FRAEW vs EWS1: What’s the Difference and When to Use Each
FRAEW vs EWS1 : If you are a freeholder, Responsible Person (RP) or managing agent, you sit at the sharp end of building safety and conveyancing delays. Two acronyms dominate that landscape: FRAEW and EWS1. They often get conflated, yet they serve different masters and answer different questions. This deep-dive explains the real-world differences, when to use each, how to sequence them to avoid duplicate investigations, and how to communicate decisions to leaseholders, valuers and lenders.
FRAEW vs EWS1 : Plain-English Definitions
FRAEW (Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls)
A structured, proportionate life-safety appraisal, carried out using PAS 9980:2022, to determine the actual fire risk associated with external wall construction on an existing multi-occupied residential building. The output informs your legally required Fire Risk Assessment (FRA), and leads to a risk-based action plan (management measures, targeted remediation, or full replacement if warranted). PAS 9980 emphasises competent assessors, proportionate judgement, and transparent documentation.
EWS1 (External Wall System form)
A lender/valuer tool created by RICS with UK Finance and the BSA to support mortgage valuation when cladding or other external wall concerns may affect value. It is not a government requirement, not a building or life-safety certificate, and not a substitute for a Fire Risk Assessment. Recent RICS pages highlight that an EWS1 “is not a life safety certificate” and exists solely to inform lending/valuation decisions.
Key relationship: A FRAEW does not replace an EWS1, and an EWS1 does not replace a FRAEW. However, a robust PAS-aligned FRAEW usually provides the evidence base that supports an EWS1 where the lender requests one, reducing intrusive duplication. RICS updated the EWS1 (electronic version, version control, PAS 9980 alignment) specifically to reflect this reality.
FRAEW vs EWS1 : Why They Get Mixed Up
After 2017, the market looked for quick yes/no answers. EWS1s were sometimes treated as de-facto safety sign-offs, which they are not. Government and RICS have repeatedly clarified the boundaries:
- EWS1 is not mandatory under law and not a life-safety assessment. It exists to help lenders decide if remediation might affect value.
- FRAEW sits within safety management, informing the FRA and your ongoing duties as RP or dutyholder. It deals in risk, not just materials, and aims for proportionate outcomes.
Treating an EWS1 as a safety certificate creates false comfort and can leave you exposed on compliance; skipping a FRAEW where risk exists leaves you with an incomplete FRA and weak decisions. Both scenarios increase cost, delay, and reputational risk.
FRAEW vs EWS1 in Summary
Purpose
- FRAEW: Determine life-safety risk from the external wall and guide proportionate mitigation/remediation; feeds into the Fire Risk Assessment.
- EWS1: Provide valuation assurance to lenders/valuers about potential remediation impact on value; supports lending decisions.
Legal status
- FRAEW: Part of fulfilling your FRA obligations (and related fire safety duties) where external wall risk is in play.
- EWS1: Voluntary, market-led instrument; not a government or regulatory requirement.
Users
- FRAEW: RPs, managing agents, fire risk assessors, enforcing authorities.
- EWS1: Lenders, valuers, conveyancers, buyers/sellers.
Output
- FRAEW: Evidence-based risk rating and proportionate action plan (management measures → targeted remediation → full replacement).
- EWS1: Form outcome indicating whether external wall issues are likely to require works that affect value; not a safety sign-off.
Interrelationship
- FRAEW findings often underpin EWS1, minimising duplication and giving valuers confidence. RICS has aligned EWS1 to PAS 9980 and implemented electronic version control to improve transparency.
What “good” looks like for a FRAEW
Scope & method. PAS 9980 sets a systematic methodology, from desktop review and site surveys to intrusive checks and sampling where justified by risk. It recognises uncertainty, requires clear limits of knowledge, and records assumptions. This is essential evidence when you later discuss proportionate works or face lender scrutiny.
Proportionate judgement. The code steers assessors away from blanket replacement when targeted measures (e.g., cavity barrier works, balcony upgrades, management measures) reduce risk adequately. Your costs and disruption hinge on that proportionality.
Competence & QA. You should appoint assessors with demonstrable façade/fire expertise, relevant experience, and adequate PI cover, and consider peer review on complex façades. PAS 9980 puts competence front-and-centre.
