Enlarge an existing window
Opening, header, window, well, drain, cover, trim.
What moves the price
Five things set the number
The wall
Block, poured or stone
How thick the wall is
How high the sill sits
The ground outside
Depth of the well
Clay, fill or rock
How far a machine can reach
What's in the way
Gas, water, sewer or electric lines
Trees, steps and decks
How many openings
One window or two
A well each, or a shared one
What's around it
A finished room or a bare wall
A bath or a laundry nearby
A sample written quote
What the paper looks like
Every quote lists its lines, each with its own price. This sample shows the lines of one job.
Sample quote: one egress window and well
A new opening in a block wall, with a deep well and a ladder.
- Wet-cut the opening and haul out the block
- Header over the opening
- Egress casement window, flashed and sealed
- Well, 42 inches deep, with a ladder and a cover
- Drain tied to the footing drain
- Inside framing and trim
- Permit and utility locate
Not in the quote: rock, a moved gas or water line, paint beyond the patch.
Your quote lists your own lines and prices.
Common jobs
The jobs we price most
Openings and wells
A new opening
The same, with a new header over a new opening.
A deeper well, with a ladder
For a sill low in the ground.
A walk-out stairwell
Door opening, steps, retaining walls, drain. Door and railing separate.
Rooms
A basement bedroom, about 12 by 12
Framing, insulation, drywall, floor, door, closet, alarms. The egress window is its own line.
A half bath
Slab cut, drain and vent, framing, fan, drywall. Fixtures separate.
Your written quote lists every line and what is not in it.
Paying
Deposits and payments
The deposit and the schedule are in your contract, and follow Wisconsin's home improvement rules.
Deposit
A deposit holds the dig date and pays for the permit. The amount is in the contract.
Payments
Payments follow the work: after the cut, after the window and well, and after the inspection.
Changes
A change is written, priced and signed before we do it.
What's left out
Rock, a moved line and paint are not in the price until you see them on a line.
Why no average
We don't print an average
Cost guides disagree on egress windows by a factor of several, because a wall, a well and a yard are different in every house. An average would be wrong for yours.
That's why the quote comes after we measure. Yours is on paper.
Get a number for your wall
We measure, then write the quote.