Egress Window Cost (2026): Poured or Block Wall, Well, Drain and Labor Hours, Itemized
What a basement egress window costs in 2026: a new cut in a poured or block wall or an enlarged window, the well, its depth and its drain, the labor hours on every line, the code, and what installers publish.
The assumptions
This model assumes
- One egress window in a basement wall, opening about 4 ft below grade
- Steel well 48 in deep with a ladder and a cover; drained to the footing drain
- Job cost before markup: labor at the sub's price, materials and rentals, no markup, tax or permit
- Prices from Clamp's catalog on November 4, 2026
The model, step by step
One egress window in a basement wall, priced through Clamp's catalog on November 4, 2026: protect the room, dig, cut, set the window and a steel well with a ladder and a cover, tie the well to the footing drain, backfill, and trim the inside. Job cost before markup. A new cut in a poured wall is $6,815 job cost before markup, a ballpark price range of $8,859 to $13,629.
| Job | Cost | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| New cut, poureda ballpark price range of $8,859 to $13,629; the default job | $6,815 | 30 |
| New cut, blockAdds a lintel over the opening, $650 | $7,465 | 30 |
| Enlarge a windowCut an existing basement window down to egress size; less concrete to cut, the same saw | $6,515 | 28 |
| Two windows$6,390 each; one site setup, one excavator day | $12,779 | 56 |
Egress specialists that post prices, beside Clamp's number. Each one's scope is different, so read what is included.
Published installed prices
The Egress Window Company$3,195 to $5,695 a package in an existing opening; a new opening costs extra
KC Pier$5,000 to $7,000, excavation, cutting, window and well (October 2026)
Hargrave Contractors$6,500 to $7,500 in an unfinished basement, $7,500 to $8,500 finished; one to two days with two or three workers
Evolve Egress$6,000 to $15,000 complete, with the window, well, drainage and permits
Clamp, ballpark price range$8,859 to $13,629 for a new cut in a poured wall, permit not included
Three choices outside the wall move the price: what the well is made of, how deep it goes, and where its water goes.
| Type | Well | Job |
|---|---|---|
| Galvanized steelThe default; a fixed ladder included. A galvanized StoneWall well lists at $412 to $1,425, ladder extra | $700 | $6,815 |
| CompositeMolded, built-in steps (ScapeWEL, Rockwell). ScapeWEL sells for $1,435 to $2,110 | $950 | $7,065 |
| Timber or stoneSite-built timbers or block, materials only; the labor is the well install line | $1,250 | $7,365 |
The dig grows with the well's depth, and so does the well. The drain is a code item, not an option.
| Depth | Job | Dig |
|---|---|---|
| 36 inUnder 44 in, no ladder needed | $6,614 | 3 cy |
| 48 inThe default; ladder required over 44 in | $6,815 | 4 cy |
| 60 inA deeper basement or a higher grade | $7,016 | 5 cy |
| 72 inCheck that the well comes in that height and that the ladder runs the full depth | $7,217 | 6 cy |
The default job in Clamp's catalog: a new cut in a poured wall, a 48 in steel well, the drain tie-in. About 30 person-hours, most of it in one or two days on site.
| Line | Cost | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Protect the room1 ea | $300 | 3.5 |
| Dig, 4 cubic yards4 cy | $104 | 1.3 |
| Cut the opening1 ea | $1,000 | 6.0 |
| Egress window1 ea | $850 | |
| Set the window1 ea | $650 | 4.0 |
| Steel well, ladder1 ea | $700 | |
| Set the well1 ea | $500 | 4.0 |
| Well cover1 ea | $350 | |
| Interior return1 ea | $245 | 5.0 |
| Haul the concrete1 ea | $225 | |
| Wall saw, a day1 day | $525 | |
| Drywall16 sf | $12 | |
| Trim stock16 lf | $34 | |
| Mini excavator, a day1 day | $550 | |
| Gravel1 ea | $120 | |
| Tie to footing drain1 ea | $425 | 3.0 |
| Backfill and grade1 ea | $225 | 3.0 |
The opening, the well and the existing-basement rules, from the 2021 IRC with the 2024 numbers beside them.
The rules
Opening5.7 sq ft net clear (5.0 only for a grade-floor opening), at least 24 in high and 20 in wide, bottom of the opening no more than 44 in above the floor (R310.2; R319.2 in 2024). Measure the clear opening of the unit, not its rough opening: Andersen's CW14 casement clears 6.8 sq ft with its widest-opening hinge.
