Egress Window Standards

Escape and Rescue Opening

• Escape and rescue openings allow people to escape from a house during a fire or other emergency and provide a way in for rescue personnel. An escape and rescue opening can be a window, skylight or a patio door but it must meet the standard. Basements and sleeping rooms below the fourth story must have at least one egress that exits to a street, alley, yard or court. The International Building Code sets out escape and rescue opening specifications.

Egress Window Requirements

• The egress standard calls for an opening large enough for a firefighter dressed in full gear, including an oxygen tank, to pass through the window. A person must be able to open the window or any opening without tools or keys. This also applies to bars, grilles or grates which can't obstruct the opening once they're unfastened. Window wells must be large enough to allow for a fully opened egress window.

Net Clear Opening

• Net clear opening is the actual opening that a person can exit through. Bedroom egress windows must have a net clear opening of 5.7 square feet. Ground floor egress windows need a net clear opening of 5 feet, slightly smaller because there won't be a ladder taking up some of the space. The required opening for egress is larger than the minimum height and width -- 24 inches and 20 inches respectively. The bottom of the clear opening must be within 44 inches of the floor.

Basement Egress Windows

• Window wells must reach minimum dimensions of 3 feet wide by 3 feet deep and have a floor area of at least 9 square feet. If the depth of the window well is more than 44 inches, a permanent ladder or steps must be installed without taking up more than 6 inches of floor space or obstructing the open window. If the egress window is under a deck or porch, an access grate may be installed in the deck, but fire officials prefer a deck high enough to stand beneath.