FRAEW & PAS 9980 External Wall Fire Risk Appraisal London

They are related but not identical. FRAEW means Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls, the appraisal itself. PAS 9980:2026 is the published code of practice that sets out the risk-based methodology commonly used to carry out a FRAEW on an existing multi-storey, multi-occupied residential building. In practice people often say FRAEW and PAS 9980 together because most FRAEWs follow the PAS 9980 method, but the FRAEW is the appraisal and PAS 9980 is the methodology behind it.

A FRAEW looks at how the external wall construction could contribute to fire spread on an existing residential building. That includes the cladding and any insulation, render, sheathing boards, spandrel and infill panels, balconies and their construction, attachments and fixings, cavities and cavity barriers, and the relationship of the wall to escape routes and the wider fire strategy. It weighs the materials and construction against the building context and produces a proportionate, risk-based conclusion rather than a simple pass or fail.

PAS 9980 applies to existing multi-storey, multi-occupied residential buildings where the external wall system needs a proportionate fire risk appraisal. Whether a FRAEW is needed for a particular building depends on its height, construction and materials, any previous assessments, lender or valuer enquiries, leaseholder sale or remortgage pressure, and the building safety duties on the responsible person or accountable person. We help clients work out whether a FRAEW is actually required and what evidence already exists, rather than commissioning work that may not be needed.

Managing agents, freeholders, resident management companies, right to manage companies, housing associations, local authorities, developers and professional advisers commonly instruct this work. It is typically triggered by external wall or cladding concerns, lender or sale enquiries, building safety duties, or a cladding remediation and funding route. The output is used to inform stakeholders, plan investigation and support remediation and funding decisions.

Yes. Managing agents very commonly instruct this work on behalf of, or alongside, the freeholder or the building owner. We make the basis of appointment and the scope clear so the advice can be relied on by the freeholder, the resident management company or right to manage company, leaseholders and, where relevant, lenders. Acting independently of contractors means the conclusions are objective and defensible for all stakeholders.

Yes. The work typically includes a site inspection of the external wall and visible cladding, review of available drawings, fire strategy and operation and maintenance information, and an assessment of construction and fire spread risk. Where the visible evidence is insufficient to reach a reliable conclusion, we say so and recommend intrusive opening-up or specialist testing rather than over-stating certainty from limited access.

Yes. Where intrusive opening-up is needed to confirm the external wall build-up, the presence and condition of cavity barriers, or insulation and sheathing types, we can scope and coordinate that investigation, including access, contractor liaison and reinstatement, and then incorporate the findings into the appraisal. The aim is to base the risk conclusion on verified evidence rather than assumption.

Not automatically. EWS1 is a separate lender and valuation-facing form, and it is not a life-safety certificate. FRAEW findings can inform an EWS1 discussion, but whether an EWS1 can be completed, and by whom, depends on the building, the assessor's competence and the appointment scope. We are explicit about that distinction rather than implying a FRAEW automatically delivers an EWS1.

Yes. FRAEW and PAS 9980 findings often sit at the start of a remediation journey. They help define the risk, the investigation still required, the remediation options and the stakeholder and funding priorities. Where works follow, we can support options appraisal, technical scope, pre-tender advice and project advisory, so the remediation is built on a clear evidence base.

Yes, where a building is eligible. We can support evidence gathering, technical report coordination and the building information that Cladding Safety Scheme or Building Safety Fund routes rely on. Eligibility and acceptance are determined by the scheme and the relevant body, not by us; our role is to make the technical evidence robust and well organised so the funding route is properly supported.

We provide RICS regulated building surveying and external wall advisory support. Where formal FRAEW sign-off, statutory fire risk assessment, fire engineering opinion or EWS1 certification is required, we confirm appointment scope, competence and professional indemnity insurance before proceeding, and coordinate with competent fire engineers or specialist assessors where required. This careful boundary protects the client and ensures the right professional signs the right document for the scope it was produced for.

There is no single law that names a FRAEW or PAS 9980 assessment as mandatory. In England the responsible person for a building has duties under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, clarified by the Fire Safety Act 2021 as covering external walls and flat entrance doors, to assess and manage fire risk. Where the external wall construction could affect that risk, a proportionate appraisal such as a FRAEW is often how those duties are addressed. Whether one is needed depends on the building's height, construction, materials and the concerns raised, so we help clients judge that first.

PAS 9980:2026 expects the appraisal to be carried out by someone with the right competence for the specific building, drawing on fire, facade and construction knowledge rather than a single fixed qualification. For simpler cases a suitably experienced professional may be enough; more complex external walls can need a fire engineer or a multi-disciplinary team. We are explicit about the competence an instruction requires, confirm appointment scope and professional indemnity insurance, and coordinate with competent fire engineers or specialist assessors where a building calls for input beyond building surveying.