What is an egress window?
An egress window is a building-code-required window sized to permit emergency exit from a room, typically measured by minimum opening dimensions and used in bedrooms to satisfy life-safety requirements.
An egress window serves as a required emergency exit from a room, most commonly in basement bedrooms. Ontario building code mandates that any bedroom must have a means of emergency escape, and in below-grade spaces, this means an operable window meeting specific size criteria.
The minimum requirements include a window opening of at least 0.35 square meters (about 3.8 square feet) of clear unobstructed opening area and a minimum width and height to allow a person to pass through safely. For basement installations, an egress window well (a recessed frame set into the exterior wall) is typically required to provide safe passage from the interior room to grade level outside.
These windows are non-negotiable for legal basement renovations in the Greater Toronto Area where a bedroom is being added. Building inspectors verify egress compliance during final inspections. Installing an egress window involves cutting through the foundation wall and securing the window frame and well, making it a structural commitment that must be planned early in any basement bedroom project rather than added later.
The difference between a standard window and an egress window is not always obvious visually, but the code compliance is absolute. Any room legally called a bedroom must have this exit route available.