Basement bedroom egress compliance
If someone sleeps down there, the room needs its own way out. Here's what that means in Minot.
A basement bedroom isn't legal just because it has a closet and a door. Under the residential code Minot uses, every sleeping room needs at least one operable emergency escape and rescue opening, and basements need one even without a bedroom. That rule is about getting out during a fire and letting a firefighter get in.
Where are escape openings required?
The IRC section quoted in the City of Fargo's handout requires an escape opening in basements, in habitable attics, and in every sleeping room, including each bedroom in a basement. So a basement with two bedrooms generally needs two escape openings, one in each room. A window in the family room next door doesn't count for the bedroom.
What does the opening need?
- At least 5.7 square feet of net clear opening
- At least 20 inches of clear width and 24 inches of clear height
- A sill no higher than 44 inches above the floor
- A well at least 9 square feet and 36 inches each way, with a ladder if deeper than 44 inches
- Any cover, bars or screen able to open from inside without a key or tool
These come from the City of Minot's Egress Window Information handout and the IRC sections it follows.
When does this come up?
- Finishing a basement. Minot reviews residential plans for code compliance before issuing a permit, and a new sleeping room in the plan brings the escape opening rules with it.
- Selling. Buyers' inspectors and appraisers often note basement "bedrooms" that don't have a code-size window.
- Renting. If a tenant will sleep in the basement, the escape opening protects them and you.
- Rebuilding. Homeowners redoing a basement after water damage often use the chance to add a proper escape window.
What else goes with a new bedroom?
Minot's handout says smoke alarms have to be installed to code when permitted interior alterations happen and when sleeping rooms are added or created in an existing home. Plan for that in the budget and ask the installer or your electrician who will handle it. Ask Building Safety what else your finish plan needs before you frame.
Where to start
Call and describe the room. An installer can measure what's there, tell you whether the existing window can be saved, and quote either a new opening or an enlargement. For the code details and links, see the Minot egress window guide.
We don't give prices. Each installer prices the job after measuring the wall, checking the soil and seeing what sits outside that part of the foundation, so a number over the phone is only a ballpark until then.
Where we connect you with help
Common questions
Can a basement bedroom share an escape window with another room?
Generally no. The code calls for an escape opening in every sleeping room, so each basement bedroom needs its own.
Do I need a permit to finish my basement in Minot?
Minot says residential plans for construction, including renovation, are reviewed before a permit is issued. Contact Building Safety before you start to confirm what your project needs.
Related services
- Basement egress window installation
- Basement window enlargement
- Window wells and ladders
- Window well covers
More background: Minot egress window guide.
Need a basement bedroom that passes inspection?
Call and a Minot-area egress installer will look at the wall and the yard, explain what the code asks for, and quote the job.