Hi,
I’m currently completing the 25 Standards Every Inspector Should Know module and got a question regarding emergency egress.
According to the textbook … " Basements and every sleeping room should have at least one operable emergency escape and rescue opening that opens directly into a public street, public alley, yard or court."
I often see homes with basements that have well windows but do not have windows that qualify as emergency egress. In fact, rarely do I see a basement windows that qualifies as an emergency egress. Some basements have bilco doors which I assume qualify has an emergency egress. But many basements do not.
Are inspectors supposed to call this out? What is a home owner supposed to do? It seem pernicious to suggest a homeowner retrofit an egress windows into the existing basement that was built before this standard.
I look forward to getting some clarify on this.
Thanks,
Justin
If you narrate it as a potential safety hazard and make a recommendation, your client can decide if it is important enough to him/her to make the change.
Report what you see…the present condition of the house. (Don’t try to decide if it is too “pernicious” for others to do something or not.)
Sleeping rooms in basements must have an egress window with one exception.
2021 IRC: SECTION R310 EMERGENCY ESCAPE AND RESCUE OPENINGS
R310.1 Emergency escape and rescue opening required.
Basements, habitable attics and every sleeping room shall
have not less than one operable emergency escape and
rescue opening. Where basements contain one or more
sleeping rooms, an emergency escape and rescue opening
shall be required in each sleeping room. Emergency escape
and rescue openings shall open directly into a public way, or
to a yard or court having a minimum width of 36 inches (914
mm) that opens to a public way.
Exceptions:
Storm shelters and basements used only to house
mechanical equipment not exceeding a total floor
area of 200 square feet (18.58 m2).
Where the dwelling unit or townhouse unit is
equipped with an automatic sprinkler system
installed in accordance with Section P2904, sleeping
rooms in basements shall not be required to
have emergency escape and rescue openings provided that the basement has one of the
following:
2.1. One means of egress complying with
Section R311 and one emergency escape
and rescue opening.
2.2. Two means of egress complying with
Section R311.
A yard shall not be required to open directly into a
public way where the yard opens to an unobstructed
path from the yard to the public way.
Such path shall have a width of not less than 36
inches (914 mm).
The IEBC says that existing basements can be refinished for habitation without installing an egress window except for a sleeping room created in the basement which must then have an egress window in the sleeping room created.
Note also that the window wells for basement egress windows must meet certain dimensions.
Aside from the 20” wide x 24” high window opening, the direction of travel pathway of 9 square feet (36” in height and width) appears encroached on by the casement window sash:
