In the wake of the Building Safety Act 2022, building owners and Responsible Persons face stringent obligations regarding the fire performance of external cladding systems. Professional external wall fire reviews are no longer optional but a statutory requirement for multi-occupied residential buildings to ensure life safety and regulatory compliance. Legal Framework: RRO 2005 and the Fire Safety Act 2021. The Fire Safety Act 2021 clarified that for any building containing two or more sets of domestic premises, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO) applies to the building’s structure, external walls, and any common parts. This includes cladding, insulation, and fixings, as well as balconies and windows. As a 'Responsible Person', you are legally mandated to include the risk of fire spread via the external wall system in your Fire Risk Assessment (FRA). Failure to provide a documented external wall fire review can lead to enforcement action by Fire and Rescue Authorities and prevents compliance with the Golden Thread requirements under the Building Safety Act 2022. PAS 9980: The Standard for External Wall Fire Risk Appraisal. A professional external wall fire review is now primarily dictated by PAS 9980:2022. This code of practice provides a methodology for the Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls (FRAEW). Unlike a simple EWS1 form, which is often a valuation requirement, a PAS 9980 assessment is a detailed fire engineering appraisal. It moves away from a binary 'pass/fail' approach to cladding, instead focusing on the risk to life safety. Our reviews evaluate the fire performance of the wall makeup, the presence of cavities and fire barriers, and how these interact with the building's overall fire strategy, such as 'Stay Put' policies or simultaneous evacuation. The Review Process: Documentation and Intrusive Inspection. External wall fire reviews require a multi-staged technical approach. Initial stages involve a desk-based review of 'as-built' drawings, O&M manuals, and manufacturer data sheets for insulation and rainscreen materials. However, where documentation is incomplete—frequent in legacy buildings—intrusive static testing is required. This involves creating sample apertures (opening up works) to verify the presence and correct installation of cavity barriers and to identify combustible materials. These findings are then benchmarked against Approved Document B (ADB) or BS 9414 where applicable, ensuring the assessment is grounded in verified physical evidence. Higher-Risk Buildings and the Safety Case Report. For 'Higher-Risk Buildings' (HRBs), defined as those at least 18 metres high or at least seven storeys, the external wall fire review is a critical component of the Safety Case Report required by the Building Safety Regulator (BSR). This review must demonstrate that the risks of fire spread have been managed so far as is reasonably practicable. Engineering judgment is applied to determine if remediation—such as cladding removal or the installation of supplemental fire breaks—is necessary, or if the risk is tolerable. Our reports provide clear, actionable recommendations aimed at achieving a holistic level of safety that satisfies both the BSR and the RRO.