Cladding Remediation Consultancy: Complete UK Guide

If you’re a freeholder, RTM, or developer, this guide explains how a cladding remediation consultancy de-risks your buildings, unlocks funding, and delivers compliant façades under the UK’s evolving Building Safety regime. We’ll cover the end-to-end process (from triage and FRAEW to specification, procurement, delivery and sign-off), where government funding and enforcement fit, and how to organise teams, contracts and communications so residents are protected and programmes stay on track.

Why cladding remediation consultancy matters in 2025

Since Grenfell, the UK has moved to a more assertive, evidence-led safety culture. Central pillars now include:

Government funding through the Cladding Safety Scheme (CSS), administered by Homes England, with operational guidance that is still being refined (and regularly updated) to improve speed and clarity.

Enforcement powers under the Building Safety Act 2022, including Remediation Orders (compel works) and Remediation Contribution Orders (recover costs from developers/contractors/landlords where appropriate).

Building Liability Orders (BLOs), allowing the High Court, in defined circumstances, to extend liabilities to associated companies - highly relevant where SPVs were wound up.

A shift to PAS 9980:2022 as the national method for Fire Risk Appraisals of External Walls (FRAEWs) on existing multi-occupancy residential buildings - this is now the technical backbone for proportionate decisions and often a prerequisite in funding workflows.

Continued reliance on BS 8414 full-scale testing with BR 135 performance/classification for external wall systems - vital when selecting compliant replacement build-ups.

Bottom line: Today’s environment rewards organised, evidence-driven programmes. A strong cladding remediation consultancy gives you the methodology, documentation and delivery discipline to finish on time - and stand up to scrutiny from funders, lenders, and regulators.

What a cladding remediation consultancy actually does

Our expert team blends building surveying, façade engineering, fire engineering, cost management, and project/programme leadership. Expect them to:

Triage & evidence build

Rapid discovery: drawings, specs, product data, O&Ms, warranties, historical test reports.
Create a materials register by elevation/zone and map known unknowns (combustibles, cavity barrier strategy, interfaces).

Rapid discovery: drawings, specs, product data, O&Ms, warranties, historical test reports.Create a materials register by elevation/zone and map known unknowns (combustibles, cavity barrier strategy, interfaces).

FRAEW (PAS 9980) and risk conclusion

Commission and manage a PAS 9980-compliant FRAEW with appropriate opening-up and sampling.
Translate findings into proportionate measures (mitigation vs partial/full remediation) and a prioritised action plan.

Commission and manage a PAS 9980-compliant FRAEW with appropriate opening-up and sampling.Translate findings into proportionate measures (mitigation vs partial/full remediation) and a prioritised action plan.

Options & concept design

Compare compliant façade build-ups using BS 8414/BR 135 evidence that matches the exact proposed system (no “mix-and-match” assumptions).
Run cost, programme, and supply-chain checks (lead times for A1/A2 insulations, carrier systems, cassettes, cavity barriers).

Compare compliant façade build-ups using BS 8414/BR 135 evidence that matches the exact proposed system (no “mix-and-match” assumptions).Run cost, programme, and supply-chain checks (lead times for A1/A2 insulations, carrier systems, cassettes, cavity barriers).

Funding strategy & applications (where eligible)

For qualifying buildings, assemble CSS evidence packs and route via Homes England’s process, aligning surveys, design and procurement to funding milestones.

For qualifying buildings, assemble CSS evidence packs and route via Homes England’s process, aligning surveys, design and procurement to funding milestones.

Procurement & contracts

Select route (Design & Build vs traditional) considering testing dependencies and design certainty.
Build quality hold-points into the programme (e.g., cavity barrier inspection sign-offs) and tie payment to verified progress.

Select route (Design & Build vs traditional) considering testing dependencies and design certainty.Build quality hold-points into the programme (e.g., cavity barrier inspection sign-offs) and tie payment to verified progress.

Delivery management

Coordinate logistics, access, scaffold, temporary works and resident communication.
Enforce golden thread record-keeping (every inspection, substitution, test certificate, photo record).

Coordinate logistics, access, scaffold, temporary works and resident communication.Enforce golden thread record-keeping (every inspection, substitution, test certificate, photo record).

Handover & mortgageability

Secure Building Control sign-off; update FRAEW to reflect as-built outcomes; provide any lender-requested EWS1 (where required), supported by the technical evidence gathered.
Close warranties/O&Ms and define a maintenance regime (cleaning cycles, sealant life, fixings inspections).

Secure Building Control sign-off; update FRAEW to reflect as-built outcomes; provide any lender-requested EWS1 (where required), supported by the technical evidence gathered.Close warranties/O&Ms and define a maintenance regime (cleaning cycles, sealant life, fixings inspections).

