Egress windows and window wells
Turning a basement room into a legal bedroom usually means a bigger window and a bigger well. Here's what Minnesota's residential code asks for.
Below-grade windows are a leak point in a lot of basements. Wells that don't drain fill with rain and meltwater, and the water finds its way around the frame. Egress windows add a second concern: they have to be big enough, and low enough, for someone to get out in a fire.
What size does an egress window need to be?
Minnesota cities enforce the State Building Code. As one Minnesota city's homeowner handout summarizes the egress section (R310):
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Net clear opening | At least 5.7 sq. ft. (5.0 sq. ft. at a grade-floor opening) |
| Clear width | At least 20 inches |
| Clear height | At least 24 inches |
| Sill height | 44 inches or less above the floor |
| Ladder or steps | Required if the well is deeper than 44 inches |
| Under a deck | At least 36 inches clear above the well |
Cutting a new opening in a foundation wall is structural work and typically needs a building permit and inspections. Your city's building department will tell you its exact requirements.
Why do window wells leak?
- The well top is level with or below the surrounding ground
- The bottom is bare soil with no rock or drain
- A downspout or sloped patio drains into the well
- The liner has rusted, split or pulled away from the wall
How are wells fixed?
- Setting the liner higher than grade and sealing it to the wall
- Adding clean rock and a drain connected to the footing drain tile
- Installing a cover that sheds water and snow (egress covers must open easily from inside)
- Reflashing or replacing a leaking window
Pricing comes from the waterproofing company after it has seen the basement, checked the walls and figured out the water's path in. We don't quote prices, and a phone estimate before anyone has looked is only a ballpark.
Where we connect you with help
Common questions
Do I need an egress window to rent out a basement bedroom?
A room used for sleeping generally needs an emergency escape opening under the residential code. Check with your city's building department, and with its rental licensing office if you're a landlord.
Can I install an egress window myself?
Homeowners can often pull their own permit, but cutting a foundation wall and setting a deep well is heavy, structural work. Most people hire it out.
Related services
More background: Mankato basement waterproofing guide.
Seepage along the floor, a cracked wall or a sump that can't keep up?
Call and get connected with a waterproofing company that works in the Mankato area.