When a FRAEW is likely unnecessary. If your block is plainly low-risk, e.g., robust masonry/concrete external walls with negligible combustibles, the FRA should record why a FRAEW is not required. Proportionality cuts both ways. (This is also reflected in government messaging that buildings with no cladding shouldn’t be trapped in unnecessary external wall processes.)
How EWS1 Actually Functions Now
Why lenders ask for it. The EWS1 helps a valuer judge whether remediation risk could impact current value. It is explicitly not safety assurance - RICS says so in its FAQs and valuation standard.
Modernised process. The form is electronic with version control. RICS aligns signatory expectations with PAS 9980-type competence (including trained signatories via its programme). This reduces fraud risk, clarifies who signed what, and surfaces repeat assessments.
Government stance. The UK Government describes EWS1 as an industry process for valuation. It is not a regulatory requirement and not a life-safety assessment. You should separate safety compliance (FRA/FRAEW) from valuation (EWS1).
FRAEW vs EWS1 : UK Wide
England & Wales. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order sets the framework for FRAs in occupied buildings; FRAEWs inform those FRAs where external wall risk exists. PAS 9980 is a BSI code of practice usable across the UK.
Scotland. Duties sit under the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations. The management duty is similar in spirit, and practitioners use PAS 9980 to appraise external wall risk on Scottish stock because it offers a consistent methodology recognised by lenders and valuers. (Conveyancing practice regarding EWS1 mirrors the rest of the UK in purpose.)
Northern Ireland. The Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 and related regulations underpin duties. Again, PAS 9980 offers a practical, recognised method to appraise external wall risk, with EWS1 used by lenders in the same valuation-only sense.
Funding and policy nuance. Central government Building Safety Fund and its annexed guidance around FRAEW/PAS 9980 primarily cover England; devolved administrations may publish separate funding/technical routes. Recent GOV.UK annexes expressly steer applicants to PAS 9980-aligned FRAEWs when evidencing need for funding.
FRAEW vs EWS1 Decision Guide
- What decision are you making right now?
Safety & compliance (FRA duties): Commission or refresh a FRAEW where the FRA identifies external wall uncertainty or risk.
Transaction (sale, remortgage, staircasing): If a lender asks for EWS1, provide it—ideally supported by your latest FRAEW so you don’t repeat intrusive works. - Is your building plainly low-risk?
Robust masonry/concrete, no cladding system, negligible combustibles? Document that a FRAEW is not necessary and keep your FRA evidence straight. If a lender still presses for EWS1, handle that as a valuation request (not a safety issue). - Sequence investigations once, use the output twice.
Where uncertainty exists, plan one competent external wall investigation (openings, sampling, lab tests if needed) to generate a PAS-aligned evidence pack that; underpins your FRAEW → FRA → action plan, and equips a qualified professional to complete an EWS1 without further opening up, where a lender requests it. - Write down limits and uncertainty.
PAS 9980 expects you to record what you do and don’t know. That transparency helps defend proportionate decisions and avoids re-work later. - Communicate in two tracks.
Safety track (residents, RP team): “FRAEW (PAS 9980) informs our FRA and action plan.”
Valuation track (leaseholders, conveyancers, valuers): “EWS1 is a lender tool, not safety assurance; where requested, we’ll base it on our FRAEW evidence.”
FRAEW vs EWS1 : Typical scenarios
A. Annual FRA finds unknown façade build-up on a 6-storey block.
Commission a FRAEW to characterise risk and set proportionate measures. If apartments are on the market, let the managing agent know you’ll provide EWS1 supported by FRAEW once available. This keeps sales moving without duplicating openings.
B. Valuer asks for EWS1 on a 3-storey traditional brick block with no cladding.
Point to existing FRA evidence; FRAEW likely unnecessary. If the lender still insists, treat EWS1 as a valuation request, not a safety task. (Government messaging supports a lighter touch for buildings with no cladding.)
C. Mixed-use tower with ACM history and balcony timber.
Start with a comprehensive FRAEW; expect targeted remediation or interim measures depending on risk. Use those findings to support any EWS1.
D. Applying for funding.
Prepare a PAS 9980-aligned FRAEW; recent guidance for the Building Safety Fund expects it. Align your scope, testing, report format and recommendations accordingly.
