Basement egress window installation in McDonough, GA: what the job involves
Every other page here is about replacing something that already exists. This one creates an opening where there was solid wall. The sequence is excavation outside, a saw cut through the foundation, framing to carry the load above the new opening, the window itself, then the well, the gravel and the drainage. The window is the cheapest part.
| Element | Minimum | Why it is checked |
|---|---|---|
| Net clear opening | 5.7 sq ft, or 5.0 sq ft below grade | Someone has to get out, and a firefighter in gear has to get in |
| Clear height | 24 in | Measured on the actual opening, not the glass |
| Clear width | 20 in | Same, at the narrowest point |
| Sill height | 44 in maximum above the floor | Reachable without standing on furniture |
| Window well area | 9 sq ft | Room to stand up and turn around in |
| Well projection and width | 36 in each | The same, measured two ways |
| Ladder or steps | Required over 44 in deep | Permanently fixed, and usable with the window open |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column →
Dimensions from the escape and rescue opening requirements in the residential code Georgia adopts statewide. We cite the numbers rather than section references because Georgia's 2024 edition renumbers that chapter.
The cut through the wall
Henry County basements are generally poured concrete or block. Either way, cutting a new opening means the wall above the cut needs something to carry it, and the new opening needs to be framed and waterproofed back to the outside face. This is where a window job turns into a structural one, and it is the clearest case on this whole site for calling the permit office that covers your address before anybody starts.
The well, and where the water goes
A window well is a retaining structure, usually corrugated steel, molded polymer or block, anchored to the foundation and backfilled against. The area and projection minimums exist so a person can actually climb out, not just the window.
- Gravel in the base of the well, deep enough to hold water while it drains rather than ponding at the sill.
- A drain path from the base of the well. Depending on the site that is a pipe to daylight or a connection to the foundation drain.
- Grade around the well sloped away from the house, so surface water is not being funnelled into it.
- A cover if you want one, but one that opens from inside the well without tools. A screwed-down lid defeats the escape opening.
- A fixed ladder or steps if the well is more than 44 inches deep, positioned so the open window does not block it.
Drainage is not an optional extra in this climate. NOAA records abundant rainfall through the Georgia year, with summer alone averaging around 15 inches, and notes that the frequency of three-inch extreme precipitation events reached its highest level in the 2015 to 2020 period. A well with nowhere to drain becomes a tank against your foundation.
Which window style goes in
Basement openings are usually wider than they are tall, which is exactly the shape that struggles to make 5.7 square feet with a sliding style. A casement swings the whole sash clear and is the common answer; a sliding or hopper unit can work where the opening is generous enough. The egress guide has the table of height and width pairings that reach the area, and the casement page covers how that style works.
Before you commit
Check what is in the way outside: a deck, an AC condenser, a gas meter, a downspout, the septic field or a property line can all rule out the obvious wall. Check the ceiling height and floor level inside too, since the 44 inch sill maximum is measured from the finished floor, and a floor that is being raised changes the math.