a conventional build-up that valuers recognise. Typical UK ranges reported for removal are £40 to £80 per square metre, and a three-bedroom loft is often quoted at £2,000 to £4,500, with the fixed price following the survey. It is a cost, but compared with a stalled application or a reduced loan, some homeowners find it worthwhile. See spray foam removal for how it is done.
It is wise to speak to an independent adviser before committing to either route, as equity release is a major financial decision. We can describe what is in your roof. The advice on the loan is for someone qualified to give it. Our spray foam page describes the roof side of the service.
Every roof is different. A free survey with photos settles it for yours.
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