External walls and cladding: what a PAS 9980 appraisal is

A fire risk appraisal of external walls, known as an FRAEW, is a specialist assessment of whether a block’s cladding, insulation and other wall materials could help a fire to spread, and what, if anything, should be done about it. It is carried out to PAS 9980, a code of practice published by the British Standards Institution (BSI).

Why external walls are assessed

After the Grenfell Tower fire, the Fire Safety Act 2021 made clear that the fire safety law for blocks of flats covers the structure and the external walls, including cladding, balconies and windows. The fire risk assessment for a building therefore has to consider them.

That does not mean every block needs an FRAEW. Where the fire risk assessor can see that the walls are ordinary brick or masonry with nothing that would spread fire, no further appraisal is normally needed. An FRAEW is for buildings where the make-up of the walls is uncertain or a cause for concern.

What PAS 9980 is

PAS 9980 was first published in January 2022. A revised edition, PAS 9980:2026, was published in September 2026. BSI says the revision brings more structure to assessments and is not meant to change the purpose of the standard or the way risk is assessed. Reports competently produced under the 2022 edition remain valid.

It is written for fire engineers and other competent building professionals, not for residents or managing agents to apply themselves.
It is based on risk, not on a simple pass or fail. The assessor weighs the fire performance of the materials, the way the outside of the building is put together, and the building’s fire strategy and hazards.
Height matters. The fewer the storeys, the lower the risk the walls are likely to pose.
It stresses proportion. The aim is to reach a tolerable level of safety without putting residents to unnecessary cost.
Having an appraisal done does not mean a building is unsafe.

What an appraisal involves

The assessor reviews drawings and records, inspects the building and, where the records are not enough, opens up small areas of the wall to see what is behind the surface. The report gives the risk a rating and recommends one of three things: no action, proportionate measures to reduce the risk, or remediation of part or all of the wall system.

FRAEW and EWS1: the difference

The two are often confused. An FRAEW is a fire safety assessment for the people responsible for the building. An EWS1 form is a document created for mortgage valuers. It is not a legal requirement and it is not a safety certificate. Whether a lender asks for one depends on the lender and the building.

Who pays if work is needed

The Building Safety Act 2022 protects many leaseholders in buildings of at least 11 metres or five storeys. Some buildings where the leaseholders collectively own the freehold are excluded. A leaseholder with a qualifying lease cannot be charged for removing or replacing unsafe cladding, and there are limits on what they can be charged for other historical safety defects. The rules on who qualifies are detailed, so check your own position.

Funding for cladding work is available through the government’s Cladding Safety Scheme. The application is made by whoever is responsible for the building, such as the freeholder, the Residents’ Management Company or the Right to Manage company, and it needs an FRAEW to PAS 9980 carried out by an assessor from the scheme’s approved panel. Many developers have also signed a contract with the government to put right buildings they built.

Taller buildings

For buildings of 18 metres or seven storeys and above, the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 require the responsible person to give the fire and rescue service information about the design and materials of the external walls, and to tell them about any significant change.

What residents can do

Do not use a barbecue on a balcony or store things that burn easily there.
Report damaged or loose cladding or panels to your managing agent.
Read the fire action notice for your building. The evacuation advice sometimes changes after an external wall appraisal.
Ask your managing agent what the fire risk assessment says about the external walls of your building.

Alongside the 2026 edition, the government published plain-English guides to FRAEWs, including one for residents. For more on the background, see our articles on the Building Safety Act 2022 and fire safety after Grenfell.