A new opening in the wall
Where the foundation wall is blank, a new opening is cut and a well set outside it. The cut is structural, so it is planned and permitted, and the drawings show the opening and the well.
Egress Window Installation in Salt Lake City
Typical cost in Salt Lake City
- One egress window and well$3,500 – $7,000+
- Two windows, for two bedrooms$7,000 – $14,000+
- A harder cut: a thick foundation wall, or a well that must clear a step or porch$7,000 – $12,000+
Salt Lake City Basement Finishing puts egress windows into basements, which means the opening, the well outside and the cut through the foundation wall. This page explains when the code asks for one, the size it must be and what the well involves.
With about 65 percent of Salt Lake City homes built before 1980, an existing basement window can fall short of today’s code. Waterproofing and drainage repair are separate trades and not part of this work.
Egress window choices
A larger opening where a small window sits
A small basement window can be replaced with a larger opening in the same place, subject to the same size rules and to what the wall and the lot allow. Whether it can be enlarged depends on the structure and on the room outside for a well.
The window well
The well is part of the escape route, with its own size, ladder and drainage rules. Covers and grilles must open from inside without a key or tool.
When a basement needs an egress window
The residential code asks for an operable emergency escape and rescue opening in each sleeping room in a basement, and a basement needs at least one. For an existing basement that is being altered, section R310.7 sets a narrower rule, described next.
Existing basements get a lighter rule. A bedroom or accessory dwelling unit newly created there must have the opening; other alterations or repairs do not oblige you to add one. Officials interpret the text, so a plain family room and a new bedroom can be treated differently, and plan review decides your case.
Window and well size rules
The code text sets these sizes for the opening:
- Net clear opening of at least 5.7 square feet, or 5 square feet at a grade-floor opening
- Clear height of at least 24 inches
- Clear width of at least 20 inches
- Bottom of the clear opening no higher than 44 inches above the floor
Worked through, the 24-inch and 20-inch minimums give a window of only 480 square inches, roughly 3.3 square feet, well under the 820.8 that 5.7 square feet requires. A 24-inch-high opening therefore has to run about 34 inches across, and a 20-inch-wide one about 41 inches up.
For the well outside, the text asks for the following:
- Floor area of at least 9 square feet, with a projection and width of at least 36 inches
- Room for the window to open fully
- A permanently fixed ladder or steps where the well is deeper than 44 inches
- A drain connection to the foundation drainage system, unless the soil is well-drained or a sand-gravel mix
- Covers or grilles that release from inside without a key or tool
Cutting into the foundation wall
Cutting an opening in a concrete or masonry wall is a structural change. One Utah city’s published basement checklist says structural changes either meet the IRC span table or need an engineer-approved design, and Salt Lake City’s own plan reviewers decide what they require for your wall. We do not give header sizes or cutting methods here, because the plans and the inspection set them.
Ask to see the permit for the opening before work starts. The city’s permit page lists alterations of a building as work that needs a permit, and the plans are the record of what the opening and well will be.
Older houses and small basement windows
In Salt Lake City about 65 percent of homes date from before 1980 and about 34 percent from before 1950. An older basement can have bedroom windows that were small when it was finished, and the state code speaks to that case.
Utah’s R102.7.2 covers a structure with an existing bedroom window smaller than today’s code that met the code when the bedroom was finished. It need not be changed if the change would compromise the structure or could not satisfy other requirements, setbacks and well rules included. That exception is for existing bedrooms. A new bedroom or unit in an existing basement falls under the stricter rule above, so first find out whether the room is already a legal bedroom.
Questions and answers
Is it illegal to sleep in a basement without an egress window?
The code requires an emergency escape and rescue opening in every sleeping room in a basement. A new bedroom in an existing basement has to meet it. A room that was legally finished as a bedroom earlier may be treated under the rule for existing bedroom windows, so the answer depends on the room, and the city decides.
Can I install my own egress window?
The opening is a structural cut and alterations need a permit from the building official, so start with the city and its plan review. Whether an owner may do the work is a question for the building department. We do not give do-it-yourself instructions.
How much should it cost to install an egress window?
Price follows the wall, the opening size, well depth and drainage, and the finish around the window. A visit comes first; the quote is free.
The room behind the window is a basement bedroom, or part of a new basement apartment, and each has a page. Other work is described on the home page.
Request a free basement finishing quote
Where is the basement window now, and how big is it? Say whether the opening is for a bedroom or an apartment, and what is outside the wall: lawn, a deck, a walk or a retaining wall. We'll get back to you soon with an estimate or any questions we have. Estimates are free and there's no obligation.
Call (385) 386-4115