EGRESS WINDOWS FAQ's

An egress window is a specially sized window designed for safe emergency exits, such as during a fire. This type of window is required for rooms below ground level, like sleeping rooms in basements.

• Minimum of 5.7 square feet of net clear opening area 

An egress window can be any type of window that meets the above minimum requirements. Though the most common seem to be for basements either an inswing casement or a slider.

It just depends on how much concrete is exposed above grade. If there is a least 40″ of concrete above ground level where the window is to be installed, you may not need a window well.

Drainage can be addressed one of a few ways. If there is enough fall in the grade away from the well, we can usually drain the well to daylight. It seems that most of the time in subdivisions is the area do not have enough room to do this. What we recommend is installing a sump pump. This is installed in the bottom of the well, so the water can be discharged away from the window and foundation.

The short answer is YES. All municipalities in the St. Louis, St. Charles, Jefferson and Surrounding Counties all require a permit. If a contractor is telling you otherwise, you can contact your local building department to find out for sure.

We install basement egress windows and other safe basement exits such as entry doors, sliding doors as well as other types of basement windows in the entire St. Louis City, St. Louis County and surrounding Areas. For a complete list of areas we service visit our Service Areas Page.

It depends on a few other factors. Most municipalities in and around St. Louis, St. Charles and surrounding counties follow the International Residential Code (IRC) plus local amendments. Ceiling height is also a contributing factor.

• Section R305.1 requires habitable spaces to have a ceiling height of at least 7 ft (2134 mm).
• An exception allows beams, girders, ducts or other obstructions to drop to 6 ft 4 in (1931 mm).
• In basements not containing habitable spaces, Section R305.1.1 allows a minimum of 6 ft 8 in (2032 mm).

If you have any doubt, contact your local building department.

The cost of installing an egress window can vary. It depends on several factors. For instance, is it an above or below grade window? Is the foundation wall that we will be cutting for the egress window concrete, cinder block or stone? If it’s concrete what condition is the concrete in, is it a standard 8″ thick or is it 10″ or 12″ thick?

What type of egress window are you looking for? The standard egress window installed by St. Louis Egress Window is typically an inswing casement window. But we have also installed a 2 lite slider which is typically 4’X4′ in order for it to qualify for egress.

If it’s below grade, what type of window well are you wanting? The standard is typically a painted well that is 56″ wide with a 36″ projection from the house. But you can also get a composite well that has steps built in, and these wells can be 4-6 x’s more expensive than the standard window well.

Other factors to consider: How is the access to the installation site? Can it be reached solely on your property or does access require going across a neighbors property? Can we get a machine in? Is the grade steep going to the site? Difficult access can increase the cost of installation.

So, a lot of different factors go into calculating the cost of the installation of an egress window. But, the typical easily accessed in a standard 8″ thick concrete wall egress window can range from $4200 – $4800 for an above grade window and from $8100 – $10,000 for a below grade window with standard materials.

For a free accurate estimate for your specific egress window installation project please reach out to us at (314)520-9515.