PAS 9980 Explained for Building Owners

What Building Owners Need to Know About PAS 9980

PAS 9980:2022 is the British Standard setting out the methodology for carrying out a Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls (FRAEW) on existing residential buildings. If you own or manage a residential building with external cladding, render, or other external wall systems, you may need a PAS 9980 assessment — and understanding what it involves, when it is required, and what the outcomes mean is essential before commissioning one.

Why PAS 9980 Was Introduced

Before PAS 9980, there was no standardised methodology for assessing the fire risk associated with external walls of existing residential buildings. Following the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, the introduction of EWS1 forms created demand for external wall assessments without providing a consistent framework for carrying them out. Early EWS1 assessments varied significantly in approach, quality, and conclusions — some were excessively cautious, requiring remediation of buildings that posed no realistic fire risk; others were insufficiently rigorous. PAS 9980 was developed to establish a risk-proportionate, technically sound methodology that produces consistent and defensible conclusions.

When Building Owners Need a PAS 9980 Assessment

A PAS 9980 FRAEW is most likely to be required in the following circumstances:

• Leaseholders cannot sell or remortgage — if a leaseholder in your building has been asked by their mortgage lender for an EWS1 form, a PAS 9980 FRAEW is the technical assessment that underpins that form. As freeholder, commissioning this assessment is your obligation.
• Preparing a building safety case — for higher-risk buildings (over 18 metres or seven storeys with at least two residential units), the building safety case required under the Building Safety Act 2022 must include an assessment of external wall fire risk. Where no FRAEW exists, one must be commissioned.
• Proactive risk management — where a building has external cladding, render over insulation, or combustible balconies, and no external wall assessment has been carried out, commissioning a PAS 9980 FRAEW proactively establishes the fire safety position and may identify issues before they become urgent.
• Pre-sale due diligence — where a residential building is being sold, purchasers and their advisers increasingly require external wall fire safety documentation as part of technical due diligence.

What a PAS 9980 Assessment Involves

A PAS 9980 FRAEW involves three main stages. First, a desktop review of available information — drawings, building control records, previous surveys, and any existing cladding information. Second, a site inspection to physically examine the external wall, including opening up the construction at representative locations to identify the materials present. Third, a risk appraisal using the PAS 9980 methodology to assess the fire hazard and risk, producing a risk rating from 1 (negligible) to 4 (high) and conclusions on whether the risk is tolerable or requires action.

The FRAEW report sets out the findings of each stage, the risk rating for each elevation, and recommendations for interim measures or remediation where the risk is assessed as intolerable. The EWS1 form is then completed based on the FRAEW findings.

Understanding the FRAEW Outcomes

A FRAEW does not produce a simple pass or fail. It produces a risk rating and a conclusion about whether that risk is tolerable or requires action:

• EWS1A outcome — the external wall system presents negligible or low risk. No remediation required. Mortgage lending can typically proceed normally.
• EWS1B1 outcome — some combustible materials present but risk assessed as low. Some lenders may still lend depending on their risk appetite.
• EWS1B2 outcome — higher risk identified. Remediation recommended. Will significantly restrict lending until remediation is completed.

Funding Remediation Works

Where a FRAEW concludes that remediation is required, the question of who pays is determined by the Building Safety Act 2022's leaseholder protections. Qualifying leaseholders are protected from remediation costs where the freeholder or developer is responsible for the defective cladding. The government's cladding remediation funding schemes may also be available depending on the building's characteristics. Legal advice on the funding position should be sought before any remediation programme begins.