I had spray foam installed under ECO4 — am I stuck?
If your spray foam was installed free of charge under the ECO4 grant programme between 2018 and 2023, you're not alone — tens of thousands of UK households are in the same position. Here's why ECO4 installations specifically cause problems, and what you can do about it.
The ECO4 backstory
ECO4 (Energy Company Obligation, version 4) ran from April 2022 with significant volumes of grant-funded retrofit work. Spray foam was a popular insulation choice because it could be applied quickly and qualified for the grant. Households got their loft insulated at no upfront cost. The catch — which nobody flagged at the time — was that mortgage lenders would later refuse to lend on properties with spray foam in the roof void.
Why ECO4 installations are particularly affected
Some ECO4 installers used closed-cell foam without proper IMA/BBA documentation, and many sprayed directly onto the underside of slates or felt without separation membranes — the configurations lenders specifically refuse to lend on. By 2024, when lenders updated their criteria, hundreds of thousands of recently-grant-funded properties were caught.
If you're trying to sell, remortgage, release equity, or — for landlords — refinance a buy-to-let, the foam is now a barrier.
Are you entitled to free removal?
In some cases, yes. If your installation was incorrect (e.g. didn't follow BBA guidance), you may be entitled to remediation by the original installer or via the insurance-backed guarantee that came with the work. Check your installation paperwork for a guarantee number — IGGA, QualityMark Protection, or similar guarantee body — and contact them.
However, government has been clear (March 2026 Commons Library briefing) that there is no universal government scheme funding ECO4 spray foam removal. Most homeowners are paying out of pocket.
Your three real options
1) Pursue the installer for free remediation under the insurance-backed guarantee. Slow process, success rate variable.
2) Pay for professional removal and reclaim the cost from the installer or guarantee scheme afterwards. Fastest if your sale or remortgage is time-sensitive — but you bear the cost initially.
3) If you bought the property after ECO4 installation and weren't told about it, you may have a misrepresentation case against the seller. Speak to your conveyancing solicitor.
What removal costs
ECO4 installations are typically larger lofts (insulation grants prioritised energy-poor households with bigger heat loss). Total cost across West Yorkshire usually £3,500-7,500 for a typical 3-bed property, sometimes more for detached or large bungalows. We always quote in writing after a free survey, never on the phone.
Call 07375 937930.
Free survey within forty-eight hours across West Yorkshire.