WellAt least 9 sq ft, with 36 in of projection and width; over 44 in deep it needs a fixed ladder or steps, 12 in wide with rungs no more than 18 in apart, which may encroach 6 in (R310.4; R319.4).
CoverBars, grilles and covers must release from inside without a key, tool or extra force.
Existing basementsAltering an existing basement needs a new escape opening only for a new sleeping room (R310.7; R319.7). An existing window can count if it opens to 4 sq ft, 22 in high and 20 in wide (R310.7.1).
Block wallsThe opening needs a lintel designed for the load above (2024 R606.10).
PermitExpect one for a new foundation opening. Hargrave lists $90 to $300 in its area, and $300 for an engineer where required.
The job on Clamp's egress cost page: one egress window into an unfinished basement bedroom area, poured wall, the opening about 4 ft below grade, a well with a ladder and a cover, gravel tied into the footing drain, and trim inside. Priced from today's catalog: $6,815 job cost before markup.
The scope
DescriptionAdd one code-compliant egress window to an unfinished basement bedroom area. Poured concrete wall. Bottom of the opening is about 4 feet below outside grade. Concrete cut, framed window opening, egress window, exterior well with a ladder and a cover, gravel in the well tied into the footing drain, and interior trim around the opening. No bedroom finish work beyond the window.
Paste the job the way you'd describe it to a sub. Clamp reads the wall, a new cut or an enlarged window, the well's type and depth, the cover, the drain and the inside finish, and prices every line from its own rates with labor hours on each.
The scope
Every line priced
The egress scope in Clamp, and the estimate it prices: $6,815 at job cost, by trade. Illustration of the Clamp app.
What it means
Every egress line, with the hours
Clamp reads the wall, a new cut or an enlarged window, the well's type and depth, the cover, the drain and the inside finish, and prices every line from its own rates with labor hours on each.
An egress window is a hole in the foundation, a well and a drain. Price all three.
Questions
How much does an egress window cost?
One egress window cut into a poured basement wall, with a steel well, ladder, cover, footing-drain tie and interior trim, is $6,815 in job cost before markup in Clamp's catalog, a ballpark price range of $8,859 to $13,629. Installers publish $5,000 to $7,000 (KC Pier) and $6,000 to $15,000 complete (Evolve Egress).
How much does it cost to cut an egress window in a concrete wall?
The cut itself is $1,000 of labor plus a $525 wall saw and $225 to haul the concrete in Clamp's catalog; a concrete-cutting sub such as K&H charges a $500 minimum for up to 18 ft of 8 in wall. The whole egress job in a poured wall is $6,815 job cost before markup.
How much does an egress window well cost?
In Clamp's catalog a 48 in galvanized steel well with a ladder is $700, a composite well $950 and a timber or stone well's materials $1,250, plus $500 to set it. Bilco's ScapeWEL sells for $1,435 to $2,110, and a galvanized steel StoneWall well for $412 to $1,425 before its ladder.
What size does an egress window have to be?
At least 5.7 sq ft of net clear opening (5.0 only for a grade-floor opening), 24 in high and 20 in wide, with the bottom of the opening no more than 44 in above the floor (2021 IRC R310.2; R319.2 in the 2024 IRC). The well needs 9 sq ft and 36 in of projection and width, and a ladder over 44 in deep.
Does a finished basement need an egress window?
New basements need an escape opening under the IRC, but altering an existing basement adds one only for a new sleeping room (R310.7; R319.7 in 2024). An existing window can count if it opens to 4 sq ft, 22 in high and 20 in wide. Confirm with the building department before you finish the space.
Sources & provenance
- 2021 International Residential Code, Chapter 3 International Code Council (official source)
- 2024 IRC Preface and Relocation Table International Code Council (official source)
- 2024 IRC Chapter 6, R606.10 Lintels International Code Council (official source)
- Pricing The Egress Window Company (research)
- How Much Does Egress Window Installation Cost? (2026) KC Pier (research)
- FAQs Hargrave Contractors (research)
- Egress Window Cost in Ohio (2026 Pricing Guide) Evolve Egress (research)
- ScapeWEL Egress Well EgressWindows.com (research)
- StoneWall Egress Well EgressWindows.com (research)
- Rockwell Series 66 x 44 in Polycarbonate Window Well Cover The Home Depot (research)
- Wall Sawing K&H Concrete Cutting (research)
- 400 Series Casement Area and Opening Specifications Andersen (research)
- Wellcraft 5600 Installation Instructions Wellcraft (research)
- Clamp's catalog, priced by script Clamp (research)