How to Get an EWS1 Form: What Flat Owners Need to Know

The EWS1 form emerged from one of the most serious building safety failures in modern UK history. Since the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, the external walls of residential buildings have been subject to an entirely new level of scrutiny — and the consequences for flat owners in affected buildings have been severe: unmortgageability, unsaleability, and in some cases, life-changing remediation bills.

If you own or are trying to buy a flat in a building that may need an EWS1 form, understanding what the form is, who can issue it, what it costs, and what each rating means is essential.

What Is an EWS1 Form?

EWS1 stands for External Wall System Fire Review. It is a standardised form, introduced in December 2019 by UK Finance and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), that records the outcome of an assessment of a residential building's external wall construction.

The form is completed by a qualified professional — typically a fire engineer or a specially qualified surveyor — who physically inspects the building's external walls, including any cladding, insulation, and cavity barriers, to assess the fire risk they present.

The EWS1 form is not a legal requirement under statute. It emerged from mortgage lenders requiring evidence of building safety before they would lend on flats in potentially affected buildings. In practice, the form has become the standard mechanism by which buildings demonstrate that their external walls meet safety requirements, and its presence or absence has a direct effect on whether a flat can be sold or remortgaged.

Which Buildings Need an EWS1 Form?

The requirement for EWS1 forms has evolved significantly since their introduction. The current position (which should be confirmed with your solicitor or lender as it continues to develop) is broadly:

Buildings under 11 metres (roughly 4 storeys): EWS1 forms are not typically required. Most mainstream lenders do not request them for buildings below this height threshold.

Buildings 11–18 metres: EWS1 may be required depending on:

• The type of cladding or external wall materials present
• The lender's specific policy
• Whether the building has combustible materials in its external walls

Buildings over 18 metres: These buildings face the most scrutiny. An EWS1 form is generally required by lenders for any flat in a building over 18 metres with external wall concerns.

EWS1 Ratings Explained

The EWS1 form uses a lettered rating system. Understanding what each rating means is critical to understanding whether a flat can be mortgaged and at what cost.

A1 — No cladding or attachments of concern

The building has no cladding or external attachments that present a fire risk. This is the clearest possible outcome. A1-rated buildings can be mortgaged normally with mainstream lenders.

A2 — Minor combustible materials, no remediation needed

There are some combustible materials in the external wall system, but the qualified professional has determined that these do not require remediation. The risk is assessed as acceptable. A2-rated buildings can generally be mortgaged, though some lenders may have their own requirements.

A3 — Combustible materials present, some remediation needed

Combustible materials are present and remediation work is required, but the building is not considered an immediate fire risk. The nature and extent of the required work varies. A3-rated buildings typically require remediation before mainstream lenders will lend, though specialist lenders may be more flexible.

B1 — Non-ACM cladding, no current need for remediation

The external wall system includes cladding (not ACM — aluminium composite material) that does not currently require remediation. B1-rated buildings can often be mortgaged, but lender policies vary and some will decline.

B2 — Combustible cladding, remediation needed immediately

This is the most serious rating. The building has combustible cladding (including potentially ACM cladding of the type implicated in Grenfell) that requires urgent remediation. B2-rated buildings are typically considered unmortgageable by mainstream lenders until remediation is complete.

Who Can Carry Out an EWS1 Assessment?

EWS1 assessments must be carried out by a qualified professional. The RICS specifies that assessors must be:

• A member of the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) with relevant competency
• A chartered engineer with relevant fire engineering competency
• A chartered building surveyor with relevant fire engineering competency
• Other professionals meeting specific RICS competency criteria

This is not a generalist surveying task. The shortage of qualified EWS1 assessors following the introduction of the form was one of the factors that caused significant delays and backlogs in the early years of the scheme.

Important: The EWS1 form is a building-level assessment. One qualified professional assesses the entire building — not individual flats. There is one EWS1 form for the building, and it applies to all flats within it.

Who Pays for an EWS1 Assessment?

This has been one of the most contentious questions of the building safety crisis, and the answer has evolved through legislation and government intervention.

