Post-Grenfell · RICS-aligned · Lender-ready

EWS1 Form — External Wall System fire safety, mortgage-ready

The lender-required EWS1 certificate for buildings with external cladding or attachments. Five classifications (A1, A2, A3, B1, B2), full risk assessment, professional indemnity statement — drafted from your inspection notes in minutes.

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Our approach to EWS1

The post-Grenfell External Wall System certificate that mortgage lenders require for buildings with external cladding or combustible attachments. Built for PII-covered fire engineers and qualified building surveyors who need the v2 form done fast and defensibly: structured PII statement, drawings & intrusive-opening capture, lender-acceptable PDF, section-aware image manager.

EWS1 v2

All 5 classifications

A1 (limited combustibles only), A2 (combustibles + low risk), A3 (insufficient combustibles), B1 (combustibles + low risk), B2 (combustibles + remediation required). B3 retired in March 2022 and not used.

Photo manager

Section-aware image manager

Bulk-import from your camera roll. Drag photos to inspection findings, annotate intrusive opening evidence, mark for inline or appendix. No more renaming files or dragging into Word folders.

PII-aware

Assessor & PII statement

Mandatory assessor fields: name, qualifications, professional body (RICS, IFE, CABE, IStructE), registration number, PII cover statement, employer. Lenders check for these before accepting the certificate.

Your inspection notes

23-storey, ACM rainscreen N elevation only intrusive opening — PIR insulation behind, no cavity barriers balconies — timber decking, combustible remediation reqd — full N facade + balcony decking

AI draft — assessor signs off

Findings & risks

23-storey building. ACM rainscreen cladding observed to the north elevation. Intrusive opening revealed PIR insulation behind, with no cavity barriers…

Classification — assessor only A1–B2 locked

The A1–B2 classification is a regulated professional judgement carrying PI consequence — the named assessor selects the classification, never AI.

AI · PI-aware

AI drafts the narrative. The classification stays yours.

AI drafts the descriptive sections from your inspection notes — methodology, findings, identified combustibles, remediation requirements. It pre-populates the assessor PII statement from your firm settings.

What AI does not do: propose an A1–B2 classification. The classification is a regulated professional judgement with direct PI consequence — the named assessor selects it and signs the form. Strict-literal mode means AI never invents fire test data, insulation types, or cavity details.

Read our full AI compliance position

What's in the form

RICS EWS1 v2 (March 2022) — mortgage lender accepted format.

1Building detailsAddress, postcode, height (storeys + metres), number of dwellings, year built, cladding present, building owner / managing agent.
2Assessor detailsName, qualifications, professional body (RICS, IFE, CABE, IStructE), registration number, PII cover statement, employer.
3External wall classificationA1 / A2 / A3 / B1 / B2 with full reasoning. Insulation type, fillers, attachments (balconies, soffits, vents), cavity barriers.
4Inspection methodologyVisual inspection scope, intrusive opening-up, drawings reviewed, fire test data sourced, areas not accessed.

5Findings & risksCombustible materials identified, deviation from approved drawings, fire-stopping defects, balcony combustibility.
6Remediation requirementRequired works (if B2), interim measures (waking watch, alarm), priority and timescale.
7Statement & signatureRICS EWS1 v2 statement, assessor signature, date, validity period (typically 5 years if no material change).

EWS1 process — from instruction to lender

Four stages, average 4–12 weeks depending on access and intrusive works.

Stage 1

Pre-instruction triage

Confirm building height (in scope > 11m), confirm cladding presence, check for existing EWS1 (validity 5 years), confirm assessor PII cover for EWS1 work. Decline if out of scope or PII inadequate.

Stage 2

Documentation review

Architect drawings, building regs sign-off, fire engineer reports, manufacturer specs for insulation/cladding/fixings. Often the bottleneck — original developer may be liquidated, drawings missing.

Stage 3

Inspection (visual + intrusive)

External visual survey from cherry-picker / abseil. Intrusive openings to verify insulation type and cavity barriers. Photo evidence per inspection point. Lab testing of samples where required.

Stage 4

Classification & sign-off

Classify A1–A3 (no remediation) or B1–B2 (remediation required). Sign EWS1 v2 form. PDF lender-ready — HSBC, Nationwide, Santander, Lloyds and most building societies accept the standard format.

EWS1 FAQs

Who can complete an EWS1 form?

A "suitably qualified person" with PII cover for EWS1 work. Typically a fire engineer (IFE), chartered building surveyor (RICS) with fire-safety competency, structural engineer (IStructE), or chartered architect (CABE) with relevant experience. The assessor's professional body, registration number, and PII statement are mandatory fields.

Which buildings need an EWS1?

Originally any building over 18m, then over 11m post-Grenfell, with external cladding or combustible attachments. Lender requirements vary — some require EWS1 for buildings >18m, others >11m, others by attached materials regardless of height. Check the lender's current policy before instructing.

What's the difference between A1, A2, A3 and B1, B2?

A1: limited combustible materials only, no further action. A2: combustible materials in use but assessment shows fire risk sufficiently low. A3: not enough combustibles to be a real risk, no remediation. B1: combustible materials present, fire risk is sufficiently low. B2: combustible materials present and remediation required. B3: retired in EWS1 v2 (March 2022).

Will the AI propose the A1–B2 classification?

No. The classification is a regulated professional judgement carrying direct PI consequence — the AI does not propose it. AI assists with the descriptive narrative around inspection methodology, findings, and remediation recommendations only. The named assessor selects the classification.

Is the AI aligned with the RICS 2026 AI Standard?

Yes. SurveyorSuite is designed around the RICS Professional Standard Responsible use of artificial intelligence in surveying practice (in force from 9 March 2026). The EWS1 template specifically locks the classification field from AI output — an extra safeguard given the PI risk. The named assessor signs off under s.4.2. See our full AI position.

What happens to my notes? Are they used to train AI models?

No. Your notes are sent to Anthropic's commercial API for descriptive drafting only. Anthropic explicitly commits in their Commercial Terms that customer inputs and outputs are not used to train their models. 30-day Trust & Safety retention then deleted.