Egress-Ready — 30″ & 36″ Projection

What egress means on a basement window

Egress is the building code word for getting out. A basement bedroom needs a way out that is not the stairs, because in a fire the stairs may be the thing you cannot use. That means a window big enough to climb through, and clear space in front of it to climb into. A well that is too shallow turns a legal window into an illegal one.

• Gives an occupant a second way out of a basement bedroom
• Gives firefighters a way in wearing equipment
• Provides the clear space the code asks for in front of the window
• Often the difference between a basement bedroom that passes inspection and one that does not
• Usually required when finishing a basement or adding a bedroom below grade

What the code actually asks for

Clear space in front of the window

The National Building Code asks for 760 mm of clear space in front of a bedroom egress window. A 30 inch projection gives 762 mm and a 36 inch projection gives 914 mm, which is why 30 inches is the number people ask for by name. Every well in this collection meets or exceeds it.

The window opening itself

Projection is only half the test, and it is the half people remember. The window still has to give an unobstructed opening of at least 0.35 square metres, with no single dimension under 380 mm. A deep well in front of a small window does not make that window compliant.

Getting back out of the well

A deep well is easy to drop into and harder to climb out of. Where the well is deep enough to need one, a ladder or step is expected. Your building department will tell you at what depth that applies locally.

Covers have to open from inside

If you put a cover on an egress well, it has to be removable from inside the well without tools or special knowledge. A bolted down cover on an egress window undoes the reason the well is there.

Local amendments change things

Provinces and municipalities amend the national code, and the version in force where you are building is the one that counts. Confirm the numbers with your building department before you order, not after the inspector arrives.

Which sizes qualify

This collection holds the 145 sizes that project 30 or 36 inches.

• 30 inch projection giving 762 mm of clearance
• 36 inch projection giving 914 mm, for deeper wells or wider windows
• Widths from 36 to 96 inches
• Heights from 12 to 42 inches, matched to how far the window sits below grade
• Finishes in mill galvanized or gloss black powder coat

If your opening does not match a stock size, we quote custom. Send us the measurements and the window dimensions and we will tell you what works.

Buying egress wells direct

Every well here is rolled and formed in our own plant in southeast Calgary from 20 gauge G-90 galvanized steel, with a corrugated profile, a folded safety lip along the top edge and 2 inch mounting flanges. Galvanized sizes leave the shop in one to two business days. Powder coated wells are finished to order and take one to two weeks.

We ship to every province and territory in Canada, deliver locally around Calgary, and pickup at the plant is free. Wells travel as freight rather than parcel, arriving curbside on a liftgate truck with somebody needed to take delivery. Rates are in our shipping policy.

Need a cover that still opens from inside? See the steel covers and aluminum covers. For shallower utility windows where egress does not apply, browse the full range of wells.

Before you dig

Excavating next to a foundation carries a real risk of collapse, and buried services have to be located first. Enlarging an existing opening to meet egress usually means cutting concrete, which is structural work. This is a job for somebody who has done it, and in most municipalities it needs a permit.

Drainage matters more on a deep well

A 30 or 36 inch well holds a lot of water if it has nowhere to go. Most installations use a gravel base and tie into weeping tile. Water standing in an egress well reaches the window frame and freezes there in winter.

Common questions

Does a 30 inch well make my window compliant?
Not on its own. The well provides the clear space in front. The window still has to open to at least 0.35 square metres with no dimension under 380 mm.

Why 30 inches specifically?
The code figure is 760 mm. A 30 inch projection gives 762 mm, so it is the smallest imperial size that clears the requirement.

Do I need a permit?
Usually yes, particularly if the opening is being enlarged. Your municipality decides, so ask before work starts.

Can I put a cover on an egress well?
Yes, as long as it lifts off from inside the well without tools.

What if my window is an odd size?
We quote custom wells. Send the window dimensions and the depth below grade and we will price something that fits.

The figures above follow NBC 9.9.10.1 and are general guidance, not a code ruling for your property. More detail is on our questions page.