WHERE ARE EGRESS WINDOWS REQUIRED? Egress windows are required in every room used for sleeping purposes (bedrooms) on any floor and in basements with habitable space. If you are constructing a new home, the code requires that you put an egress window in each bedroom.

When did egress windows become mandatory?

According to Jerry McCarthy, a former building code/construction consultant, the requirement that basement bedrooms have egress windows became part of the International Residential Code in 1997.

What qualifies as egress window?

Requirements for Egress Windows in Basements

An opening width of at least 20 inches. An opening height of at least 24 inches. A net clear opening of at least 821 square inches—or 5.7 square feet. A sill no more than 44 inches off the floor.