PAS9980 2026 – What has changed

PAS 9980:2026 took effect on 30 September 2026 and supersedes PAS 9980:2022. However, publication does not automatically invalidate an existing FRAEW. Dutyholders should decide whether to review or update their report, taking professional advice and the building’s circumstances into account.

The central approach remains familiar: understand the external wall risk, assess its consequences for occupants and recommend proportionate action. The changes make that process clearer and help clients understand what the outcome means.

What is PAS 9980 and what does an FRAEW assess?

PAS 9980 provides a methodology for appraising the fire risk associated with external wall construction and cladding on existing blocks of flats. An FRAEW considers how external fire spread could affect life safety and informs the building’s wider fire risk assessment.

The appraisal considers the complete wall system. Assessors examine materials, insulation, cavities, cavity barriers, openings and attachments where relevant. They also consider the arrangement of these features and their relationship with the building’s fire strategy.

For example, combustible material beside an escape route may create different consequences from the same material in another location. Material classification alone cannot explain that difference.

Both editions therefore require professional judgement. Neither offers a universal list of acceptable wall constructions or substitutes for a building-specific assessment.

PAS9980 2026 – What has changed compared with 2022?

The main changes concern how assessors reach, explain and review their conclusions. The 2026 edition gives greater structure to deciding whether an FRAEW is necessary. It then clarifies the appraisal process and the actions associated with each outcome.

The revision separates the previous medium band into medium and tolerable outcomes. It strengthens report content, adds dedicated guidance on reviewing reports and updates the evidence supporting balcony assessment.

It also develops the discussion of evacuation, adds a case study involving completed remediation and removes several background annexes. These changes refine the methodology rather than introduce an entirely different approach to external wall risk.

Clearer screening before commissioning an FRAEW

The 2022 edition already recognised that not every building required an FRAEW. The 2026 edition develops this principle through more explicit screening criteria and a process diagram in Clause 4.

Assessors should first establish whether the building itself, or its external walls, presents an inherently low risk. This helps clients commission work that matches the circumstances.

Building types that may not require an FRAEW

Clause 4.2 identifies detached, terraced and semi-detached dwellinghouses as inherently low risk for this purpose. It also includes blocks of flats with no more than two storeys above ground, meaning ground and first floor.

Blocks with no more than three storeys above ground also fall within this screening route unless an obvious external wall hazard exists. Here, three storeys means ground, first and second floors.

Clients should retain that qualification when considering a three-storey building. An obvious hazard may change the conclusion. A decision that an FRAEW is unnecessary also does not remove any applicable requirement for a wider fire risk assessment.

Wall construction can support a screening decision

Clause 4.3 describes qualifying wall constructions, subject to specific conditions. Examples include certain solid masonry walls, specified masonry cavity walls and certain systems using A1 or A2-s1,d0 materials.

The conditions matter. They address issues such as masonry thickness, cavity closures, cavity barriers and attachments. A brick appearance alone does not establish that the wall qualifies.

The revised guidance also addresses construction closely matching a successful BS 8414 test with BR 135 classification. Assessors must consider the actual construction and relevant attachments. A test certificate for a broadly similar system does not establish a match.

The screening decision needs a report

Clause 14 now sets out recommendations for reports that conclude an FRAEW is unnecessary. The report should explain the basis for that decision and identify the building, appraiser, relevant inspections and signatories’ competence.

This gives the dutyholder a documented explanation to inform the wider FRA. It also helps future assessors understand the evidence behind the decision.

Four risk outcomes replace the previous three bands

The most visible change involves terminology. PAS 9980:2022 used low, medium and high bands. Within medium, an assessor could conclude that the risk fell within its lower, tolerable portion.

PAS 9980:2026 now identifies four outcomes: low, tolerable, medium and high. Low and high retain their previous meaning. Tolerable corresponds to the previous medium tolerable outcome. Medium corresponds to the previous upper, non-tolerable portion of medium.

This distinction improves communication. Owners and residents can understand more readily whether the appraisal identifies a need for risk reduction.

Low risk outcome

A low outcome means the appraisal does not identify a need for further risk reduction under its methodology. Nevertheless, Clause 7 calls for some degree of periodic review. The assessor should consider foreseeable changes, deterioration and the particular wall systems.

Tolerable risk outcome

A tolerable outcome does not require remediation simply because the outcome is tolerable. The assessor should still consider proportionate opportunities to reduce risk to low.

