PAS 9980:2026: the fire risk appraisal of external walls, revised.

What changed in the 2026 edition

BSI's catalogue lists PAS 9980:2026, Fire risk appraisal of external wall construction and cladding of existing blocks of flats. Code of practice, as current from 30 September 2026, and PAS 9980:2022 as withdrawn. The new edition was sponsored by MHCLG and is a full revision. BSI says it gives clearer, more structured guidance, and that the changes are not meant to significantly impact the assessment of risk. The principal changes are:

PAS 9980:2026 supplements BS 9792 and is consistent with its methodology, though the two can be used independently. It does not set competence requirements or decide who may carry out an appraisal; MHCLG's step-by-step guide to commissioning an FRAEW covers choosing a suitable assessor.

The four risk outcomes

An FRAEW gives a risk outcome based on the likelihood of fire spreading through the external wall system and the potential impact on residents. MHCLG's guidance for building owners and residents describes the four outcomes like this:

MHCLG adds that the position on this scale is not purely numerical: it needs professional judgement about the building's design, occupancy and fire safety measures. Recommended works should be proportionate to the risk to life.

Which buildings it covers

PAS 9980:2026 applies predominantly to multistorey blocks of flats of any height, including flats above shops or offices. It can also be applied to student accommodation, sheltered and other specialised housing, and buildings converted into flats where they are similar to purpose-built flats in fire strategy and evacuation. It relates to blocks of flats throughout the UK; it was written primarily for England and can be applied in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland with care for their own rules. It is not for snagging new buildings before occupation, and its reports are not meant to show compliance with building regulations.

Clause 1 lists buildings that are within scope but not normally expected to need an FRAEW:

• individual dwellinghouses, and terraced or semi-detached houses;
• blocks of flats with no more than two storeys above ground level;
• traditionally constructed blocks of flats with no more than three storeys above ground level.

MHCLG's guidance says buildings with traditional brick or masonry walls are generally unlikely to need a detailed FRAEW, but the construction has to be confirmed as brick or masonry and not, for example, brick slip over combustible insulation. An FRAEW is usually needed when the fire risk assessor has concerns about the external walls, such as combustible materials or a construction that is not fully understood, and it is not limited to medium-rise or high-rise blocks.

Do PAS 9980:2022 appraisals still count?

Generally, yes. BSI says publishing the revised edition does not in itself invalidate reports prepared under PAS 9980:2022, and that it is for the dutyholder, informed by professional advice and the circumstances of the building, to decide whether a report should be reviewed or updated. MHCLG says an FRAEW completed by a competent assessor using PAS 9980:2022 should continue to be valid until it needs to be reviewed or updated. A new FRAEW will usually only be needed if the building's external walls change or a later fire risk assessment recommends one.

FRA, FRAEW and EWS1: how they fit

• Fire risk assessment (FRA): every residential building with two or more flats must have one under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Since the Fire Safety Act 2021 it must cover the structure and external walls, including cladding, insulation, balconies and windows.
• FRAEW: a specialist appraisal of the external wall system, where the FRA recommends one. Its findings inform the FRA; it does not replace it, assess wider fire safety or check compliance with building regulations.
• EWS1 form: requested by lenders and valuers on a sale or remortgage. MHCLG says it is not a government or regulatory document and not a safety certificate. Since January 2022 RICS guidance has said investigations of external wall systems should follow PAS 9980, so an EWS1 assessment may use evidence from an FRAEW, but an EWS1 does not replace an FRAEW.
• For valuers: the second edition of RICS's Secured lending valuation of properties in multi-storey, multi-occupancy residential buildings with cladding is effective from 1 November 2026, with an EWS1 decision tree to help valuers decide when an EWS1 form should be required because of visible cladding.

The Cladding Bill: not yet law

The Building Safety (Remediation of Unsafe Cladding etc) Bill is a government bill. It was introduced in the House of Commons on 14 October 2026 and had its second reading on 27 October 2026; its committee stage is due to start on 12 November 2026. Opening the debate, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government said PAS 9980 "will become the required standard for fire risk appraisals of external walls". That depends on the Bill passing and on regulations made under it.

MHCLG's guide to the Bill says its legal duty to remediate would apply to multi-occupied residential buildings in England over 11 metres high or with at least 5 storeys, completed before 28 June 2022, except buildings covered by the developer remediation contract. If the Bill passes as introduced, the guide gives these measures and timings:

The Bill can still be amended as it goes through Parliament. Until it receives Royal Assent and the regulations are made, PAS 9980 remains a code of practice; MHCLG's guide says it is already widely used, including in government remediation programmes.

Where PropertySurvey Pro fits

A condition survey or building survey is not an FRAEW. What a surveyor can do is record what was seen of the external walls and say when the building's fire safety documents should be checked.

• Main walls checklist: flag cladding that is loose, damaged or of unknown type, and external wall insulation or cladding that has been added, with photos. Area checklists.
• Further investigation and documents: in the RICS condition report sections, record why further investigation is needed and which documents to obtain or verify, such as the building's FRA, any FRAEW or an EWS1 form. RICS condition report software.
• Dated evidence (Pro): print the date and time each photo was taken or added.
• On site and offline: the PDF is built on your device before you leave.

PropertySurvey Pro records your observations and photos. It does not carry out fire risk appraisals of external walls or fire risk assessments, and it does not complete EWS1 forms.