Building Owners and Management Companies

For private residential buildings, the cost of the EWS1 assessment falls primarily on the building owner (often the freeholder) or the residents' management company (if one exists). In many cases, this cost has historically been passed to leaseholders through the service charge — which has been deeply controversial.

Leaseholder Protections Under the Building Safety Act 2022

The Building Safety Act 2022 significantly strengthened protections for qualifying leaseholders. Under the Act:

• Leaseholders in buildings over 11 metres (or five storeys) who are the original purchasers of their flat (not the developer or a related company) have statutory protection from being charged for certain remediation costs
• Qualifying leaseholders cannot be charged for the remediation of external wall defects if the building owner or a "responsible party" can be identified

This does not mean leaseholders pay nothing — the protections are complex and have limits. But they represent a significant shift from the position that prevailed before 2022, when leaseholders were facing bills of tens of thousands of pounds for buildings they did not construct and problems they did not cause.

The Building Safety Fund

The government's Building Safety Fund was established to cover the cost of removing and replacing unsafe cladding on buildings over 18 metres that cannot otherwise be funded. Eligible buildings can apply for grant funding that covers the cost of cladding remediation.

The fund has been extended and expanded since its original launch. Not all buildings qualify, and the application and assessment process can be slow. Your managing agent or residents' management company should be the primary point of contact for whether your building is eligible or enrolled.

Developer Pledges

Many major housebuilders and developers have signed pledges to pay for the remediation of buildings they were responsible for constructing, regardless of the building height. The developer responsible for your building may have already committed to funding the work — which removes the cost from residents entirely.

The Assessment Process: What Happens

1. Identify the building owner or managing agent — they are responsible for arranging the assessment
2. Commission a qualified assessor — the managing agent or building owner should source this, ideally from an accredited list
3. Physical inspection — the assessor visits the building and inspects the external walls, including accessing voids and cavities where possible
4. Form completion — the assessor completes the EWS1 form, recording their findings and assigning the appropriate rating
5. Distribution — the completed form should be made available to all leaseholders in the building; a copy is typically held by the managing agent

Timeline: The assessment itself may take a few hours for a simple building; more complex buildings with unusual construction or materials take longer. The overall time from instruction to completed form can range from a few weeks to several months, depending on assessor availability and building complexity.

What Happens With Each Rating: Your Next Steps

A1 or A2: Your flat should be mortgageable with mainstream lenders. Provide a copy of the EWS1 form to your buyer's solicitor or mortgage broker as part of the sale or remortgage process.

A3 or B1: Contact the managing agent or freeholder to understand what remediation is planned, who is funding it, and the timeline. Specialist lenders may be able to lend while works are planned but not yet complete — a specialist mortgage broker familiar with EWS1 situations is worth consulting.

B2: Your building requires urgent remediation. Mainstream mortgages are typically unavailable until works are complete. Establish whether the Building Safety Fund or a developer pledge applies. If the building owner is responsible, the Building Safety Act protections may cap your liability. This is a situation that typically requires professional legal advice alongside the practical steps above.

Specialist EWS1 Services

Several companies specialise in EWS1 surveys and building safety assessments. EWS1 Surveys and Firntec are examples of providers operating in this space. These are cited as examples of the type of specialist service available, not as endorsements.

If you are a leaseholder trying to understand your position, LEASE (the Leasehold Advisory Service) provides free, independent advice and can help you understand your rights under the Building Safety Act.

The Bottom Line

The EWS1 form sits at the intersection of building safety, mortgage lending, and leasehold law. For flat owners in affected buildings, it has been a source of considerable distress, financial uncertainty, and in some cases, negative equity.

The legislative landscape has improved significantly since the worst of the crisis in 2020–2022. Developer pledges, the Building Safety Fund, and the protections in the Building Safety Act 2022 mean that many leaseholders who feared enormous bills now have a clearer path forward. But navigating the system — working out who is responsible, whether your building qualifies for funding, and how to proceed — still requires persistence and, in many cases, specialist professional advice.

This is educational content, not legal or financial advice. Building safety law is complex and evolving — speak to a qualified solicitor and, where relevant, a specialist mortgage broker before making any decisions.