The code requirements
- 5.7 square feet of net clear opening (the actual open space when the window is fully open)
- Minimum 20 inches wide and 24 inches tall
- Sill height no more than 44 inches above the floor
- A window well with at least 9 sq ft of floor area if below grade, with a permanent ladder when the well is deeper than 44 inches
- Openable from inside without keys or tools
The point is simple: a person must be able to get out, and a firefighter in gear must be able to get in.
What it costs in 2026
Cutting a new egress window into a concrete foundation in Utah County runs $4,000–$8,000 installed — concrete cutting, the window and well, drainage, waterproofing, and finish work. It's foundation work: it needs engineering judgment, proper waterproofing, and inspection. It is not a Saturday project.
Why it's worth more than it costs
- It creates a legal bedroom. An appraiser can't count a bedroom without egress. One window often adds a countable bedroom to the home's record — usually worth far more than the window cost.
- It transforms the light. A full-size egress window makes a basement bedroom feel like a main-floor room. It's a window, not a hatch.
- It's required for apartments. No egress, no registered basement apartment — full stop.
What the inspector checks
Clear-opening math (screens and hardware count against you), sill height, well dimensions and ladder, and drainage. Failed egress inspections are almost always a window that technically opens but doesn't hit 5.7 sq ft clear — a spec-sheet problem we catch at design, not at inspection.