FRAEW vs EWS1 Myths
- “We have an EWS1, so we’re safe.” False. RICS states the EWS1 is not a safety certificate; it does not replace the FRA or a FRAEW.
- “Government requires EWS1.” No. EWS1 is not a government or regulatory requirement; it supports valuation only.
- “PAS 9980 replaced EWS1.” No. PAS 9980 provides the methodology for safety appraisal (FRAEW). It doesn’t replace the EWS1’s valuation role—though it should underpin it.
- “All combustible materials mean full recladding.” Not necessarily. PAS 9980 demands proportionate judgement; targeted measures may reduce risk adequately.
FRAEW vs EWS1 : Commissioning Checklist
- Define the aim. Compliance (FRA) vs valuation (EWS1) vs both (sequence one investigation to serve both).
- Scope the FRAEW carefully. Desktop inputs, site survey strategy, intrusive sampling plan, lab testing criteria, and reporting format aligned to PAS 9980.
- Verify competence. Ask for façade/fire CVs, similar buildings, references, and PI cover. Consider peer review on complex schemes.
- Plan access and resident comms. Explain why openings may be needed, what the team will do, and how findings feed into both safety and lending.
- Capture evidence once. Photos, drawings, test certificates, and cavity barrier audits all in a reusable pack that supports the FRAEW and any EWS1.
- Proportional outcomes. Expect a risk rating and options: management measures, partial/targeted works, or full replacement. Challenge blanket solutions that aren’t justified by risk.
- Governance. Record limitations, assumptions, and decision rationale; calendarise reviews; align with your FRA cycle and any planned works.
FAQs
Do we legally need a FRAEW?
Not as a named certificate - but where your FRA identifies external wall uncertainty or risk, a FRAEW is the appropriate way to appraise that risk and inform your FRA action plan.
Do we legally need an EWS1?
No. Government confirms EWS1 is not a regulatory requirement and not a life-safety assessment. Lenders decide whether to request it for valuation.
Can a FRAEW replace an EWS1?
No. Different purposes. But a PAS-aligned FRAEW should support an EWS1 and often prevents duplicate intrusive work.
Our building is under 11 m—does that change anything?
Height affects likelihood and consequences of fire spread but does not, by itself, remove your duty to manage risk. PAS 9980 applies proportionately at any height where risk warrants it; EWS1 remains a valuation tool at lender discretion.
How long is an EWS1 valid?
RICS indicates it is for the whole building and generally accepted for five years, but market practice can vary if material changes occur (alterations, new evidence). Always check the latest RICS guidance and the specific lender’s stance.
Will we always need full recladding if the FRAEW finds issues?
No. PAS 9980 is about proportionate outcomes; sometimes targeted works or management measures suffice. The assessor should present options and justify choices.
Summary
- FRAEW (PAS 9980) = safety methodology to appraise external wall fire risk and inform the FRA. It drives proportionate actions and compliance.
- EWS1 = valuation form for mortgage purposes; not mandated by law, not a safety certificate.
- Best practice = commission one competent investigation, build a reusable evidence pack, complete the FRAEW, then provide an EWS1 if lenders ask—using the same evidence to avoid duplicate openings, cost and delay.
- UK-wide = PAS 9980 is used across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland; England-specific funding (e.g., Building Safety Fund) expects PAS-aligned FRAEWs when you apply.
Contact
If you’re responsible for a residential building and unsure about the safety of its external walls, speak to a competent FRAEW provider. At Anstey Horne, our expert team of fire engineers and surveyors deliver independent, proportionate, and fully compliant FRAEW Surveys.
Commission a PAS 9980-aligned FRAEW first to set your safety strategy, and let that evidence support any EWS1 a lender requests. You’ll cut duplication, reduce resident disruption, and make faster, better-defended decisions.
Get in touch with us today to arrange a no-obligation consultation - please call 020 4534 3130.
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For further information on all aspects of this service see the collection of articles in our blog.
To commission an FRAEW please call 020 4534 3130.
For further information on Fire Risk Assessment, Retrospective Fire Strategies, FRAEWs or advice in respect of your obligations as a building owner, developer or manager, please contact :
Sarah Taylor
Business Support Manager
Building Surveying
London