Egress

We are currently not offering egress window installations.

Ever heard the phrase, “Anything worth doing is worth doing right!”? This phrase is especially true with any project touching basements and water, which includes the installation of any basement egress window.

Safety First

The installation of “below grade” or basement egress has strict national and county building code requirements that must be met to ensure that interior occupants can safely escape in the event of a fire or other emergency. The liabilities from buyers or renters without proper egress are real. Proper installation of these systems is key.

Finishing or remodeling a basement without the installation of a proper, legal egress is not only a violation of county building codes, but is a sure fire way to have problems come time for selling or transferring ownership.

Do It Right!

We are foundation and waterproofing specialists with an amazing success rate of preventing water leaks and designing and installing water management systems that keep your basement dry!

Many general contractors are very confident with general construction finishing and remodeling processes, yet many (too many) stumble at the issue of how best to deal with the water leaks that easily accumulate in a window or door openings. This is where our expertise is so beneficial to homeowners! An expertise that literally costs nothing extra (our consultation and inspection process is free), but instead saves you not only drama with contractors inexperienced in this careful and specific field of rain and ground water leaks, but also costly repairs later.
Improperly installed egress wells / window drains are a major source of basement leaks and floods and are something we see every day. Do it right, Do it with us! The consultation is free.

There is simply no greater assurance that your egress window will be installed correctly and be free from leaks to the interior of your home than having a proven, award winning, time tested foundation and waterproofing company, such as Basement Detective, perform the inspection, plans and installation. We also do the finishing and remodeling work: framing, insulation, drywall, trim etc.

Simply put: We will do the job right!

We will handle your egress project from start to finish: Meet, inspect for leaks, bid, plan, permit, installation, county inspection, finish (carpentry), final permit, hand shake, enjoy.

All you need to do is meet us, and tell us what your goals and plans are. We’ll do the rest!

The diagram below shows some of the basic measurement and installation requirements for egress openings and some sizing restrictions.

Additional Egress Requirements

• If the well is more than 30 inches deep and adjacent to a walkway, a guard or cover is required.
• The opening needs be a minimum size of 5.7 sq. ft.
• If the well is deeper than 30 inches deep an escape ladder required.

Certain counties, such as Fairfax, Arlington and Prince William have tighter restrictions. We will be able to cover these during our inspection of your home.

Our egress services cover the following counties in Virginia:

Alexandria City, Arlington County, Fairfax County, Loudoun County, Prince William County, Stafford County and beyond.

In Maryland:

Montgomery County, Prince George’s County and beyond.