FRAEW Assessments Explained

An FRAEW is a risk-based appraisal of the external wall construction of an existing multistorey, multi-occupied residential building.

Its purpose is to determine:

• How fire could spread over or within the external walls
• How the wall construction could affect occupants
• Whether the overall external-wall risk is low, medium or high
• Whether interim precautions are required
• Whether remediation or other risk-reduction measures are necessary
• How the findings should be reflected in the building’s wider fire risk assessment

PAS 9980 provides a recognised methodology for completing and recording this appraisal. It supports a holistic assessment of the building rather than a pass-or-fail judgement based on one product or material.

An FRAEW should therefore be read alongside the building’s fire risk assessment, fire strategy and relevant survey information.

For the wider assessment process, including legal duties, competence, reporting and action planning, see Fire Risk Assessments in the UK: The Complete Guide.

PAS 9980 is principally intended for existing multistorey, multi-occupied residential buildings.

This can include:

• Purpose-built blocks of flats
• Buildings converted into flats
• Student accommodation
• Sheltered or specialised housing
• Mixed-use buildings containing residential accommodation where the relevant evacuation strategy is similar to that of a purpose-built block of flats
• Other forms of residential accommodation with comparable external-wall and evacuation risks

The methodology should not automatically be applied to every building containing cladding.

The need for an FRAEW depends on:

• The building’s use
• The external wall construction
• The information already available
• The fire strategy
• The potential consequences of external fire spread
• Whether the risk can be assessed adequately through the wider FRA

The legal basis for considering external walls also depends on the building’s location.

In England and Wales, the Fire Safety Act 2021 clarified that the Fire Safety Order applies to the structure and external walls of buildings containing two or more domestic premises. This includes cladding, balconies, windows and other relevant attachments.

Fire-safety legislation differs in Scotland and Northern Ireland. See Fire Risk Assessment Legal Requirements Across the UK before applying an England-and-Wales approach across an entire UK portfolio.

No.

Relevant external walls must be considered within the building’s fire risk assessment where required by law, but this does not mean every building needs a separate PAS 9980 appraisal.

A competent assessor may be able to address the external wall risk within the routine FRA where:

• The construction is straightforward
• The wall is predominantly traditional masonry or concrete
• Reliable construction information is available
• No significant combustible external wall materials are suspected
• There is no evidence of defective cavity barriers or fire stopping
• Previous work has not created uncertainty about the wall build-up

A separate FRAEW may be justified where:

• Combustible materials are known or suspected within the wall
• The external wall build-up is unknown
• Cladding or insulation records are incomplete
• Different wall systems are installed on different elevations
• Cavity barriers or façade fire stopping may be missing or defective
• Available drawings do not match the installed construction
• Previous surveys have identified potentially significant concerns
• Balconies or attachments could contribute to external fire spread
• The existing FRA cannot assess the external wall risk adequately
• A remediation, funding or building-safety process requires a specialist appraisal

The decision should be proportionate to the known or suspected risk. An FRAEW should not be commissioned automatically simply because a building has cladding.

An FRAEW considers the external wall as a complete system.

Depending on the building, the assessor may consider:

• External cladding materials
• Insulation
• Cavity barriers
• Fire stopping
• Sheathing boards
• Membranes
• Subframes and fixings
• Render systems
• Spandrel and infill panels
• Windows and surrounding construction
• Balconies
• Decorative attachments
• Interfaces between different wall systems
• Junctions at compartment floors and walls

Different elevations should not be treated as identical without evidence. A building may contain several wall systems installed at different times or during different refurbishment projects.

The FRAEW also considers wider building characteristics, including:

• Building height and geometry
• Number and vulnerability of occupants
• Evacuation strategy
• Internal compartmentation
• Fire detection and warning
• Sprinklers or other suppression systems
• Means of escape
• Fire-service access and facilities
• The likely consequences of external fire spread

This holistic approach is important because the presence of one combustible product does not determine the overall risk by itself.

A reliable FRAEW requires detailed information about the external walls and the wider fire-safety arrangements.

Clients should gather:

• Architectural and façade drawings
• External wall specifications
• Operation and maintenance manuals
• Product and system information
• Fire-test and classification evidence
• Cavity-barrier records
• Fire-stopping records
• Construction photographs
• Previous intrusive survey reports
• The current fire risk assessment
• The building fire strategy
• Evacuation arrangements
• Compartmentation reports
• Fire-alarm and sprinkler information
• Details of balconies and attachments
• Records of previous remediation

Where reliable records are unavailable, intrusive investigation may be required to establish the actual wall construction.

