Basement bedroom flagged for egress: what the inspector saw and what the fix costs

When an inspector flags a basement bedroom in Des Moines, the finding is nearly always the same: the window is not an emergency escape and rescue opening. IRC Section R310 sets the bar at 5.7 square feet of net clear opening, at least 24 inches clear height, at least 20 inches clear width, and a sill no more than 44 inches above the floor, with a compliant well outside if the window is below grade. A typical basement slider from the 1980s or 1990s gives you about three square feet. The fix is a full egress installation at $3,500–$6,500, and it is the cheapest way to keep the bedroom on the listing.

Check this first (five minutes, one tape measure)

Measure the opening as it actually opens, not the frame, not the glass.

1. Open the window all the way. For a slider, the clear opening is only the half that moves. For a casement, it is the swing arc minus the sash thickness.
2. Measure clear height and clear width of that hole in inches. Multiply and divide by 144 for square feet.
3. You need 5.7 square feet, with height at least 24 and width at least 20. All three, not any one of them. A 34 by 24 opening is 5.7 square feet on the nose; most basement sliders are nowhere close.
4. Measure sill height from the finished floor. Over 44 inches fails even if the opening is big enough.
5. Step outside and measure the well: at least 9 square feet of horizontal area, at least 36 inches of projection from the wall, and a permanent ladder if it is deeper than 44 inches.

Write those five numbers down. They are the entire conversation, and they let anyone quote you honestly over the phone.

What the numbers mean for your house

Every figure is the range published on the pricing page, and the free on-site measure exists to find the cheapest of these paths that actually complies, not the most expensive.

The Des Moines specifics that change the job

Permit office. Inside city limits the permit runs through City of Des Moines building department. Ankeny, West Des Moines, Urbandale, and Johnston each issue their own, and addresses out in the Polk or Dallas County townships go through the county. Filing with the wrong office is how a closing date slips a week.

Season. The ground here freezes to roughly 42 inches. Excavation is dependable from April into November. A December or January dig is possible on some sites and much harder on others, so if your inspection just landed in October, call before the freeze rather than after.

Foundation type. Poured walls are the common case in post-1970 housing and cut predictably. Older block foundations in the central neighborhoods come out course by course, which is different work and needs the lintel detail right. The condition that moves a quote materially here is water: a flat Des Moines Lobe lot with a high seasonal water table and nowhere lower to drain to needs the well’s bed tied into the footing drain and sump rather than relying on infiltration.

What a fix looks like on a deadline

Most of these calls arrive with a closing date attached. The realistic sequence is a measure within a few days, a flat written quote the same visit, a permit filed immediately, and a one to two day install once it is issued, followed by the city’s final inspection. What we will not do is promise the inspector’s decision. The work is built to R310 and the local amendments, the permit is filed properly, and the inspection is met on site, but the pass belongs to the city.

What to expect on the call

Have your five measurements and the inspection report language ready, plus the closing date if there is one. That is enough to tell you on the phone which row of the table above you are in and what it will cost. Read the FAQ for the code numbers in full, and the pricing page for the itemized ranges including permit fees, which we pass through at cost rather than marking up.