The UK funding & enforcement landscape - what freeholders/RTMs and developers need to know

Cladding Safety Scheme (CSS)

The CSS is the principal government route for remediating unsafe cladding on eligible residential buildings 11m+ in England, led by Homes England. Guidance is updated periodically; applicants should always reference the current CSS pages for the latest rules, evidence requirements and payment flows.

Practical implication: structure your programme so FRAEW, opening-up and option appraisal are in sync with CSS gateways. Funding moves faster with a coherent, complete technical file.

Remediation Orders (ROs) & Remediation Contribution Orders (RCOs)

Remediation Orders can compel relevant landlords to remediate building safety defects within a specified period. Remediation Contribution Orders enable recovery of remediation costs from developers, contractors or landlords and have fresh government guidance (2025) detailing approach and evidential expectations.

Practical implication: keep your documentation court-ready - chronologies, survey evidence, cost reports and contract history - so legal teams can act decisively.

Building Liability Orders (BLOs)

Building Liability Orders allow the High Court to extend liability to associated companies where it’s just and equitable, tackling situations where responsibility was shielded behind SPVs. Recent commentary and judgments clarify tests and use cases.

Building Safety Levy (developers)

The Building Safety Levy is legally in place, with government guidance (10 July 2025) setting out scope and local authority rate setting. It applies on certain building control applications/notices for works resulting in new dwellings (including some PBSA and change-of-use to residential). Factor it into appraisals and section 106/viability discussions.

Policy direction on remediation timelines

Government and ministers have publicly signalled an ambition to complete remediation of dangerous cladding on high-rise buildings (18m+) by the end of 2029, with strong emphasis on enforcement and acceleration; policy coverage in late 2024 highlighted penalties for non-compliance. Treat 2029/early 2030s as real planning horizons even where legislation states the enforcement route rather than a single statutory longstop.

Step-by-step delivery plan (what “good” looks like)

1) Discovery, data room & resident plan (Weeks 0–6)

Build a structured data room: drawings, specifications, product literature, installation records, O&Ms, warranties, and any historic opening-up/test reports.

Prepare a resident engagement strategy: FAQs, look-ahead schedules, a named contact, and an accessible escalation path for vulnerable residents.

Commission non-intrusive surveys and thermography/borescope planning to target opening-up efficiently.

Outputs: Materials register; initial risk flags; resident comms plan; survey scope.

2) FRAEW per PAS 9980 (Weeks 4–12)

Conduct a PAS 9980-compliant FRAEW with representative opening-up (don’t just choose easy locations). Use accredited labs for sampling where needed.

Conclude risk with proportionate recommendations: management/mitigation (e.g., detection, interim measures), partial remediation, or full strip-and-replace.

Outputs: FRAEW report; risk rating; recommended strategy options.

3) Option appraisal & concept design (Weeks 10–18)

Develop options against BS 8414/BR 135 evidence. Ensure system-level equivalence—not just component-level claims. Classification reports must match your intended build-up (substrate, fixings, insulation, cavity barriers, membranes, cladding format).

Map planning constraints (appearance/heritage), buildability, scaffold ties/temporary works, and programme impacts (lead times, weather windows).

Outputs: Option matrix; preferred concept; outline cost plan; programme.

4) Funding strategy & application (Weeks 10–24)

For eligible buildings, assemble the CSS application with FRAEW, design rationale, cost plan, and programme.

Align procurement steps to the Homes England milestones and evidence requirements to avoid re-work and payment delays.

Outputs: Complete application; clarifications tracker; stakeholder timetable.

5) Procurement & contracts (Weeks 18–30)

Choose Design & Build where you want single-point risk (and have stable specifications), or traditional where you need tighter technical control.

Prequalify for installer competence and manufacturer oversight; insist on project-specific method statements for fire-stopping/cavity barriers.

Hard-wire quality hold-points (e.g., cavity barrier inspection and photographic records before close-up) and tie payments to those milestones.

Outputs: Tender pack; contract with QA schedule; stakeholder communications plan.

6) Delivery (Months 6–24+)

Run a resident-first programme: clear notices, predictable noisy works, temporary protection, decants where essential, and weekend “catch-ups” communicated early.

Keep a live issues log for planning variations, access licences, party wall interfaces, and material substitutions (with immediate re-checks against BS 8414/BR 135 evidence).

Perform regular quality inspections and keep the golden thread updated: photos, checklists, sign-offs, test certs, and product batch records.

Outputs: Works in place with verifiable QA; up-to-date golden thread; change control register.

