Egress Windows

By Frank G. Ross

An old saying “Always leave yourself a way out” particularly applies to home fire safety. The way out that is normally be used, the basement stairs or the hallway, could very easily be blocked by flames or thick, black smoke.  In such a situation windows that are large enough to allow occupants to exit the home, or firefighters to enter, become essential lifesaving features. These key escape hatches are termed egress windows.

The International Residential Code requires that all bedrooms have at least one egress window, defined as a window large enough to allow occupants to escape in the event of a fire, or to allow a fully equipped firefighter to enter from the outside. The requirement pertains to windows installed in finished basements as well as those in bedrooms. 

Properly installed and maintained smoke detectors are important safety devices, but being able to leave the home once they’ve gone off is even more important. This is especially true for upstairs bedrooms and basements, where the stairway is often the only escape route. If that stairway is blocked and the windows are too small for a person to fit through, you can be trapped.

Local regulations vary, so before remodeling it’s a good idea to verify the standards for your area. In general, egress windows must 1) have a minimum net clear opening of 5.7 sq. ft. Net clear opening refers to the actual free and clear space that exists when the window is open. It is not the rough opening size or the glass panel size or any other size, but the actual opening a person can crawl through. 2) The opening height must be at least 24 in., and the opening width must be at least 20 in. Keep in mind that a window opening that’s the bare minimum of 24 in. high and 20 in. wide does not meet egress requirements, since its net clear opening is only 3.33 sq. ft. A window has to be taller and/or wider than these minimums to meet the 5.7-sq.-ft.-opening requirement. 3) The bottom of the clear opening must be within 44 in. of the floor.  4) The window or other opening must be operational from the inside without keys or tools. Bars, grilles and grates over windows must be operational without tools or keys and still allow the minimum clear opening.

New homes built to code should have the proper size basement and bedroom egress windows. But if you live in an older home, especially one that has been remodeled or added onto, you may need to double check that the window size is adequate for your family’s safety. Using a tape measure, note the width and the height of the fully opened window. Multiply the width by the height of the opening to determine whether it’s the required 5.7 sq. ft., or 821 sq. in.

Some older homes I inspect were built before there were any egress window requirements. Also, these requirements have changed over time and I see many homes that were built when the egress window standard was smaller than what is required today.  Many times an attic or basement in a newer home was legally remodeled into a family room or office which didn’t require egress windows.  Subsequently these spaces may have been converted into bedrooms which do require them. As part of remodeling projects, homeowners may unwittingly replace large egress windows with smaller, non-egress windows.

Not all basement rooms need a legal egress window, but they’re a must for basement bedrooms. When basement rooms are converted into bedrooms without the knowledge of code inspectors and without the requisite egress window, they create a treacherous fire trap. Some may think they can call a given room a den before the inspection and a bedroom after in order to get around the requirement.  Code inspectors, however, will consider any bedroom-sized room with a closet a bedroom, no matter what the blueprint says.

Basement fires are common, so this is really more than a code issue. And of course, what's good for you will be good for any other owner of the home as well. While you may not fully recover what you invest in the larger egress windows should you sell the home, in the meantime, you will have the added assurance that your family has “a way out” should the need arise.

Frank Ross is a Certified Utah Home Inspector for Pillar to Post Professional Home Inspection and a full member of the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors and a member in good standing with the Utah Better Business Bureau.  Readers may contact Mr. Ross at (435) 867-6400 or frank.ross@pillartopost.com or www.pillarposthomeinspection.com