External Wall Appraisal
Understand external wall risk. Find a proportionate way forward.
The Challenge
External walls need to be understood as a complete system.
External wall construction can involve multiple materials, components, interfaces, and installation methods. The information available may be incomplete, drawings may not reflect what was constructed, and different elevations may contain different wall build-ups.
It is therefore rarely enough to consider a single product or material in isolation — a meaningful appraisal must consider the likely performance of the entire external wall system, how fire and smoke could spread, and the potential consequences for people within and around the building.
For multi-occupied residential buildings containing two or more sets of domestic premises, the fire risk assessment must include the external walls. The need for further assessment depends on the building, its construction, and the level of risk identified.
How Tenos Helps
Transforming uncertainty into assurance.
Initial review and scoping.
Reviewing the available information and helping establish whether a detailed external wall appraisal may be appropriate.
Building information review.
Examining drawings, specifications, fire strategies, product data, test evidence, certificates, and previous inspection reports.
External wall investigation.
Supporting the inspection needed to understand the materials, construction, and configuration of different external wall systems.
Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls.
Assessing external wall fire risk using the methodology set out in PAS 9980, where applicable.
Holistic risk assessment.
Considering the wall construction alongside the building's height, layout, occupancy, evacuation strategy, and fire-safety management arrangements.
Recommendations and next steps.
Identifying proportionate measures that may reduce risk, including further investigation, interim measures, management actions, or remediation.
Why choose Tenos?
See the whole building, not only the façade.
Take a proportionate approach.
We consider the evidence and building-specific risk rather than assuming that the presence of a particular material automatically determines the outcome.
Draw on specialist fire engineering expertise.
External wall appraisal requires an understanding of fire behaviour, building design, escape and evacuation, and the interaction among different fire-safety measures.
Benefit from direct PAS 9980 insight.
Tenos, through the work of Mostyn Bullock, was part of the expert team that drafted PAS 9980
Gain an independent view.
Our advice is based on the available evidence, the building, and the risk presented — it is not tied to a particular product or remediation contractor.
Understand the reasoning.
We explain the factors affecting the appraisal, the evidence considered, and why particular conclusions or recommendations have been reached.
Connect the appraisal to wider fire safety.
Our expertise across fire engineering, surveying, risk assessment, and fire safety management enables us to consider external wall risk in the wider context of the building.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is an external wall appraisal?
An external wall appraisal examines the construction and likely fire performance of a building’s external walls, considering relevant materials, components, attachments, construction details, and the building’s wider fire-safety context.
What is an FRAEW?
FRAEW stands for Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls — a detailed appraisal typically carried out in accordance with PAS 9980 for existing multi-storey, multi-occupied residential buildings.
Does every residential building require an FRAEW?
No. The fire risk assessment for a multi-occupied residential building must consider its external walls, but many buildings will not require a separate detailed FRAEW. A competent assessor should determine whether further appraisal is necessary.
What is PAS 9980?
PAS 9980 is a code of practice that provides a methodology for assessing the risk of fire spread through external wall construction and cladding on existing multi-storey blocks of flats.
Is an FRAEW the same as an EWS1 form?
No. An FRAEW is a fire risk appraisal of the external wall construction. An EWS1 form communicates information about an external wall system to valuers and lenders, and is not a life-safety certificate.
Does the presence of combustible material automatically mean remediation is required?
Not necessarily. PAS 9980 promotes a holistic and proportionate assessment of risk, considering the material alongside the wall configuration, installation, cavity barriers, and wider fire-safety measures.
Will an intrusive survey be required?
It depends on the information available and the complexity of the wall system. Where drawings and records do not provide sufficient evidence, an opening up or other investigation may be needed.
Who should complete an FRAEW?
PAS 9980 is intended for competent professionals with suitable knowledge and recent experience of external wall construction, material behaviour in fire, fire strategy, and building-specific risk.
Talk to Tenos
Ready to see beyond the wall?
Whether concerns have been raised through a fire risk assessment, an EWS1 request, a building review, or incomplete information about the external wall construction, our team can help you understand what needs to happen next.