General information for homeowners, not legal or engineering advice. Permit rules change and vary by municipality; check with Louisville Metro or your city’s permit office before you start work.
An egress window is a window big enough for a person to climb out of in an emergency, like a fire, and for a firefighter to climb in. Not every basement needs one. Here’s a plain-English look at when an egress window is usually required, what makes a window qualify, and when a regular basement window is fine.
The short version
Under the residential building codes used across most of the country, including Kentucky, every sleeping room needs an emergency escape and rescue opening. Basements with habitable space usually need one too. In practice, that means if you are adding a bedroom in the basement, or finishing a basement into living space, plan on an egress window or an exterior door.
When an egress window is usually needed
- A basement bedroom. Any room used for sleeping generally needs its own way out.
- Finishing a basement. Turning an unfinished basement into living space often triggers egress requirements.
- Selling or renting. A basement room is often only marketed as a bedroom if it has a code-compliant way out. Ask your real estate agent how it applies to your home.
- Peace of mind. Even where it isn’t required, many families want a second way out of the basement.
What makes a window count as egress
The building code sets specific minimums. In general terms, an egress window must:
- Have a large enough clear opening when fully open, not just a large frame
- Be tall enough and wide enough for a person to get through
- Have a sill low enough above the floor to climb over
- Open from inside without keys, tools or special knowledge
- Have a window well big enough to climb out of, with a ladder or steps if it is deep
Exact measurements depend on the code edition your local office has adopted, so confirm them with the permit office or your contractor before you order a window. See egress window permits in Louisville.
When a regular basement window is fine
Storage areas, laundry rooms, mechanical rooms and unfinished basements that nobody sleeps in usually don’t need an egress window. If you just want a better window in one of those spaces, a straight basement window replacement may be all you need.
Signs your current basement window won’t work
- It is a small hopper window that tilts in from the top
- The sill is well above head height
- It is glass block, or painted or nailed shut
- There is no window well, or the well is too small to climb out of
If that sounds like your basement, read about egress window installation and what goes intoegress window cost in Louisville.
Before anyone digs
Kentucky 811 should be contacted before digging so underground utility lines can be marked. Your contractor normally handles this, but it’s worth asking.