Emergency Egress Openings

Basements and every sleeping room should have at least one operable emergency egress opening. The only exception would be a small basement (not exceeding a total floor area of 200 square feet or 18.58 square meters) used only to house mechanical equipment. A bedroom that has a door to the outside does not need a secondary emergency egress.

Often home inspectors discover basements that have been remodeled into sleeping areas without providing an emergency egress. Home inspectors also often discover that egress openings have been obstructed by the adding on a porch or deck. Home inspectors should note and report if there exists any sleeping rooms which do not have a emergency egress to the exterior or if egress has been blocked or locked.

The following recommendations regarding emergency egress are based largely on the 2006 International Residential Code R310 as well as other fire codes.

• Basements and every sleeping room should have at least one operable emergency egress opening. The only exception would be a small basement (not exceeding a total floor area of 200 square feet or 18.58 square meters) used only to house mechanical equipment.
• Where basements contain one or more sleeping rooms, each sleeping room should have emergency egress.
• Egress openings should open directly into a public street, public alley, yard or court.

• The egress openings should not have a sill height more than 44 inches (1118 mm) above the floor.
• Egress openings should have a minimum net clear opening of 5.7 square feet (0.530 square meters). The only exception would be grade level openings which only require 5 square feet (0.465 square meters). Note: Casement windows have less net clear opening than their frames.
• The minimum height of an egress opening should be at least 24 inches (610 mm).
• The minimum width of an egress opening should be at least 20 inches (508 mm).

Reminder: An egress opening which meets both the minimum height and width requirements can still fall short of the minimum clear opening requirement.

NO!

• Egress openings should be operational from the inside of the room without the use of keys, tools, special knowledge or unusual strength. Many homeowners add locks to large egress windows. A home inspector should note and report this safety hazard. An egress door should not have a double cylinder lockset.

• The area of the window well should allow the egress window to open all the way. Egress openings into window wells should be at least 9 square feet (0.9 square meters) with a minimum horizontal projection and width of 36 inches (914 mm). Casement windows are often obstructed by eaves, gutters, debris, stored items or window well walls. A home inspector should note and report anything which may obstruct egress window operation.

• Ladders used to climb out of a window well can encroach on the 36 inches. Deep window wells with a depth greater than 44 inches (1118 mm) should have a permanently affixed ladder or steps. Detached step ladders can obstruct egress window operation.

• Bars, grilles, covers or screens like the ones pictured above are fine if they are releasable or removal from the inside without the use of keys, tools, special knowledge or unusual strength.

• Egress openings under decks and porches are fine provided the escape path is at least 36 inches (914 mm) in height. The deck pictured above traps the occupant underneath during emergency escape.