FRAEW: Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls Explained
A FRAEW is the technical assessment underpinning an EWS1 certificate. Here's what it involves, who can carry it out, and what the findings mean for your building.
31 December 20244 min readFire Safety Services
What Is a FRAEW?
FRAEW stands for Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls. It is the technical assessment carried out by a competent fire engineer to evaluate the fire hazard and risk associated with the external wall system of an existing residential building. The methodology for carrying out a FRAEW is set out in PAS 9980:2022, the British Standard published by BSI.
A FRAEW is the engineering work that underpins an EWS1 form. Where a mortgage lender requires an EWS1 form for a residential building, a FRAEW — carried out in accordance with PAS 9980 — is the technical assessment that generates the information recorded on that form.
Why Are FRAEWs Required?
Following the Grenfell Tower fire in June 2017, widespread concern arose about the fire safety of external wall systems — particularly cladding — on existing residential buildings across the UK. Many buildings constructed in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s used combustible insulation materials, render systems or cladding products that would not meet current fire safety standards.
EWS1 forms were introduced in 2019 to allow lenders to make informed lending decisions on flats in multi-storey residential buildings. But without a standardised assessment methodology, EWS1 forms varied significantly in quality and consistency. PAS 9980 was published in 2022 to establish a risk-proportionate, technically sound methodology for external wall assessments.
Key point: A FRAEW does not produce a simple pass or fail result. It produces a risk rating — from 1 (negligible) to 4 (very high) — that reflects the fire engineer's professional judgement about the risk presented by the external wall system.
What Does a FRAEW Involve?
A FRAEW carried out in accordance with PAS 9980 involves the following stages:
Desktop review — collection and review of all available information about the building, including original drawings, building control records, previous surveys, fire risk assessments, and any existing cladding or external wall information
Site inspection — a physical inspection of the building's external elevations, including opening up of the external wall construction at representative locations to identify the materials present. The number and location of inspection points depends on the building's construction and the information available.
Material identification — identification of cladding panels, insulation, cavity barriers, fire stops, window and door frames, balcony materials, and fixings. Where materials cannot be identified from visual inspection, samples may need to be taken for laboratory testing.
Risk appraisal — application of the PAS 9980 risk appraisal framework, considering the fire hazard presented by the external wall materials, the likelihood and consequence of external fire spread, and the factors that influence risk including building height, occupancy and internal fire precautions
Risk rating — assignment of a risk rating for each elevation and the building overall, with a conclusion on whether the risk is tolerable or requires action
Recommendations — where risk is assessed as intolerable, recommendations for interim risk management measures and/or permanent remediation
What Are the Possible FRAEW Outcomes?
A FRAEW under PAS 9980 produces a risk rating on a four-point scale:
Risk Level 1 (Negligible) — the external wall system presents negligible risk of external fire spread. No action required.
Risk Level 2 (Low) — some risk factors present but overall risk is low. May support an EWS1A2 outcome where risk is sufficiently low.
Risk Level 3 (Medium) — material risk of external fire spread. Interim measures and/or remediation likely required. EWS1B1 outcome.
Risk Level 4 (High to Very High) — significant risk of rapid external fire spread. Urgent interim measures and prompt remediation required. EWS1B2 outcome.
How Long Does a FRAEW Take?
The timeline for a FRAEW depends on the size and complexity of the building, the quality of available information, and the accessibility of the external wall for inspection. A desktop review can typically be completed within a few working days. A full FRAEW including site inspection and report writing typically takes 2 to 6 weeks from instruction to report delivery.
Fire Safety Services provides fixed-fee FRAEW proposals following a brief initial review of available information. We carry out FRAEWs on residential buildings of all heights across London and the UK.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a FRAEW or an EWS1 form?
You need a FRAEW — the EWS1 form is the output document produced from the FRAEW findings. Your lender or managing agent may refer to needing an EWS1 form; what they actually need is a FRAEW that supports the EWS1 form.
Who can carry out a FRAEW?
A FRAEW must be carried out by a competent fire engineer. For buildings where combustible materials are present, the assessor should hold Chartered Engineer (CEng) status. PAS 9980 sets out competence requirements in detail.
How much does a FRAEW cost?
Costs depend on building size, height, number of elevations, access arrangements, and the complexity of the external wall system. Fire Safety Services provides fixed-fee proposals following an initial desktop review.
Does my building need a FRAEW?
If a lender has requested an EWS1 form, or if you have concerns about the fire safety of your building's external wall, a FRAEW is likely required. RICS guidance limits the circumstances in which lenders can require EWS1, so if you are unsure whether one is needed, Fire Safety Services can advise.
Can a FRAEW identify the need for remediation?
Yes. Where a FRAEW concludes that the external wall presents an intolerable risk of external fire spread, it will recommend interim measures — such as a waking watch or enhanced alarm system — and/or permanent remediation of the external wall. The cost and scope of remediation depends on the materials present and the risk level identified.
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