What makes this different from a basement hopper
A standard basement window replacement keeps the opening you have. Egress work usually enlarges it, cuts the foundation, sets a larger unit, and builds a well that a person can enter. That is installation with extra steps, which is why it is not folded into a hopper price.
We do not publish a single millimetre size on this page and imply it is legal everywhere. Clear opening, sill height, well area, and ladder or step requirements are confirmed against the authority having jurisdiction. If a permit is required, we say so before the saw comes out. You remain responsible for approvals that the municipality issues in your name.
What the project typically includes
- Confirming that the room is, or will be, a sleeping room.
- Layout of the opening so the header and the foundation cut are planned, not improvised.
- A window that can actually achieve the required clear opening. Casements are often used because the whole sash swings clear. A slider must be large enough that the open portion qualifies.
- A well with drainage, and a cover that can be opened from below if a cover is used.
- Interior finish back to a paintable edge.
Who this is for
Households legalizing a basement bedroom, buyers who discovered the lower room was never an egress bedroom, and owners replacing a rotten window who might as well correct the exit at the same time. If the room is storage, you probably do not need this scope. We would rather sell the smaller window than a well you did not need.
Glass and comfort
Once the size is legal, glass can follow the same double-pane or triple-pane reasoning as the rest of the house. See energy-efficient windows. A large egress unit on a north foundation wall is a cold spot if the glass is an afterthought.
Questions we hear on this work
Do I need a permit?
Often, yes, because the foundation and the bedroom use are involved. Rules differ by city. We will tell you what we have seen in your area and what you should confirm locally. That is not a permit approval.
Can any large window count as egress?
No. The clear opening — width, height, and area with the sash actually open — is what matters, plus the well. A big fixed pane is not an exit.
Will you dig the well?
The well is part of a proper egress project. Access, soil, and buried services are checked before we commit to a date.