Everything you need to know - what egress windows are, what the Alberta Building Code actually requires, when you legally need one, how the installation works, what it costs, and how to get it done right the first time. Written by the crew that has been cutting concrete foundations in Calgary since 2015.
An egress window is a window large enough for a person to climb through in an emergency. The word "egress" comes from the Latin egressus, meaning "a going out" or "an exit." That is exactly what it is - a code-required emergency exit built into the wall of a basement bedroom or habitable space.
Not every basement window qualifies. The skinny strip of glass near the ceiling that comes standard in many Calgary homes does not meet the requirement. An egress window has to be wide enough, tall enough, and low enough to the floor that someone can actually get out - or that a firefighter can get in - during an emergency.
Building codes in Alberta require egress windows because basements are below ground. There is often only one door in or out. If that door is blocked by fire or smoke, an egress window is the only other option. This is not a bureaucratic technicality - it is the difference between a bedroom someone can escape from and one they cannot.
A standard basement window is installed for light and ventilation. It might be 16 inches wide and 8 inches tall. You cannot get through it in a fire, and it would not pass a building inspection as a bedroom window.
An egress window meets minimum openable dimensions set by the Alberta Building Code. It requires a larger rough opening cut into the foundation wall, a matching window well outside to provide access, and an installation that puts the opening within reach of someone on the floor. Creating that opening in a poured concrete or block foundation is a job that requires diamond blade concrete cutting equipment - which is exactly where our background at Concrete Cutting Geeks becomes the practical advantage. Meet Greg and Luke, the owners, to understand why that matters.
The requirements for egress windows in Calgary come from two sources: the Alberta Building Code (specifically the National Building Code - 2019 Alberta Edition). Article 9.9.10.1 covers minimum dimensions for windows in sleeping rooms, and City of Calgary Building Advisory A19-004 applies that code to single-family dwellings in Calgary specifically.
Here is what the code actually requires:
If the bottom of the window opening is below grade (which it is in most Calgary basements), a window well is required. The well must provide at least 550 mm of depth measured from the bottom of the window opening, and at least 760 mm of clear horizontal distance so a person can actually stand in the well and operate the window. The well must also have a method of draining water - either a gravel bed with drainage connection or a weeping tile tie-in. See our window well installation guide for material options and drainage details.
The City of Calgary also applies setback rules that affect where on your foundation wall an egress window can be placed. A minimum 4-foot setback from the property line is the standard, though this can vary depending on your lot. There is also a rule limiting window openings to no more than 25% of the total wall length - relevant if you want multiple windows on one side of the house. These rules are confirmed at the permit application stage, but knowing them upfront helps you pick the right window location before you call us. Your permit application will include drawings that satisfy the City's requirements.
Not all window styles count. The window must be capable of being opened from the inside without tools or special knowledge. Casement windows, sliding windows, and hopper windows all qualify when sized correctly. An awning window that opens outward at the bottom does not satisfy egress requirements in most configurations. See window type comparisons for the full breakdown.
Full permits & code page →There are three situations in Calgary where an egress window is not optional - it is a legal requirement to get a building permit or pass a City inspection.
If you are converting an unfinished basement space into a bedroom - or if an existing basement room is being used as a bedroom - it must have a code-compliant egress window. The rule applies to any room "designed or intended to be used for sleeping." If the City's inspector walks in and sees a bedroom without a proper egress window, you will not pass inspection. The permit will not be closed. And if you eventually try to sell the home, the non-compliant bedroom is a liability that comes up in real estate disclosure.
This is the situation where most of our customers are coming from. Adding a legal secondary suite in Calgary requires City approval, and that approval specifically checks that every sleeping room in the suite has an egress window meeting the code dimensions. No egress window, no legal suite approval. No legal suite approval means you cannot legally rent the space, and in the event of an incident, you may carry liability.
The legal suite angle is one we see a lot - a homeowner already has a tenant in an unofficial basement suite, they want to make it legal to rent at full market rate, and one of the first things the City inspection finds is a non-compliant window. The egress upgrade is typically the fastest thing to fix in that list, and it often unlocks an additional $400 to $800 per month in rental income once the suite is approved.
Legal secondary suite egress window guide - costs, permits, ROI →Even if you are not adding a bedroom or a rental suite, finishing a basement for a family room, home office, or play room may still require egress windows depending on how the space is defined in your permit application. If the finished space has a door that could be closed - creating a room that someone might sleep in - the City may require egress. The safest approach is to confirm with your permit application. When in doubt, we can advise based on your specific layout when you request a quote.
Legal suite egress windows →Here is every step of a real egress window installation in Calgary, in the order we do it. No abstract descriptions - this is the actual work.
