Egress Windows for Basement Bedrooms in Calgary: What the Code Requires

If you're adding a bedroom to your basement, it needs an egress window: a window large enough for someone to climb out in an emergency. It's a safety requirement, and it's one of the most common reasons basement bedrooms fail inspection.

The basic requirements

Under the building code, a bedroom egress window must have:

• An unobstructed opening of at least 0.35 m² (about 3.8 sq ft)
• No opening dimension smaller than 380 mm (about 15 inches)
• An opening that stays open on its own during an emergency
• Hardware that opens from the inside with no keys, tools or special knowledge

Window wells matter too

If the window sits below ground, the window well needs at least 760 mm (about 30 inches) of clearance in front of the window. That way, a person can actually get out. Covers, grates and security bars over a bedroom egress window generally aren't allowed unless the City approves them.

Which windows work

• Usually acceptable: casement, horizontal slider, vertical slider, tilt-and-turn, and awning windows with enough room to swing fully open
• Not acceptable: picture windows (they don't open) and hopper windows

Keep in mind that the measurement is the actual opening, not the window frame. A window that looks big can still fail if the sash or frame blocks part of the opening.

Get it right the first time

Cutting a larger opening in a concrete foundation is structural work. It needs to be planned and permitted properly. With a civil engineer leading our projects, we design egress windows into the plan from day one. Book a free consultation.