Code-compliant emergency-exit windows for finished basements. We core the foundation, install structural lintels, drainage and proper window wells.
If you have a finished basement bedroom — or plan to add one — Ontario Building Code requires a properly sized egress window in that sleeping room. The right install does more than satisfy code: it floods the basement with natural light, improves ventilation, and gives a real emergency exit if it's ever needed. The wrong install creates a permanent leak path through your foundation. Our team installs egress windows the right way: cored, lintelled, waterproofed, and finished with engineered window wells designed for the GTA climate.
OBC 9.9.10 sets the minimum requirements for emergency-exit windows in basement bedrooms: an unobstructed opening of at least 0.35m² with no dimension less than 380mm, located no more than 1.5m above floor level. For below-grade installations, the window well must be at least 760mm out from the foundation, drained, and equipped with a ladder or step where deeper than 1.1m. We design every install to satisfy these minimums with a comfortable margin.
The right way to enlarge a basement window opening in a poured concrete foundation is wet diamond-core sawing, not hammer demolition. Sawing produces clean, structurally sound edges with no shock damage to the surrounding foundation. We use track-mounted saws and core drills sized to the new opening, and we capture slurry and dust as we go. Cleaner cut, cleaner site, cleaner result.
Any time you enlarge a foundation opening you change the load path above it. Our installs include a properly sized structural lintel — typically a concrete-filled steel angle or a poured reinforced concrete beam — designed to carry the load of the wall above. Engineer's stamps are provided where the municipality requires them.
A window well that floods is worse than no window at all. We size the well based on the window dimensions and required clearance, install a gravel drainage bed connecting to a drainage line, and use galvanized or composite window wells rated for backfill loads. Code-compliant ladders and clear covers are added where required for safety and weather protection.
For egress installations we work with casement and sliding windows that meet the clear-opening requirement while still providing reasonable energy performance. Triple-pane low-e units with insulated frames are standard for new GTA installations. Egress hardware is engineered to allow rapid no-tool exit from inside.
Every cut surface receives waterproofing treatment. We use compatible sealants and membranes around the new opening, integrate with the existing exterior waterproofing where possible, and dimensionally protect the window flange. Backfill is tamped in lifts to prevent settling around the well.
Egress window installations require a permit in most Ontario municipalities. We prepare drawings showing the existing opening, the new structural detail and the window well design, submit the application, and coordinate the required structural and final inspections.
Every project is built to current OBC standards. We handle the permit application, prepare the structural and site drawings, coordinate engineer's stamps where required, and book each municipal inspection on your behalf. Final approval documentation is yours to keep on file.
Satisfies emergency-exit requirements for finished basement bedrooms — required for legal occupancy.
An egress-sized window transforms how a basement room feels day-to-day.
Operable windows let fresh air in and stale, humid basement air out.
A genuine escape path from below-grade sleeping areas in a fire.
Code-compliant basement bedrooms count as bedrooms in MLS listings and appraisals.
Required for any registered basement apartment in most municipalities.
We're a hands-on contractor, not a sales operation. Our crews are the people who bid your job and run your job — that's how quality stays consistent across every postal code we serve.
Clay soils, high water tables and freeze-thaw cycles drive every design decision.
WSIB-covered crews and full liability coverage on every job.
Complete permit, drawing and inspection coordination.
Written timelines we stand behind.
Line-item estimates, no surprise change orders.
Structural and waterproofing work backed in writing.
The same milestones on every project, so you always know where we are in your build.
City-specific information, building trends and contact for each area we serve.
Tell us about your home and your goals. We'll schedule a site visit, walk through the scope, and have a written quote in your hands within a few days.