The scope should identify:

• Which elevations require investigation
• How many openings are proposed
• How different wall systems will be sampled
• Who will provide scaffolding, access platforms or other equipment
• Who will open the construction
• Who will supervise the investigation
• How asbestos and other hazards will be managed
• Who will reinstate the wall afterwards
• What happens if unexpected construction is discovered

The FRAEW assessor must be able to direct and interpret the intrusive investigation even where a separate contractor physically opens and reinstates the wall.

PAS 9980 uses three overall risk outcomes:

• Low risk
• Medium risk
• High risk

The rating is based on professional judgement applied to the combined circumstances of the particular building.

It is not determined solely by:

• The combustibility of one product
• One fire-test result
• The percentage of cladding
• Building height
• The presence or absence of one cavity barrier
• A single intrusive opening

A low-risk outcome may mean that no specific external-wall remediation is required, although normal inspection, maintenance and fire-safety duties remain.

A medium-risk outcome may require proportionate risk-reduction measures. These could include targeted remediation, improved fire precautions, further investigation or changes to management arrangements.

A high-risk outcome indicates that significant action is required. This may include urgent interim precautions and substantial external-wall remediation.

The report should explain:

• Why the rating was reached
• Which factors influenced the outcome
• Which uncertainties remain
• What measures could reduce the risk
• Whether the wider building FRA needs to be reviewed

These documents have different purposes.

Fire risk assessment

The building’s FRA considers the overall risk from fire. This includes means of escape, fire detection, compartmentation, management arrangements and, where relevant, the external walls.

FRAEW

The FRAEW is a specialist appraisal focused on fire spread over and within the external wall construction.

Its findings should inform the building’s wider FRA rather than replace it.

EWS1 form

An EWS1 form was developed to provide external-wall information for valuation and lending purposes.

It is not:

• A statutory fire risk assessment
• A building-safety certificate
• Confirmation that an entire building is free from risk
• A replacement for an FRAEW where a life-safety appraisal is required

In some circumstances, sufficiently clear FRAEW findings may also assist lenders and valuers. However, clients should establish whether they require:

• An FRAEW for fire-safety purposes
• An EWS1 form for valuation or lending
• Both documents
• An updated building FRA incorporating the FRAEW findings

No.

An FRAEW focuses on the risk of fire spreading over or within the external walls.

A compartmentation survey examines internal fire-resisting construction, including:

• Compartment walls
• Compartment floors
• Service penetrations
• Fire stopping
• Risers
• Roof voids
• Cavity barriers
• Other measures intended to restrict internal fire and smoke spread

The services can overlap where:

• External wall cavities meet compartment floors
• Cavity barriers are missing or defective
• Façade fire stopping is absent
• External wall defects could allow fire to bypass internal compartmentation

For a detailed comparison, see Fire Risk Assessment vs Compartmentation Survey.

Where a dedicated internal survey is required, see Compartmentation Surveys Explained.

PAS 9980 is principally designed for residential buildings and comparable accommodation.

It should not automatically be specified for an office, shop, warehouse or factory simply because the building has cladding.

External wall risks in commercial premises must still be considered where relevant. However, the correct assessment method will depend on:

• The building’s use
• Occupant characteristics
• Evacuation arrangements
• Construction
• Fire strategy
• Applicable fire and building-safety requirements

For guidance on fire risk assessments in non-residential premises, see:

• Fire Risk Assessments for Offices and Shops
• Fire Risk Assessments for Factories and Warehouses

The organisation responsible for the building’s fire safety must ensure that the external walls are considered appropriately.

Depending on the building and jurisdiction, this could involve:

• The Responsible Person
• The building owner or freeholder
• A landlord
• A management company
• A managing agent acting on behalf of the dutyholder
• Another organisation responsible for remediation or building safety

A managing agent may organise the assessment, but responsibility does not automatically transfer away from the legal dutyholder.

Appointing a specialist also does not remove the client’s responsibility to:

• Provide relevant information
• Consider the findings
• Update the wider FRA
• Implement proportionate actions
• Maintain records
• Review the assessment when circumstances change

See Who Is Responsible for a Fire Risk Assessment? for a wider explanation of dutyholders, landlords, employers and managing organisations.

An FRAEW requires specialist competence beyond that needed for many routine fire risk assessments.

When comparing Fire Risk Assessment Companies, clients should assess whether the proposed individual or team has:

• External-wall fire-safety experience
• Knowledge of façade systems and materials
• Relevant fire-engineering competence
• Experience interpreting intrusive surveys
• Understanding of cavity barriers and façade fire stopping
• Experience with comparable residential buildings
• Appropriate professional indemnity insurance
• Access to façade, surveying or testing specialists where required
• A documented quality-review process
• The ability to provide a clear statement of competence

The client should identify the individual who will author and sign the FRAEW rather than relying only on the general credentials of the company.

