It is the middle of the night and the smoke alarm goes off. The stairs are full of smoke. If you sleep in the basement, the window is the only other way out. Most homeowners never think about that window until the day they need it.
This guide explains what an egress window is, what it has to do, and how to keep it working. It also covers the part people forget: the window well outside.
The short answer: an egress window is an emergency exit. It only counts if it opens from inside, is big enough to climb through, and has a clear way up and out in every season.
What an egress window is
An egress window is a window designed to be used as an exit, as well as a source of light and air. Bedrooms, and living spaces below ground, need one. In Ontario, the building code sets the minimum size of the opening and how the window must work, and your city’s building department has the final word. Our guide to the egress window code in Ontario has the details.
How an egress window works as an exit
Four things have to be true at once. If any one of them fails, you have a window, not an exit.
No keys, no tools, no special knowledge. A child should be able to do it.
What goes wrong: painted-shut frames, locks, bars you can’t release.
The clear opening has to fit a person climbing out, and a rescuer climbing in.
What goes wrong: a small window that doesn’t meet the code for a bedroom.
Outside the window, there is room to move and steps or a ladder to climb out.
What goes wrong: a window well with nothing to climb.
The well drains, and stays free of leaves, snow, ice and standing water.
What goes wrong: a well that fills up and blocks the exit.
Why egress windows matter in an emergency
A second way out of a fire. Smoke and flames can block the stairs within minutes. A basement window gives everyone below ground another way out, when the main exit is no longer an option.
A way in for rescuers. Firefighters and other responders can use the same opening to reach someone who is trapped, which matters most in a basement, where access is limited.
Code compliance. Bedrooms need a window or door that works as an exit, and so do many basement conversions. If you are turning a basement into a bedroom, see our guide to building a basement bedroom.
Make it part of a plan
An egress window helps only if people know how to use it. Walk everyone in the house through the escape route, and practise it. Agree who goes first, who helps the youngest and the oldest, and where you meet outside. If someone in the house can’t climb easily, a sturdier ladder, steps or extra space around the window can make the difference.
Maintenance matters too. Open the window at least once a year, make sure nothing blocks it, and check that any lock or security bar can be released quickly from inside.
The window well: the part people forget
The window can be perfect, and still be useless if the well outside is full. Leaves, snow, ice and standing water all block the way up, and a well with poor drainage fills with water in heavy rain and can leak around the window. A cover can keep debris and snow out, but only if it opens from inside without tools.
If your well collects water, the drainage needs work. See our window well installation, which typically costs $1,500 to $3,900 per well.
Tick each one as you do it. Do this once a year, and after any big storm.
0 of 6 done
Something stuck, leaking or missing? Book a free assessment and we will look at the window and the well.
Installing an egress window
A few things decide how a good installation goes:
- Location. The window should sit where it is easy to reach, and leave room to climb out.
- Size. It has to meet the code for the opening. Check the current requirements with your city.
- Type. Casement, sliding and double-hung windows are all used. Casement windows open outward and give a wide opening.
- Professional installation. Cutting into a foundation wall means excavation, drainage and usually a permit, so it is not a job for a weekend.
For the installation itself, see egress window installation. It is priced per project, so ask for a quote. Our guide to how an egress window is installed walks through the steps.
How Aquatech helps
We start with a free on-site inspection, look at the window, the well and the drainage, and give you a written, itemized estimate. Every project is backed by a lifetime warranty that transfers to the next owner, and if you have a comparable written quote from a licensed Ontario contractor, we will match it.
Planning an egress window?
Book a free assessment. We will look at the window and the well, tell you what is needed, and give you a written, itemized estimate.
