What changed
Before this standard, EWS1 requests became common for almost any building with cladding, which created long waits and cost for buildings that did not actually need one. The revised standard is meant to bring requests back to buildings where there is a genuine, defined reason to ask.
What decides it
The standard uses defined factors, including the building's height, visible cladding, curtain wall glazing and certain balcony configurations. RICS also says the EWS1 form is for valuation and lending purposes only: it is not a fire safety certificate and does not replace a fire risk assessment. We are not stating exact thresholds here, because the precise figures are a matter for a qualified assessor applying the standard to your specific building, not a generalisation we can responsibly publish.
A FRAEW summary can sometimes stand in
Where a fire risk appraisal of external walls (FRAEW) has already been done for the building, a summary of it can sometimes be used instead of commissioning a fresh EWS1 form.
Older forms are not automatically thrown out
In April 2025 the lenders that signed the joint industry statement on cladding, published by the Building Societies Association, pledged not to require wholesale reviews of EWS1 forms that are more than five years old. This is subject to each lender's own policy and risk appetite. If your building already has a form, ask your lender whether it is still being relied on before assuming a new one is needed.
Who to ask
Your lender or broker, for whether they will lend without one on your specific building. Your freeholder or managing agent, for whether the building already has a form or a FRAEW summary. A RICS-qualified surveyor or chartered engineer, for whether your building meets the rationale for a fresh assessment.
If your building does need an assessment, see our guide to the EWS1 survey: who can carry it out and how to find a qualified assessor.
Questions people ask
My building has cladding. Does that mean I automatically need an EWS1?
No, not automatically. The revised RICS standard asks for one only where there is a clear rationale based on defined factors such as height and visible cladding, not for any building with cladding as a routine matter.
My lender already has an EWS1 for the building. Do I need a new one?
Not necessarily. The lenders that signed the April 2025 joint industry statement on cladding pledged not to require wholesale reviews of forms more than five years old, subject to each lender's own policy. Ask your lender whether the existing form is still being relied on before commissioning a new assessment.
Who actually decides whether my building needs an EWS1?
In practice it is a combination of your lender (who sets what they will accept), your freeholder or managing agent (who arranges the assessment for the building), and a RICS-qualified assessor (who applies the standard to your specific building). No single generic answer covers every building.
Sourced from RICS: updated standard for multi-storey residential buildings with cladding. and the Building Societies Association: joint industry statement on cladding (23 April 2025). See our data sources and updates page.
Editor, VettedHome
Adam leads VettedHome's editorial coverage of UK home services. He is the founder and managing director of Muswell Rose, the commercial strategy and modern systems business behind a portfolio of UK information sites, and he researches and writes the plain-English guides that help homeowners choose between installers and trades, drawing on the standards set by the relevant bodies for each job, such as Gas Safe Register, NICEIC, MCS, TrustMark and the Property Care Association. He is clear about what to check before any work starts.
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