FRAEW · PAS 9980 · Manchester
FRAEW & EWS1 assessments in Manchester.
Director-led Fire Risk Appraisals of External Walls for residential towers, mill conversions and student blocks across Manchester and Greater Manchester.
We carry out FRAEWs to PAS 9980:2026 and EWS1 assessments across Manchester, Salford and Greater Manchester. Our northern office is in Chester, about an hour away, and our in-house contracting team carries out any opening-up, so the evidence is gathered quickly.
Manchester's external wall risks
Manchester has built more city-centre homes since the late 1990s than almost anywhere outside London, and much of that stock has the wall types a FRAEW has to untangle.
- City-centre apartment towers from the 2000s onwards, often with rainscreen cladding, render systems and balconies.
- Converted mills and warehouses, where Victorian masonry meets modern insulated additions and rooftop extensions.
- Purpose-built student accommodation along the university corridor, often with complex mixed façades.
- Post-war residential blocks that have been over-clad or refurbished, where the original construction may be hidden.
- Mixed-use buildings with homes above shops, offices or car parks, where the fire strategy shapes the outcome.
Our FRAEW work in and around Manchester
Our Manchester work shows what an evidence-led FRAEW can achieve: where the walls are proven on site, the outcome is based on fact, not assumption.
How we carry out a FRAEW
- Scoping and document review. Drawings, fire strategy, fire risk assessment and any previous reports, so the site work targets the right places.
- Site inspection and opening-up. Every elevation is inspected. Where records are missing or unreliable, our in-house contracting team makes intrusive openings so there is no wait for a separate contractor.
- Appraisal and review. Each wall type is appraised to PAS 9980:2026, then the building as a whole, and the report is reviewed before issue.
- Report and recommendations. A clear risk rating, proportionate recommendations and, where needed, an EWS1.
We typically inspect within about two weeks of instruction and issue the report within about two weeks of the inspection.
Where we work around Manchester
We carry out FRAEWs across Manchester city centre, Salford, Trafford and the wider Greater Manchester area, and across the North West and Yorkshire. See our pages for Manchester, Liverpool, Chester, Leeds and Sheffield.
Frequently asked questions
Do you carry out FRAEWs in Manchester?
Yes. We carry out FRAEWs to PAS 9980:2026 and EWS1 assessments across Manchester, Salford and Greater Manchester, led by a Director from our Chester office.
Can you open up the walls on an occupied building?
Yes. Our in-house contracting team carries out targeted openings, usually from a MEWP or scaffold, and makes them good. We plan the work around residents.
Can you help with a Cladding Safety Scheme application?
Yes. We are Homes England approved Cladding Safety Scheme assessors, so our FRAEWs can support an application for eligible buildings.
Can you also prepare the building's safety case report?
Yes. For higher-risk buildings, the FRAEW is usually central to the safety case. We can carry out both. See our guide to building safety case reports.
Related reading
Talk to us
Need a FRAEW in Manchester?
We are Homes England approved Cladding Safety Scheme assessors, carrying out PAS 9980 FRAEWs and EWS1 assessments across Greater Manchester and the North West.