The Virginia Building Code on Basement Egresses

Emergency Egress

• Emergency egress is simply the ability to get out of the basement, via a window or door, in case of fire or other immediate problem. By law, all Virginia dwellings with finished basements must provide emergency egress, no matter the age of the house. Every bedroom in a finished basement must also contain an emergency egress. If there is a bedroom in the basement, other basement rooms do not require emergency egress. Basement bedrooms must also contain smoke alarms.

Egress Code

• Emergency egress is defined in the state code as "at least one openable window or exterior door approved for emergency egress or rescue." If you convert the basement into any sort of living area, the basement must have emergency egress. If you add a laundry room, closet or bathroom to your existing basement, the Virginia building code does not require emergency egress from these areas.

Options

• The homeowner has a few options for emergency egress, depending on the type of basement. A walk-out basement may have either an escape window with direct access to the outside, or a door opening with direct outside access. In non-walk-out basements, the escape window must open either into an areaway or window well. A bilco or similar door may open to a bulkhead enclosure. Any of these windows or doors must be capable of opening from the inside without the use of a key or any other sort of opening device.
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Size

• If windows provide the egress, the sill height cannot be over 44 inches, with at least a 5-foot square opening. The clearing height must be at least 2 feet, with a minimum width of 20 inches for opening. A standard 24-by-20-inch window does not meet the requirements for the 5 square feet. Should the egress windows open to a window well, the well's minimum dimension must be at least an unobstructed 3-foot-by-3-foot. If the depth is more than 44 inches, you must install a permanent ladder or stair.