London's Grenfell Tower fire heightened fears about the dangers of high-rise apartments, but an Australian fire safety body believes smaller buildings with combustible cladding could be just as, or even more, vulnerable.

An estimated 79 people died in the high-rise fire, which sparked apartment building safety audits in countries including the United Kingdom and Australia.

But the chief executive of Fire Protection Association Australia, Scott Williams, said buildings shorter than 25 metres could be more at risk because they were not required by law to have sprinkler systems or alarms monitored by fire services.

"You go and introduce to that flammable cladding and you have the most vulnerable building in Australia," he said.

Mr Williams said these low and medium-rise buildings were popular and more affordable for buyers because developers did not have to pay the costs of the expensive fire safety measures required for high rises.

"Developers say if I stay one centimetre under that height, then I can potentially save millions in the development costs because I don't need sprinklers," he said.

The WA Building Commission appears to share Mr Williams' concerns about smaller buildings, indicating its state-wide audit of "high-risk, high-rise" buildings with aluminium composite cladding will include those with as few as three storeys.

The commission's acting executive director, Ian Munns, said the audit was likely to prioritise buildings with cladding where people slept — such as apartments, hotels and short-stay accommodation.

This audit significantly broadens its previous examination of high-rise buildings in two inner-city Perth areas, which was launched after combustible cladding helped to fuel a fire at the Lacrosse apartments in Melbourne in 2014.

"The task of identifying which of the hundreds of high-rise buildings in WA have cladding attached is quite arduous and is likely to take some time," Mr Munns said.

"The time it will take to complete the audit will depend on the number of buildings found to have cladding attached."

An audit of WA buildings with composite cladding will include anything over two storeys. ( ABC News: James Glenday )

WA's audit is just one approach being taken by state and territory governments trying to come to grips with the extent of the risks posed by the cladding.

Building ministers from around Australia agreed late last month to commission a report looking into problems with ensuring compliance and enforcement of the National Construction Code, which determines how the cladding may be used.

Queensland has also introduced new legislation, which gives the building regulator stronger powers to investigate building products.

Mr Williams will give evidence to a Senate economics committee inquiry into non-conforming building products, such as combustible cladding, in Sydney next week.

One committee member, crossbench Senator Nick Xenophon, has called for a nation-wide audit of high-rise apartment buildings.