Questions
What people ask before they call
How big does a bedroom window have to be?
The usual reading is 5.7 square feet of clear opening with the sash open, at least 24 inches tall and 20 inches wide, with the bottom of the opening no more than 44 inches off the floor. Both the height and the width have to be met, not just the area. Your inspector's reading rules, and we confirm it at the permit counter.
Does a window well need a drain?
Ours do. Each well sits on gravel with a drain tied to the footing drain or to a pit below it, so it doesn't fill like a bucket. The cover has to open from inside without a key.
Do I need a permit to cut into a foundation wall?
An egress opening changes the structure, and Milwaukee and the towns around it ask for a permit. We file it, mark the utilities and meet the inspector. Where a town wants the owner's signature, we send you the form.
My house was built before 1978. Is lead a worry?
Federal rules ask for lead-safe work practices when paint is disturbed in a home built before 1978. Windows and demolition are always covered; small repairs under 6 square feet inside or 20 outside are not. We tell you before work starts and leave you the EPA pamphlet. The firm's certificate is on the credentials page.
What does a written quote include?
A list of lines: the window, the well, the drain, the cover, inside trim, the permit and haul-off, with what is not in the price, such as rock, a sewer or gas line in the way, and paint beyond the patch.
Can I live in the house during the job?
Yes. The dig is outside and the cut is wet, so dust stays low. Plan for noise on the two cutting days and a covered stairway inside.
What if you find something in the wall?
We stop and show you. A pipe, a crack or a bad stretch of wall changes the plan, and any change is written and priced before we go on.
What do you not do?
We don't build additions, roofs or decks, and we don't fix foundation leaks beyond what the window and well need.
Do you work in winter?
Digging slows when the ground freezes. Inside work goes on all year. Ask what we can book this month.
Is a bedroom without an egress window legal?
Not as a bedroom. A basement room needs a way out to count as one. A window that is too small suits a den or storage.
Who reads the code, you or the inspector?
The inspector. We build to the sizes we know, and we confirm them at the permit counter before we quote.
Do I need to be home?
For the measure visit and the final inspection, yes or someone you choose. The dig days need access to the yard and the basement.
Still have one?
Text it to us with a photo of the wall.