What is an EWS1?

An EWS1 (External Wall System) certificate is evidence that a building with potentially combustible cladding has had a fire safety assessment as per fire safety regulations on residential buildings. After several rule changes, an EWS1 is now only required on buildings above 18 metres. A qualified professional will conduct a fire-risk appraisal of the external wall system, or cladding. They will then sign the EWS1 form based on that assessment.

The building will be assigned one of the following ratings:

Option A

External wall materials are unlikely to support combustion. Split into:

A1 – There is no cladding that contains significant quantities of combustible material
A2 – A risk assessment of cladding has taken place and no remedial works are required
A3 – Cladding is unlikely to support combustion but remedial works may still be needed

Option B

The cladding contains combustible materials. Then your building can be:

B1 – The fire risk is low enough that remedial works are not required
B2 – The fire risk is high enough to require remedial work

The EWS1 certificate was introduced to reassure lenders so that mortgages can be offered on flats within a building with cladding. They can then consider the above ratings and whether a mortgage can be obtained.