Basement Egress Window Well Requirements

To ensure you install the right egress for your basement we ll break down the residential window well code requirements you ll need to abide by.

Basement egress window well requirements.

However if your basement has habitable finished rooms building codes require it to have egress windows or other means of egress patio door etc. Egress window and well requirements. Windows can be of various total size but their free areas when open must be at least 5 7 square feet. Innovative step design aids egress and can be landscaped with plants or flowers for added visual enhancement.

Let s be honest during a fire stairs could be blocked or damaged. The egress well must not interfere with the egress window fully opening. The sill must be no higher than 44 inches from the ground. Make sure the basement window well has enough area to move around in and if the well is especially deep make sure you have a ladder attached to it for an easy.

These special basement windows meet the current irc code for building a finished basement so you have peace of mind in the event of a fire or accident. The area of a window well shall not be less than 9 square feet with a horizontal length width of no less than 36 inches. Since you re below ground you have to make sure that the window can still fully open without obstruction. And every basement bedroom whether existing or added is required by code to have an egress window.

An easy to open window that serves as an emergency exit for below ground living space of any kind. The distance from the egress window to the back of the egress well must be at least 36 the minimum area of the egress well must be 9 square feet. Adds natural daylight and meets building code requirements for emergency egress in finished basement areas. Egress window well code requirements.

Individual states and municipalities may have their own specifications for egress windows. What s an egress window. Width x projection egress ladders and or steps. The horizontal area of the window well needs to be a minimum of nine square feet with a minimum horizontal projection and vertical width of 36 inches.

Scapewel window wells planter design. Basement egress windows have special requirements. When the sill height of an egress window is located below grade common for egress windows provided for a basement a window well must be provided. Basement egress windows must also include window wells that provide enough clearance to allow escape.