Leasehold

What is an EWS1 form, and is it part of a flat survey?

An EWS1 is an external wall system form used by some lenders when they want an assessment of the wall of certain multi-storey residential buildings. It is not a page inside a RICS Level 2 of one flat. Many flats never need one. Ask the lender and the managing agent whether this block is one that does.

Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.

What is the fuller explanation?

Government guidance on building-safety leaseholder protections explains rights around some cladding and building-safety costs. It is not a statement that every balcony is dangerous, and it is not the EWS1 form. A surveyor of a single flat can see a crack, a panel or a balcony and still not be instructed to complete an EWS1. If they recommend a wall assessment, that is a further instruction with its own competent person and its own fee.

Ask the agent for any existing form and for what it covers. An old form may not satisfy a current lender. Do not flash a Level 2 at a lender who has asked for an EWS1. They are not substitutes. Also do not pay for an EWS1 on a two-storey house because a forum said the letters are fashionable. Ask the lender.

What should you ask your surveyor?

Did your inspection include an external-wall fire assessment? It should not, unless the terms say so.
What did you see on the walls that a lender might ask about?
What should I ask the managing agent, as distinct from you?

What are the typical next steps?

Ask the lender if they want an EWS1 for this block.
Ask the agent for any form already held.
Commission a new assessment only if the lender or a competent adviser says this building needs one.

Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.

Also asked about this

Does a balcony automatically mean an EWS1?

No. Ask the lender. A survey note about a rotten balcony deck is a condition issue, which can exist with or without the form.

If the seller has an EWS1, can you rely on it?

Read its date, its conclusions and who commissioned it. Then ask your lender if they accept it. Reliance is not automatic.