Michigan Egress Window Contractors Serving Grand Rapids and Beyond

Egress window installation gives your basement bedroom or below-grade sleeping area a safe, code-compliant exit. When you choose the PROs at Home Pro MI, you receive more than just a new egress window. You benefit from over 30 years of experience and the guarantee that only skilled, in-house window installers will be on your project.

Michigan's building code requirements for egress windows aren't something to guess at. Home Pro MI handles every step, from the initial free in-home consultation to final inspection, so you know the job will be done right. We're fully licensed, locally owned, and have been serving Michigan homeowners since 1993.

No pressure. No shortcuts. Just PRO-level work backed by our lifetime guarantee on both products and workmanship.

What Michigan Code Requires for Egress Windows

Michigan has adopted the 2021 International Residential Code. IRC Section R310 sets minimum standards for egress windows in sleeping rooms, defining the required opening for emergency escape and determining whether a basement bedroom is legally habitable.

The code specifies these minimums for egress window openings:

• Net clear opening: 5.7 sq ft minimum (5.0 sq ft permitted at grade level only)

• Minimum opening height: 24 inches

• Minimum opening width: 20 inches

• Maximum sill height: 44 inches from finished floor

• The window must be operable from the inside without keys, tools, or special knowledge

• Each sleeping room requires its own compliant egress opening

• Tempered glass is required if the window glass falls within 18 inches of the finished floor

Local jurisdictions, including Grand Rapids and Kent County, may add additional permit and inspection requirements. Home Pro MI pulls all required permits as part of our standard process.

Window Well Requirements

When the window sill sits below ground elevation, a window well is required. The code requires at least 9 square feet of horizontal area and a 36-inch projection from the foundation wall. If the well depth exceeds 44 inches, a permanent ladder or steps with 12-inch-wide rungs projecting 3 to 6 inches from the back wall are required. Covers and grates must release from inside without tools.