Those opportunities might involve limited local work or improvements during future refurbishment. In some circumstances, the assessor may identify no proportionate further measures. The outcome can then remain tolerable, subject to review.

Clients should therefore read the recommendations alongside the outcome. Tolerable does not mean that every possible improvement becomes necessary.

Medium and high risk outcomes

A medium outcome requires mitigation or some degree of remediation to reduce risk to tolerable or low. The appropriate response depends on the building and the effectiveness of available measures.

For high outcomes, remediation will probably provide the only viable route to sufficient risk reduction. However, high covers a range of circumstances, so urgency and interim measures require specific assessment.

Where an assessor identifies an immediate risk to life, they should notify the dutyholder promptly. They should not wait until they finish the report.

A clearer distinction between risk rating and risk outcome

The revised definitions separate the assessment of risk from the proportionality of further action. The risk rating considers the external wall fire hazard and the likelihood of harm. It excludes the time, effort and cost of reducing risk.

The risk outcome then addresses acceptability, taking proportionality into account. This helps readers follow the reasoning from evidence to action.

In practical terms, an expensive remedy does not make a hazard smaller. Cost and practicability belong in the assessment of proportionate measures. Reports should explain both stages clearly.

PAS9980 2026 What has Changed? A more explicit, iterative appraisal process

The 2022 methodology already allowed assessors to scale their work to the building. Clause 6 of the revised edition makes that flexibility more explicit and supports it with process diagrams.

The assessor starts with available information and makes reasonable conservative assumptions where uncertainty exists. They then consider whether more investigation would meaningfully improve the appraisal.

If the outcome remains low despite reasonable worst-case assumptions, additional investigation may add no useful value. Conversely, targeted inspection may resolve uncertainty that currently supports a higher outcome.

For example, an assessor may lack reliable information about cavity barriers. Inspection could establish their condition and improve the evidence base. However, inspection might confirm the original concern rather than reduce the risk.

The process can therefore expand, repeat or conclude as the evidence develops. Clients should agree how the assessor will explain additional investigations and their expected value.

More detailed FRAEW reporting recommendations

The 2022 edition already required reports to explain findings, limitations and professional judgement. Clause 15 of PAS 9980:2026 develops these recommendations in greater detail.

The report should identify wall types, explain how the assessor established their actual condition and describe relevant constraints. Inspection records should show sampling locations and support findings with suitable photographs or drawings.

The assessor should explain how significant risk factors influence the outcome. If uncertainty contributes to a medium or high outcome, the report should explain why further work could not proportionately resolve it.

Where a new appraisal reaches significantly different conclusions from an earlier FRAEW, the report should explain the underlying reasons. This helps clients distinguish changes in evidence or construction from differences in professional judgement.

Executive summaries should help residents understand the findings

The revised edition expressly calls for an executive summary that non-experts, including residents, can understand. It should identify the overall outcome, summarise the wall types and attachments, explain the conclusion and set out recommendations.

This gives managing agents a clearer basis for communicating findings. A useful summary explains what the outcome means and what action follows.

More specific evidence of assessor competence

Both editions recognise the need for competent professionals. The revised edition brings competence and ethics into Clause 5 and provides an expected skills table in Annex A.

Clause 15 also requires a statement explaining the relevant experience of the report’s signatories. Postnominal letters alone do not demonstrate competence. Pending qualifications or membership applications do not establish it either.

When appointing an assessor, ask about experience with comparable wall systems and buildings. Establish who will undertake the appraisal, review the technical reasoning and authorise the report.

PAS 9980 does not itself certify assessors. The appointment process should establish whether the proposed team has the expertise for your building.

New guidance on reviewing FRAEW reports

Annex B provides dedicated guidance on report reviews. It distinguishes reviews of methodology, comprehensibility, technical accuracy, reassurance and uncertainty.

These purposes require different scopes. Checking whether a report explains its conclusions logically does not necessarily establish that its technical assumptions are correct.

A normal review also does not usually repeat the original appraisal or site investigation. A reviewer may identify a need for further inspection, but that extends beyond the usual review scope.

Clients should specify the question they need the review to answer. Clear instructions make the commission more useful and help avoid duplicated work.

Updated guidance on balconies and evacuation

The 2022 balcony guidance relied on knowledge from actual incidents. The 2026 edition incorporates research commissioned by the Building Safety Regulator.