7) Handover, sign-off & market acceptance

Coordinate Building Control sign-off, then update the FRAEW to reflect the as-built condition.

Prepare the lender pack (where an EWS1 is requested) built on the same technical evidence base.

Deliver O&Ms, warranties, and maintenance plans - including inspection regimes for fixings, sealants and joints.

Outputs: Compliance pack; resident close-out comms; long-term maintenance plan.

What’s different for freeholders & RTMs

Governance & mandate: Clarify decision-making authority early (company articles, AGM approvals, loan/funding powers).

Cost recovery & legal strategy: With RCOs/BLOs now well-understood tools, coordinate legal advice in parallel with the technical work so you don’t lose time pursuing recovery later.

Cash-flow: Even with CSS support, expect timing gaps between milestones and payments; your consultancy should programme around that reality.

Resident communication: A consistent, empathetic narrative reduces resistance; publish look-ahead schedules, photos and reasons for any changes.

What’s different for developers

Specification discipline: Treat substitutions as mini-design changes - re-check BS 8414/BR 135 applicability each time.

Levy & viability: Integrate the Building Safety Levy into pro-formas and sensitivity tests; some schemes (PBSA/change-of-use) are in scope.

RAS/compliance posture: If you’re within the ecosystem of the Responsible Actors commitments, ensure your remediation road-map is coherent with those undertakings (and local authority/building control expectations).

Programme optics: Funders, buyers and local authorities increasingly expect transparent dashboards - dates, QA evidence, and risks with mitigations.

Pitfalls to Avoid

“Mix-and-match” testing
Using a panel from one tested system and insulation from another can invalidate classification. Solution: System-level due diligence with manufacturer sign-off and documented equivalence.

Under-scoped opening-up
If you only open easy locations, you risk missing critical combustibles or missing cavity barriers. Solution: FRAEW sampling plan that targets representative risk areas.

Late procurement
Waiting for final funding confirmation to start market testing compresses lead times. Solution: Parallel-track early contractor engagement while protecting client leverage.

Thin resident engagement
Poor comms create avoidable access problems and complaints. Solution: A resident charter, predictable schedules, and a named liaison officer with SLA-driven response times.

Paper-thin golden thread
Inadequate records slow sign-off and undermine legal recovery. Solution: Digital sign-off workflows with photo evidence at each hold-point.

FAQs - Cladding Remediation Consultancy

Is a FRAEW (PAS 9980) always required?
If the external wall’s risk is known or suspected to arise from the materials/configuration, a PAS 9980-based FRAEW is the recognised methodology for existing multi-occupied residential buildings and is frequently required for funding decisions.

Do we still need EWS1 forms?
Some lenders still request an EWS1 at mortgage/valuation stage. Where requested, it should be informed by competent technical assessment, typically the FRAEW plus any supporting investigations.

How do Remediation Orders and RCOs interact?
An RO compels remediation by a relevant landlord; an RCO can make developers/contractors/landlords contribute to costs. Both are tools created by the Building Safety Act 2022; government guidance (2023–25) explains their use.

What’s the role of BS 8414 and BR 135 in my project?
When specifying replacement façades, BS 8414 provides the large-scale fire test method and BR 135 provides performance/classification criteria. Your chosen system must be covered by appropriate, directly applicable evidence.

How does the Building Safety Levy affect developers?
Government guidance (July 2025) confirms scope and the approach to rates. Build the levy into appraisals for applicable schemes.

Are there fixed legal deadlines for every building?
Government policy signals accelerated completion by 2029 for high-rise with stronger enforcement; treat these as hard planning horizons even where formal enforcement, not a single statutory longstop, is the operational route.

Key takeaways - Cladding Remediation Consultancy

Start with evidence. A robust FRAEW (PAS 9980) is your single source of truth for proportionate decisions - funding and enforcement both look to it.

Specify systems, not parts. BS 8414/BR 135 evidence must match the whole proposed build-up.

Use the right levers. CSS can fund eligible projects; RO/RCO/BLO tools reshape responsibility and cost where appropriate.

Plan for policy timelines. Treat 2029 (high-rise) as a real completion horizon and programme backwards with contingency.

Contact

Contact us today to discuss how our cladding remediation consultancy advice can support your remediation scheme and ensure its success.

With offices in London, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Leeds, Manchester, Norwich & Plymouth we can help with Cladding Remediation schemes on sites across the UK.

Our cladding remediation consultancy advice ensures a meticulous, compliant, and safety-focused approach. Our expertise and dedication to excellence ensure that your building will meet all regulatory requirements and provide a safe environment for its occupants.

For more information on all aspects of this service see the collection of articles in our blog.

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