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Egress Window Installation in Lakewood, CO
A legal basement bedroom in Lakewood starts with a code-sized escape opening. We cut it, engineer it, permit it and finish it, so you can get back to planning the room.
Egress windows in Lakewood
Basement Egress Done Right in Lakewood
Most Lakewood homeowners call us for one of three reasons: they are finishing a basement, they want to turn an existing room into a legal bedroom, or a home inspector flagged an undersized window during a sale. In each case the answer is the same. The basement needs an opening large enough for a person to climb out and for a firefighter to climb in, with a well outside that gives them room to do it.
Our crews handle the whole job. We cut the foundation, frame and set the window, install the well, backfill, and tie in drainage. If you also need a walkout or a basement egress door, we build those too.
For budgeting, most Lakewood homeowners can plan on $5,000 to $9,000 for a basic egress package. Where you land depends on the wall, the window, the well, access to the spot and the jurisdiction. The price is the same whether a small window is there now or the wall is solid concrete.
Local know-how
What Lakewood's Own Egress Handout Asks For
Lakewood builds to the 2021 International Residential Code, and the city publishes a plain-language egress handout. For a window at or below grade, it calls for at least 5.0 square feet of net clear opening, a sill no more than 44 inches above the finished floor, and a well with at least 9 square feet of floor area that projects 36 inches or more from the wall. Once a well passes 44 inches deep, the handout calls for a ladder fixed in place. The handout also says a structural engineer must design any new cut or reinforcement in the foundation wall.
Lakewood’s population roughly doubled during the 1960s, from about 45,000 in 1962 to 94,000 by 1969, and areas like Green Mountain filled in after Denver Water service reached the suburbs in 1961. That leaves a lot of homes with basements that were never meant to be bedrooms. The city’s basement finish handout is clear on the rule: every basement bedroom needs an egress window, and a finished basement without a bedroom still needs at least one egress window or door.
5.0 sq ft minimum net clear opening for basement windows
Sill no higher than 44 inches above the finished floor
Well at least 9 sq ft and 36 inches out from the wall
Permanent ladder required in wells deeper than 44 inches
Engineering & permits
Permits and Engineering in Lakewood
Residential permits in Lakewood run through the city’s Public Works building permit office, and its egress handout already expects a structural engineer whenever the foundation wall is cut. We go further than the minimum on every job, whatever the city asks for. A third-party structural engineer provides the detail for your opening, a certified structural engineering firm inspects the work, and you receive an approval letter for your records. We pull the building permit ourselves and schedule the city inspections.
What we do in Lakewood
Our services in Lakewood
Egress window installation
Learn moreTilt & Turn windows
Learn moreWindow well replacement
Learn moreGrates & covers
Learn moreWindow well sump pumps
Learn moreWalkout basements
Learn moreLakewood questions
Egress windows in Lakewood: FAQ
Does a Lakewood basement bedroom have to have an egress window?
Yes. Lakewood’s basement finish handout says egress windows are required in each bedroom. Even if your finished basement has no bedroom, the city still asks for at least one egress window or door somewhere in the basement. If you are finishing the space in stages, it is usually easiest to put the egress opening in first so the framing and drywall can be planned around it.
Can I just enlarge the small window I already have?
Often, yes. We widen and deepen the existing opening, add the header the engineer specifies, and set a new code-sized window and well. Lakewood’s handout allows some reduced dimensions when an existing opening is renovated, and the engineer will tell us what applies to your wall. Our price is the same whether you have a window there today or not.
How tall can my window well be before I need a ladder?
Under Lakewood’s egress handout, a well that is more than 44 inches deep needs a permanently attached ladder or steps that work with the window fully open. We measure the depth on site and size the well and ladder together. Stone-look and terraced timber wells can also make a deep well feel more open from inside the room.
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Reviews
Why homeowners recommend us
“I can't say enough about Denver Egress Window. I've been thinking about getting one for a few years & finally just picked a place without knowing much about them. My brother is a building inspector for Jeffco & I asked him if he'd heard anything negative and he'd not & said DEW is on their resource list, so I went for it. Be patient with the office staff--they are short staffed, so I had a bit of trouble with communications; BUT also, it turned out that some of the emails they'd sent were going to an email I wasn't checking, so my bad (Gina, again, thank you for your patience with me!! I got little panicky, but you knew all the way along that things were going to go smoothly and they did!). It only took 3 days, start to finish--all 3 teams (dig, install, & cleanup) were on time and so nice. The egress looks better than I'd imagined & it's completely changed the feel of that room. Anyway, I could go on and on. But I am recommending DEW to everyone I know!”
Mary Kirsten
“Denver Egress Window installed an egress window for me a couple of months ago. The price wasn't the lowest, nor was it the highest. All their employees did a great job. They were careful, friendly, helpful, punctual, and skilled. The quality of the materials they used is great. I was especially pleased that they used a steel header for the window. I'm not sure all companies do that. I do like the window a lot. It swings open fully or, with a twist of the handle, can simply tilt out from the top. DEW pulled a permit for this work and the inspector readily approved the installation. I would recommend this company to any of my friends and would use them again if I were going to install another egress window.”
Kristine Haglund
“Hi Steve,I would like to take this time to thank you for all the GREAT service you have provided me over the years!!!!!! Every time I hire, you and your crew ,I know I will get, a very professional, and the best quality job possible.Steve,I have sent several people your way, and they all thank me for sending them your way! Thank you very much for the fantastic service, and quality thru the years.I would recommend you, and your company to anyone.Please feel free and use me for a reference. anytime.Thanks,12/18/08Radiant Chef Corp.Tec Grills & Catering1(888)798.7094”
John Feeney
Planning an egress window in Lakewood?
Send a photo of your Lakewood project area and we'll come back with options, engineering and a free estimate.
(720) 626-4221Serving Denver and the Front Range. Showroom and virtual appointments available.