When might a building need a FRAEW?
A FRAEW becomes relevant when there is uncertainty, or a specific reason for concern, about the fire risk posed by a building's external wall construction. In practice, this tends to come up in a number of common situations:
- The building has cladding, insulation, or a wall build-up that is not clearly documented or understood.
- A lender or valuer has requested an EWS1 form as part of a sale, remortgage or lease extension, and no recent, reliable external wall assessment exists.
- The building's existing Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) has flagged the external walls as an area requiring further, more specialist investigation.
- The building is above a certain height or has features — such as balconies, multiple cladding types, or known combustible materials — that warrant a closer look.
- Residents, directors, or a managing agent have raised concerns that haven't yet been formally investigated.
- The building owner is considering an application to a funding scheme, such as the Building Safety Fund or Cladding Safety Scheme, which will typically expect evidence of fire risk before funding remediation.
None of these situations automatically means remediation is required — only that a proper, qualified assessment is a sensible and often necessary next step.
The role of the Fire Risk Assessment
Every residential building with communal areas should already have a Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) in place, covering matters such as means of escape, fire doors, and compartmentation within the building. However, a standard FRA is not usually a detailed technical assessment of the external wall construction itself — that is the specific purpose of a FRAEW.
In many cases, it is the FRA (or the "responsible person" under fire safety legislation) that first identifies the external walls as an area needing more specialist review, prompting the commissioning of a FRAEW. The two documents work together: the FRA covers the building's overall fire safety management, while the FRAEW focuses specifically on the external wall system.
What about the external walls themselves?
The starting point is usually to establish what's actually known about the wall construction. If clear, reliable drawings, specifications and O&M information exist and describe a wall system that is well understood and low-risk, a full FRAEW may not be necessary — though a suitably qualified professional should confirm this rather than assuming it.
Where the construction is unclear, undocumented, or known to include materials that require closer evaluation, a FRAEW carried out in line with PAS 9980 is the recognised way to establish the actual level of risk, rather than relying on assumption or hearsay about "what type of cladding is on there."
Who typically needs to think about this?
Managing agents
Often the first point of contact when lenders, residents or insurers raise questions about a building's external walls, and typically responsible for commissioning assessments on the freeholder's behalf.
RTM companies
Once a Right to Manage company takes on responsibility for a building, fire safety obligations — including deciding whether a FRAEW is needed — sit with the RTM directors.
Freeholders
As the ultimate building owner, freeholders carry overall responsibility for ensuring appropriate fire safety assessments are in place and acted upon.
Leaseholders
Don't usually commission a FRAEW directly, but are often the ones prompting the question — particularly when trying to sell, remortgage, or extend a lease and being asked for an EWS1 form.
Next steps
If you're not sure whether your building needs a FRAEW, the most useful first step is usually a short conversation with someone who can look at what's already known about the building — existing FRA findings, any previous surveys, drawings, and the nature of the external wall construction — and advise honestly on whether further assessment is warranted.
That's a role Wrightwood Consulting takes on for managing agents, RTM directors and freeholders. We don't carry out FRAEWs ourselves, but we help you work out whether one is needed, and if so, appoint a suitably qualified fire engineer or facade consultant and manage the process from there.
Already know you need one?
If you already know a FRAEW is required and want to understand what it's likely to involve and cost, see our detailed guide: How much does a FRAEW cost?
If your building is under 11 metres, a FRAEW is also the key piece of evidence for the new Cladding Safety Scheme funding route for buildings under 11 metres.
Frequently asked questions
Is a FRAEW a legal requirement?
There is no single rule stating every building must have a FRAEW. Whether one is needed depends on the building's specific circumstances, including its construction, height, and any concerns already identified through the Fire Risk Assessment or elsewhere. A suitably qualified professional can advise on your specific building.
My building already has an EWS1 — do I still need a FRAEW?
It depends on how the EWS1 was produced and how long ago. If it was based on a thorough assessment in line with current practice, a further FRAEW may not be necessary. If there's uncertainty about the basis for the existing EWS1, it's worth having this checked.
Can I just ask for an EWS1 without a FRAEW?
An EWS1 form should be based on a proper assessment of the external wall system. Depending on the building, that assessment may take the form of a full FRAEW. It isn't generally advisable to request an EWS1 without the underlying assessment work having been done.