Get matched with top egress window pros in Crownpoint, NM

Egress windows are typically required for basements with habitable space or living quarters. Not all basements or lower levels require egress windows. However, egress windows are required in homes with living spaces such as bedrooms and living rooms in a basement. The International Residential Code and International Building Code require sleeping rooms to have a specific size egress window. Check your local building codes to confirm the requirements in your area.

You install a window well 8 to 12 inches deeper than the base of the window sill. After filling the well with drainage rock, the well should sit 3 inches below the bottom of the window. The top of the window well should also be at least 3 inches higher than the surface-grade ground. The window well should be about 6 inches wider than the window opening.

Adding windows to a house is expensive. Budget roughly $5,800 to add a single window, and double or triple that to add two or three. In some cases, adding a single window can exceed $20,000, depending on the type of exterior wall, the size of the window, the type of window, local permit costs, and other factors.

Most professionals can enlarge a window in five to 10 hours, depending on the window location, the exterior wall material, how easy it is to cut through it, and how much buildback you’ll need after the installation is complete. However, more complex projects can take two to three days from start to finish.