The broad guidance remains similar, but the revised edition separates balcony construction and layout considerations between the fire performance and façade configuration risk tables.

This supports a clearer assessment of both the materials involved and the arrangement of balconies. Vertically aligned balconies, for example, may create different fire spread opportunities from isolated attachments.

The revised Annex C also expands the explanation of external fire spread, stay put strategies and the safety of people with specific evacuation requirements.

Assessors should consider how fire could affect occupants and escape routes. The presence of combustible materials does not, by itself, justify changing the evacuation strategy. Any recommendation needs a building-specific assessment of its effectiveness and consequences.

Changes to supporting standards, annexes and case studies

PAS 9980:2026 supplements BS 9792, which addresses fire risk assessment in housing. The documents can operate independently, but their relationship reinforces the need to connect an FRAEW with the wider FRA.

For commissioning purposes, distinguish the relevant premises: BS 9792 addresses housing, while PAS 79-1 addresses non-housing premises.

The revised PAS removes the former standalone annexes on legislative context, Building Regulations guidance and historical standards. Its foreword explains that these background sections no longer need to form part of the appraisal document. Their removal does not remove statutory duties.

Some illustrations have also disappeared for copyright reasons. Annex K adds a case study involving a remediated building with detailed records. For owners undertaking remediation, this demonstrates the value of retaining reliable evidence for subsequent appraisal.

Does PAS 9980:2026 invalidate an existing FRAEW?

No. The revised edition expressly confirms that publication alone does not invalidate reports prepared under PAS 9980:2022.

The dutyholder should consider the report’s recommendations, current evidence and any changes to the building. Relevant review triggers include significant external wall repairs, deterioration, an external wall fire or new information affecting previous assumptions.

A review does not automatically require a completely new appraisal. The appropriate scope depends on what has changed and whether the existing evidence still supports the conclusions.

If your report uses a medium outcome, ask the assessor to explain whether it represents the former tolerable or non-tolerable portion. Understanding the original reasoning matters more than changing the label.

What building owners and managing agents should do now

Start by locating your current FRA, FRAEW, wall construction records and any remediation documentation. Check outstanding recommendations and the review arrangements already in place.

If you plan a new commission, ask the assessor to apply the revised screening process first. Where an FRAEW is necessary, agree how they will manage uncertainty, investigation, reporting and technical review.

Request an accessible summary and clear advice on actions, urgency and future review. Share relevant findings with the fire risk assessor so the wider FRA reflects the external wall appraisal.

Maintain records when you alter or remediate external walls. Accurate information about products, installation and inspections can improve later assessments and reduce avoidable uncertainty.

FAQs – PAS9980 2026 What has Changed?

Is PAS 9980:2026 a new law?

No. PAS 9980 is a code of practice for external wall fire risk appraisal. It supports professional assessment alongside applicable legal duties. It does not replace those duties or certify Building Regulations compliance.

Does every block of flats need an FRAEW?

No. The revised edition provides specific screening criteria for inherently low-risk buildings and wall construction. A conclusion that an FRAEW is unnecessary should have a documented basis.

Does tolerable mean the same as low?

No. Tolerable identifies a separate outcome. Assessors should consider proportionate opportunities to reduce the risk further and recommend review arrangements, even where remediation is unnecessary.

Does the revised PAS require intrusive inspection in every case?

No. Investigation should match the risk and uncertainty. Existing reliable evidence may support a conclusion, while other buildings require targeted opening-up or further analysis.

Does PAS 9980 require all combustible cladding to be removed?

No. The methodology considers the complete wall system, its configuration and consequences for life safety. Findings should support proportionate mitigation or remediation recommendations.

Does an FRAEW replace an EWS1 form?

No. An FRAEW appraises external wall fire risk and informs the wider FRA. An EWS1 serves a separate valuation and lending process. Clients should establish which documents their particular circumstances require.

Discuss your FRAEW with Anstey Horne

Anstey Horne provides external wall fire risk appraisal and wider fire consultancy advice. We can help you understand your existing report, assess whether further investigation would add value and identify appropriate next steps.

Contact our fire consultancy team to discuss your building, an existing FRAEW or a new appraisal.

PAS9980 2026 – What has changed comes down to clearer screening, more distinct risk outcomes and better explanations of evidence and action. For your building, the practical priority remains an informed appraisal that supports proportionate decisions and the wider fire risk assessment.