Egress windows & bedrooms
Make the room downstairs count.
A basement bedroom needs a safe escape route, the right alarms, enough room, and a permit that reflects what it is. We plan all of it together.
A room you can call a bedroom
The window is one piece of the whole plan.
A basement room can only be called a bedroom on the permit, and when you sell the house, if it has an emergency escape window plus working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Most buyers also expect a closet, so it belongs in the layout from the start.
What the window needs
We confirm the measurements and site conditions as part of your project plan.
- 5.7 sq. ft.Minimum clear opening
- 20 in. × 24 in.Minimum clear width and height
- 44 in.Maximum sill height above the floor
- 9 sq. ft.Minimum window-well floor area
- 36 in.Minimum well projection from the wall
- 70 sq. ft.Minimum bedroom area
- 7 ft.Minimum ceiling height. Ducts and beams may hang a little lower.
One to two days
Cut, set, drain, close up.
We cut the foundation with a wet saw, set the window and well, add drain rock, and close up the same day. A well deeper than 44 inches needs a permanent ladder. The egress window goes on the same permit as the rest of the basement. An egress window usually adds $4,200 to $6,500 to the project.
A clear first step
See what an egress window could open up
A free walk-through is the place to look at ceiling height, window location, mechanicals, and the room around them.