Basement Egress Window Requirements

Let s be honest during a fire stairs could be blocked or damaged.

Basement egress window requirements.

All of these rooms are required to have a means of egress. 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. 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 getaway. This height requirement takes it out of the running for most basement egress situations.

The minimum opening area of the egress window is 5 7 square feet. The bottom of the egress window opening can t exceed 44 from the finished floor. Window wells must be at least 3 x 3 and they must allow the window to open fully. 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.

Basement egress window requirements. Egress window well code requirements. Casement egress windows usually have one or more hinges at the side and swing in or out to open like a door. An easy to open window that serves as an emergency exit for below ground living space of any kind.

The minimum egress window opening is 20 wide. Different types of windows can serve as egress windows as long as they meet the minimum requirements for size and clearance. To meet egress requirements these horizontally sliding windows must be at least 4 ft. If there s a deck or porch above the basement window well at least 36 of headroom is needed.

Since you re below ground you have to make sure that the window can still fully open without obstruction. You can arrange the bedroom so that one of the exterior walls has a properly sized egress window or exterior door in it. What s an egress window. The city of bloomington has a nice handout on egress requirements explaining these requirements.

There are several options that you can use to achieve the egress requirements for a bedroom in a basement. This design can allow for windows to meet the egress requirements while being comparatively small and thus be suitable for basements and areas with limited space. This means that to meet egress window height requirements a bedroom window must be nearly 4 ft. However if your basement has habitable finished rooms building codes require it to have egress windows or other means of egress patio door etc.

Basement egress windows have special requirements. Wide and 4 ft. 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. And every basement bedroom whether existing or added is required by code to have an egress window.

The minimum egress window opening height is 24 high. Egress requirements whether it is an egress window or an egress door it has to open to the outside and open easily without the use of keys or tools.