Basement Bedroom Window Egress 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.

Basement bedroom window egress requirements.

There are several options that you can use to achieve the egress requirements for a bedroom in a basement. If you have a basement that has a bedroom recreation room den family room media room office or home gym. In fact there are some specific basement window requirements that you ll need to follow in order for your new basement space to be considered a proper bedroom. 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.

All of these rooms are required to have a means of egress. The minimum opening area of the egress window is 5 7. Walk out basement walk out basements provide the most flexibility for building a bedroom in the basement. Different types of windows can serve as egress windows as long as they meet the minimum requirements for size and clearance.

Window wells must be at least 3 x 3 and they must allow the window to open fully. The minimum height for the egress window opening is 24 inches. The maximum height from the floor to the opening of the egress window is 44 inches. Casement egress windows usually have one or more hinges at the side and swing in or out to open like a door.

Basement egress window requirements. If there s a deck or porch above the basement window well at least 36 of headroom is needed. If you plan to add a bedroom in your basement in the future you will need to meet the requirements noted above along with a few others. And every basement bedroom whether existing or added is required by code to have an egress window.

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. The bottom of the egress window opening can t exceed 44 from the finished floor. Since you re below ground you have to make sure that the window can still fully open without obstruction. Clear height of opening.

The city of bloomington has a nice handout on egress requirements explaining these requirements. If the window well is more than 44 deep it needs a ladder. 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. Egress window well code requirements.

You can arrange the bedroom so that one of the exterior walls has a properly sized egress window or exterior door in it.