You send us your address, the location of the window, and photos of the interior and exterior. We assess the site via Google Maps and our Calgary experience. Foundation type (poured concrete, block, or ICF), soil conditions, access for equipment, and grade height all affect the scope. Most quotes come back same business day. We can also meet on site for larger or more complex jobs.
A building permit is required from the City of Calgary before work begins. We offer permit obtaining as an optional add-on - we prepare the drawings, submit the application, and coordinate the inspection. City processing typically takes two to four weeks. If you need the window fast, this is the lead time to plan for. Learn more at our permits page.
Before any excavation, we complete Alberta One-Call - a required process to identify underground utilities in the dig area. This is a legal requirement before digging and it protects both your property and our crew from accidentally hitting buried electrical, gas, or water lines. It is free to request and takes two to three business days to process. We handle this as part of every job.
We excavate the exterior soil down to the required depth to expose the foundation wall. All excess dirt is removed and hauled away. Calgary's clay soil can be dense and heavy - this is real work, not a quick shovel job. We follow the one-third rule: up to one third of excavated soil can stay on site for backfill, the rest is hauled. The excavation area is left clean and ready for the cut.
This is where our parent company's expertise - Concrete Cutting Geeks - makes the difference. We cut the foundation wall to precise rough opening dimensions using diamond blade wall saw equipment. No overcutting to the corners. Clean edges that accept framing properly. The concrete is removed and the opening is ready for the window buck.
The rough opening is framed with 2x6 pressure-treated lumber (the buck frame), membrane tar wrap is applied, and your egress window is installed, leveled, shimmed, and sealed with 100% silicone. Vinyl brickmould with a reverse drip cap ensures water is directed away from the wall assembly. Every installation is built to Alberta Building Code and ready for inspection.
A galvanized steel window well is installed against the exterior foundation wall. Drainage stone is placed inside the well. If a drain connection to the weeping tile system is included in your package, that connection is made here. The well is secured and the area is ready for backfill. See window well options including cedar and composite.
The exterior is backfilled around the window well and compacted. The site is cleaned up - no concrete rubble, no excess dirt piles. The job site looks finished, not like a construction zone was left behind.
If you pulled a permit, the City of Calgary inspector visits to verify the installation meets building code. Our installations are built to pass first time. If you used our permit obtaining add-on, we coordinate the inspection booking as well.
We publish our pricing because we believe you should know the number before you call. Most Calgary egress window companies give you a vague "it depends" answer. Here is what it actually depends on, and what the range looks like.
Our standard installation - excavation, concrete cutting, window supply, and galvanized window well - starts at $1,950 + GST and typically runs up to $2,800 + GST per window depending on the factors below. We quote a set price before we start, and that is the number on your invoice. No surprises.
| Factor | Effect on Price |
|---|---|
| Foundation type | Poured concrete is straightforward. Block foundations and ICF walls may require adjusted cutting technique and pricing. We confirm foundation type at quote stage. |
| Window size | Standard egress size (meeting minimum code) is the base price. Larger openings for more light, or structural header systems for wider rough openings, add to the cost. |
| Window well type | Galvanized steel well is standard and included. Cedar or pressure-treated wood wells are a popular upgrade in Calgary. Composite wells are also available. Pricing varies by material and size. |
| Building permit | City of Calgary permit fees start at approximately $333.84. Our permit obtaining add-on covers the drawings, application, and inspection coordination. |
| Number of windows | Multi-window jobs on the same visit are priced more efficiently - mobilization and excavation equipment is already on site. Ask about multi-window pricing when you request a quote. |
| Add-ons | Interior finishing (white melamine trim), triple pane glass upgrade, weeping tile drain connection, and structural headers are all available add-ons priced separately. |
A single egress window installation is typically a one-day job. Our crew arrives in the morning, completes excavation, concrete cutting, window installation, well installation, and backfill, and leaves you with a finished, weather-tight window that day. Two or three windows on the same visit may extend to two days depending on access and soil conditions.
The part that takes time is the permit process. The City of Calgary typically processes permit applications in two to four weeks. If you need the permit pulled before work starts - which is technically required - factor that lead time into your planning. We can prepare and submit your permit application as an add-on service to shorten your coordination time.
Weather: We work year-round including Calgary winters. Frozen ground takes more time to excavate and cold-weather concrete cutting requires adjusted technique, but we are equipped for it and have been since 2015. The only conditions that pause us are active blizzard conditions or extreme Arctic events. Winter is actually our quieter season - if you want your basement bedroom legal before spring, now is a good time to start the permit and quote process.
Three window styles are generally used for egress installations in Calgary. Each has trade-offs depending on your opening size, your preference, and local code compliance.
Hinged on one side, opening outward like a door. The entire sash opens, making it the most straightforward egress option to meet the required 0.35 m2 opening. Casements are our most common recommendation because the full opening is usable. Most of our jobs use casement windows from manufacturers like Gentek and Lux - vinyl frames with Low-E argon gas glass, standard for Calgary's climate range.
