Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC)

Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) continues to pose challenges for the construction sector as we move into 2026, with recent government announcements highlighting the scale of remediation required across both public and private estates.

Broader landscape

At the end of 2023, RAAC was making headlines on the issues it can cause. Estate managers and building owners will be aware that RAAC is a lightweight building material used widely in buildings between the 1960s and 1990s. Its use was not limited to the public sector, approximately 3.5 million RAAC panels were sold in the UK so it is likely that RAAC may be present in a small number of social housing buildings which were constructed during this period.

As RAAC’s lifespan is ultimately dependent on whether it was manufactured and installed correctly (as well as its maintenance), determining the urgency of replacement can be difficult.

Following this spike of publicity in 2023, the topic of RAAC disappeared from headlines whilst building owners and the government considered how investigations and subsequent replacement of RAAC was to be funded.

Government funding pledges

Autumn 2025 not only bought the Winter Budget but also provided the government with the opportunity to announce the funding it had provided to the public sector as well as future funding promises. These funding promises are specifically for the public sector with the Department for Education and the Department of Health and Social Care both having RAAC funding pots available for Schools and NHS Trusts respectively. Some of this funding has already been used as the government confirmed din September 2025 that seven additional NHS hospitals across England have eradicated RAAC, supported by up to £440m in funding, with a further 12 hospitals on track to complete removals by the end of March 2026. 

For schools, as of September 2025, RAAC has been permanently removed from 62 schools. The Education Secretary subsequently announced comprehensive timelines to eliminate RAAC from all 237 affected schools and colleges in England, with over 42,000 pupils now learning in RAAC-free classrooms.

The government’s aspirations are to remove RAAC from the NHS estate by 2035 and to eliminate ‘dangerous’ RAAC from schools ahead of the next general election, scheduled for 2029.

Who’s ultimately responsible?

Responsibility for repairing and maintaining RAAC will depend on whether the property itself is freehold or leasehold. For those who own the freehold, they will be responsible for ensuring the building is safe. However, responsibility for leaseholders will depend on the terms of the lease. Typical leases require tenants to keep premises in good and substantial repair, though more significant tor structural repairs may fall to landlords unless specifically transferred to tenants.

Latent defect claims

Parallels could be drawn between the issues surrounding RAAC and recent cladding crises. However, given most RAAC was installed between the 1960s and 1990s, expiry of liability limitation periods will likely prevent most claims. Latent defect liability periods run for between six to 15 years depending on the type of claim so even if RAAC was installed at the end of this period, limitation still has the potential to prevent any claim. As a result, RAAC remediation works will be reliant on public sector grants or self-funding.

What next?  

If you think your building is impacted then you need to consider where responsibility for remediation works sits. Those responsible should:

(a) arrange for surveys to identify whether RAAC is present;

(b) ensure robust mitigation measures are in place where RAAC is identified and

(c) plan for the removal and replacement of any identified unsafe RAAC.

Government funding may be available if criteria are met but costs for remedial works will sit with the responsible body.

An appropriately-qualified surveyor should be engaged to ensure RAAC is correctly identified and that surveys are conducted with appropriate skill and care. Furthermore, where remedial works are required, it will be important to complete due diligence when obtaining quotations, and to enter into a formal contract for the works. Careful planning and preparation in this way should provide building owners and managers with additional protection when navigating the process of RAAC identification and removal.