A general fire risk assessor should not accept an FRAEW instruction unless they possess, or are supported by, the specialist competence needed for the particular building and wall systems.

A structured FRAEW tender should include:

• Building address, height, storeys and number of dwellings
• Building use and evacuation strategy
• Known external wall systems
• Available drawings and specifications
• Existing FRA, FRAEW, EWS1 and survey information
• Known cladding or insulation concerns
• Required intrusive investigation
• Access-equipment requirements
• Opening-up and reinstatement responsibilities
• Required risk outcome and report format
• Statement-of-competence requirements
• Professional indemnity insurance requirements
• Resident communication arrangements
• Programme requirements
• Pricing for additional openings or investigations
• Any funding, remediation or lender requirements

Bidders should explain:

• The proposed assessment team
• Individual responsibilities
• Their sampling methodology
• Required information
• Assumptions and exclusions
• How different wall systems will be addressed
• How intrusive findings will be interpreted
• How the FRAEW will inform the wider building FRA
• What additional fees could arise

For a fuller procurement checklist, see What Clients Should Include in a Fire Risk Assessment Tender Pack.

Where quotations propose different investigation depths, professional teams or sample numbers, use How to Compare Fire Risk Assessment Quotes to assess whether the bids are genuinely comparable.

For the wider procurement process, see How Commercial Fire Protection Tendering Works and Fire Protection Tenders in the UK: The Complete Guide.

The contractor and consultancy tendering process is covered in How Fire Risk Assessment Projects Are Tendered in the UK.

The FRAEW should feed into the building’s wider fire-safety management arrangements.

Depending on the outcome, the client may need to:

• Review the building FRA
• Implement interim precautions
• Commission further intrusive investigation
• Obtain specialist design advice
• Plan targeted or extensive remediation
• Review the evacuation strategy
• Communicate relevant information to residents
• Establish responsibilities and completion evidence
• Review the appraisal after significant work

Actions should be prioritised according to risk rather than treated as an undifferentiated list of defects.

See Understanding a Fire Risk Assessment Action Plan for guidance on assigning, prioritising and closing recommendations.

The wider route from assessment findings to investigation, specification and remedial procurement is covered in What Happens After a Fire Risk Assessment.

Common mistakes include:

• Assuming every residential block needs a PAS 9980 appraisal
• Treating combustible material as automatic proof that full replacement is required
• Commissioning an EWS1 form when the actual requirement is a life-safety FRAEW
• Appointing an assessor without relevant external-wall competence
• Failing to provide the existing FRA and fire strategy
• Assuming every elevation contains the same construction
• Using too few openings to represent different wall systems
• Omitting access equipment and reinstatement
• Comparing quotations based on different investigation scopes
• Assuming the FRAEW replaces the wider building FRA
• Treating the outcome as a pass-or-fail certificate
• Tendering remediation before the extent and objective of the work are sufficiently clear

A properly scoped FRAEW should support proportionate decision-making. It should not begin with an assumption that every combustible component must automatically be removed.

For clients and managing organisations

Use Fire Risk Assessment Companies to identify providers with suitable external-wall, façade and fire-engineering competence.

Give every bidder the same drawings, wall information, investigation requirements and reporting expectations so their proposed methodology and pricing can be compared fairly.

For assessors and specialist consultancies

View Fire Risk Assessment Tenders for opportunities involving residential buildings, external walls and specialist fire-risk appraisal.

A strong submission should identify the proposed assessor, demonstrate relevant competence, explain the sampling methodology and state how the findings will inform the building’s wider FRA.

What does FRAEW stand for?

FRAEW stands for Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls. It assesses the risk to occupants from fire spreading over or within the external wall construction.

Is an FRAEW the same as a PAS 9980 assessment?

PAS 9980 is the recognised methodology commonly used to complete an FRAEW. The FRAEW is the appraisal, while PAS 9980 is the code of practice used to undertake it.

Does every block of flats need an FRAEW?

No. The external walls must be considered within the wider FRA where required, but a separate FRAEW is only needed where the risk cannot be assessed adequately without specialist appraisal.

Is an FRAEW the same as an EWS1 form?

No. An FRAEW is primarily a life-safety appraisal. An EWS1 form is principally used for valuation and lending purposes.

Can an FRAEW recommend retaining combustible materials?

Potentially. PAS 9980 uses a holistic, risk-based methodology. Depending on the overall circumstances, the outcome may recommend remediation, mitigation, further investigation or no specific external-wall work.