Windows / Egress
Egress window installation
An egress window is not a style — it is a window sized and installed to serve as an emergency exit. Any sleeping room and most finished basements are required to have one. Getting the clear opening, the sill height and, below grade, the window well right is the whole point.
How it works
Egress windows are usually casement or large sliding units, chosen because they can provide the required clear opening without a screen or storm in the way. Below grade, the window is paired with a code-sized window well and, where needed, a well ladder.
Where it fits well
- Finishing a basement into a bedroom, office or family room
- Bringing an existing below-grade or non-conforming bedroom window up to code
- New additions with sleeping rooms
What to weigh
- The requirement covers clear opening area, minimum width and height, and maximum sill height above the floor — the numbers are set by code, not preference
- Below grade, this is excavation and a well, not just a window swap — plan for that scope
- We size the unit and well to the current code and coordinate the opening work
Questions
Egress — good to know
Do I legally need an egress window in my finished basement bedroom?
If a basement room is used for sleeping, building code requires an emergency escape and rescue opening — an egress window or a door to the outside. We will lay out what your project needs.
Can you cut a new egress opening in my foundation?
Enlarging or cutting a foundation opening and excavating a window well is specialized work we coordinate as part of the project. It is a bigger scope than a standard replacement and is priced accordingly.
Other window styles
More window styles
Next step
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