One panel slides horizontally. Only half the total frame opening is usable as egress, so you need a larger window to meet the code minimums. They work well in basement spaces where you want maximum light and a wider frame look, and they handle Calgary winters without the exterior clearance issue a casement requires.
Hinged at the bottom, tilting inward. Hopper windows can meet egress requirements when sized correctly. They are common in older Calgary basements as replacement units because the inward tilt works in tighter exterior spaces. They do require more interior clearance for the opening swing.
Vinyl is the standard for Calgary egress windows - low maintenance, good thermal performance across Calgary's temperature range from -35C winters to +35C summers, and it does not rot, warp, or require painting. All of our standard installations use white vinyl Low-E argon gas units. Triple pane glass is available as an upgrade and is required for the Canada Greener Homes Grant.
Full window type comparison →Greg and Luke are brothers who run Egress Windows Calgary together. Mixed-race, Calgary-raised, and both with the kind of hands-on concrete cutting background that most window companies simply do not have. When you call, you talk to one of them. When the crew shows up, it is their crew.
We started cutting concrete in Calgary in 2015 under the Concrete Cutting Geeks brand - wall saws, core drills, slab cutting for contractors and homeowners across the city. Egress Windows Calgary grew directly out of that trade. We are not a window broker who subcontracts the cut. We are the people who do the cut, who also supply and install the window, who also put in the well. One crew. One invoice. No middlemen.
The "one crew" promise is not marketing. It is how we are physically structured. There is no franchise owner two provinces away. No account manager who has never been on a job site. No subcontracted excavator whose schedule we cannot control. Greg and Luke are the business - you get owner accountability on every job, from the first quote to the 2-year warranty call-back if you ever need it.
Neither of us is shy about the family-business angle because it is the whole point. Two brothers with a concrete saw and a decade of Calgary foundation work behind them is a genuinely different proposition from a national chain. That is the business Greg and Luke built, and it is the one you are hiring.
The parent concrete cutting company behind Egress Windows Calgary. Calgary's concrete cutting specialists since 2015. Wall sawing, core drilling, slab cutting for contractors, homeowners, and commercial clients across the city.
The residential egress window arm. Full service from permit to well installation. Owner-operated by the same two brothers. Set-price quotes. 2-year workmanship warranty. One call handles everything.
The questions we hear most from Calgary homeowners and landlords.
Yes. The City of Calgary requires a building permit for all new egress window installations. Permit fees start at approximately $333.84. We offer a permit obtaining add-on where we handle the application, drawings, and inspection coordination for you. Full permit guide →
Most single-window jobs are completed in one day. Two or three windows may take two days. Permit processing by the City typically takes two to four weeks, so factor that in if you need the permit pulled first. Once the permit is in hand, we can usually schedule within one to two weeks depending on the season.
Yes - we operate year-round. Frozen ground takes more effort to excavate but we have been doing it since 2015. The only things that pause our schedule are active blizzard conditions or extreme Arctic events. Winter is our quieter season so scheduling is usually faster than the spring rush.
Under the Alberta Building Code, the openable area must be at least 0.35 m2 (3.77 sq ft), with no single dimension less than 380 mm (15 inches). The maximum sill height from the finished floor is 1.5 m (about 60 inches). The window well must have at least 550 mm depth and 760 mm of clear horizontal space. See full code specs →
Yes. Any room designed or intended to be used as a sleeping room in a basement must have a code-compliant egress window. This applies to new conversions, existing bedrooms being used without a permit, and legal suite bedrooms. A bedroom without egress will not pass a City of Calgary inspection.
Yes - every sleeping room in a legal secondary suite must have a code-compliant egress window. It is one of the key things the City checks during the legal suite inspection. Without it, you will not get suite approval. See our legal suite egress page →
Yes - concrete cutting is our core trade. Egress Windows Calgary is the residential arm of Concrete Cutting Geeks, Calgary's concrete cutting specialists since 2015. Greg and Luke run the crew that does the diamond blade wall cutting themselves. No subcontractors - ever.
We provide a 2-year workmanship warranty on everything we install. If anything we did causes a problem within two years, we come back and fix it. The window also carries the manufacturer's warranty separately for the unit itself.
You can, but it carries real risk. Cutting a concrete foundation wall incorrectly can compromise structural integrity, and the City still requires a permit and inspection regardless of who does the work. If you want to handle part of the job - like the excavation - we can discuss adjusting the quote. Contact us and we will walk through what makes sense for your situation.
We serve Calgary and surrounding communities including Airdrie, Okotoks, Cochrane, Chestermere, Strathmore, and High River. Not sure if we cover your area? Give us a call or send a message - we will confirm.
Send photos and your address - we will have a quote back to you same business day.