Edmonton rules
Edmonton Egress Window Requirements: Size & Well Clearance
Three required measurements decide whether a basement window works as egress. Here they are, plus the City of Edmonton's sill-height guidance, with the source each figure comes from.
In Edmonton, a bedroom egress window must give an unobstructed opening of at least 0.35 m² (3.77 ft²), with no dimension under 380 mm (15 in), and must open from the inside without keys, tools or special knowledge. Where it opens into a window well, at least 760 mm (30 in) of clearance is required in front of the window.
The specification
| Requirement | Value | What it means in practice |
|---|---|---|
| Clear opening area | 0.35 m² (3.77 ft²) | Measured on the unobstructed opening, not the frame. |
| Minimum dimension | 380 mm (15 in) | Neither height nor width may fall below this, even if the area is met. |
| Window well clearance | 760 mm (30 in) | In front of the window, available when the window is open. |
| Operation | No keys, tools or special knowledge | And without removing sashes or hardware. |
| Well cover, if fitted | Openings ≤ 13 mm | Must support foot traffic and open from inside without tools. |
| Maximum sill height | Not prescribed; 1.5 m recommended | City guidance says to consider access and recommends no higher than 1.5 m above the floor. |
Doing the arithmetic
Because both conditions apply at once, the minimum dimension drives the other side of the opening. Divide 350,000 square millimetres by one clear dimension to find the other. At 380 mm, the other side needs to be at least 921.053 mm mathematically; 922 mm clears the area threshold. Do not round a smaller opening up.
- 380 mm × 920 mm = 0.3496 m² — below the exact area threshold; rounding does not make it pass
- 600 mm × 600 mm = 0.36 m² — meets the two geometric thresholds; other requirements still apply
- 300 mm × 1200 mm = 0.36 m² — fails, because 300 mm is under the 380 mm minimum
That third line is the trap. An opening can be generous in area and still not be an egress window.
Which code edition applies?
Alberta’s current codes-in-force listing, checked October 14, 2026, identifies the National Building Code – 2023 Alberta Edition, second printing. The City’s bedroom egress guidance addresses bedrooms in suites that are not sprinklered. Ask the permit authority about your building, sprinkler system and proposed use; this page is not an official determination.
Why a window that measures large enough can still fail
The number that counts is the opening a person could actually pass through once the window is open — not the size of the frame, and not the size of the glass.
- The sash is in the way. A slider gives up roughly half its width, because the moving panel has to go somewhere. A hopper or awning swings into the opening and eats into the height.
- Hardware intrudes. Cranks, arms and stays can all reduce what is genuinely clear.
- The window will not stay open. A window that has to be held open is not an escape route.
- The well is too tight. A perfectly compliant window that opens into a well without the required clearance in front of it does not provide egress.
This is why measuring the frame from inside and concluding you are fine is unreliable. The bedroom checklist walks through measuring it properly.
Which rooms this applies to
Bedrooms. Each bedroom needs at least one outside window or exterior door openable from the inside without keys, tools or special knowledge, and without removing sashes or hardware.
Strathcona County states the exclusions plainly, and they match how Edmonton treats the same rooms: windows are not required in laundry rooms, water closet rooms, basement recreation rooms or unfinished basements. What matters is how a room is used, not what it was labelled on a drawing — a den with a closet and a door that someone sleeps in is a bedroom for this purpose.
Window wells
Where the window opens into a well, the well is part of whether the window works. The City requires at least 760 mm of clearance in front of the window, available when the window is open. Covers are permitted but constrained: they have to support foot traffic, open from the inside without keys, tools or special knowledge, and have no opening greater than 13 mm in one direction. The City also raises the accumulation of snow in a well as something to account for so an occupant can still get out — which in Edmonton is not a theoretical concern.
Full detail on window well requirements.
Which code applies
Alberta adopts the National Building Code – Alberta Edition, and the City of Edmonton administers it locally. Where the City publishes its own guidance document for sleeping room egress windows and window wells, that is the version to work from, because it is what a local inspector will apply.
If your property is outside Edmonton, your municipality administers the same provincial code but issues its own permits and publishes its own guidance — which authority applies to you.
Common questions
What is the minimum egress window size in Edmonton?
The window must provide an unobstructed opening of at least 0.35 square metres (3.77 square feet), with no dimension less than 380 millimetres (15 inches). Both conditions have to be met at once — an opening can reach the area and still fail because one side is under 380 millimetres.
Which rooms need an egress window?
The City guidance applies to bedrooms in a suite that is not sprinklered. It calls for at least one outside window or exterior door that opens from the inside without keys, tools or special knowledge and without removing sashes or hardware. Confirm any sprinkler-system exception and the complete design with the permit authority. Windows are not required in laundry rooms, bathrooms, basement recreation rooms or unfinished basements.
Does a basement recreation room need an egress window?
No. The requirement attaches to bedrooms. A recreation room does not need one — but if that space is later used as a bedroom, the requirement applies to how the room is used, not to what it was called on the drawings.
Does the window well count toward the opening?
No, but it can disqualify an otherwise compliant window. Where the window opens into a window well, a clearance of at least 760 millimetres has to be provided in front of the window, and that clearance has to be there when the window is in its open position. A well that is too shallow front-to-back makes a large window useless as an exit.
Can a slider or a hopper window meet egress?
It depends entirely on the clear opening it produces, not on the style name. What matters is the space you could actually pass through once the sash has moved into its open position. Some styles give up much more of their frame area than others, which is why two windows of identical outside dimensions can produce very different clear openings.
My window measures large enough. Why was I told it fails?
Almost always because the measurement was taken on the frame rather than the clear opening. The number that counts is what remains once the sash is open and any hardware is in the way. This is the single most common surprise in an egress quote.
How high can the window sill be above the floor?
The City of Edmonton says maximum bedroom egress window sill height is not prescribed by the building code, but recommends considering access and keeping the sill no higher than 1.5 metres above the floor. Confirm the final design with the City or your permit authority for your specific project.
Do these requirements apply to a secondary suite?
Secondary suites carry their own set of requirements in addition to bedroom egress, and the City publishes separate guidance for them. If your project is a suite rather than a bedroom in your own home, treat the suite requirements as the governing set and confirm them directly.
Check the clear-opening arithmetic
Measure the unobstructed space with the window fully open, in millimetres. This checks area and minimum dimensions only. It does not confirm code compliance, safe access, window operation or well clearance.
Enter both dimensions to check the geometry.
Do not round a smaller area up to pass. Confirm the manufacturer’s clear-opening data and your design with the permit authority before buying or cutting.
Replacement or enlargement: what should you investigate?
If the existing opening has enough clear space, compare replacement window styles and their published opening dimensions first. If it does not, basement window enlargement may change both the wall and the well. For a wall without an opening, review foundation cutting considerations. Do not order a unit from rough frame measurements alone.
For a free preliminary project review, optionally send your measured clear width and height, whether it is a bedroom or suite, and safe inside/outside photos. Measurements and photos cannot establish structural condition or replace an on-site assessment.
Related pages
- Egress Window CostWhat drives the price of an egress window project in Edmonton.
- Egress Window PermitsWhich permit you need in Edmonton, what it costs, and when an engineer is required.
- Egress Window Well RequirementsClearance, covers and drainage — what the well itself has to do.
- Basement Bedroom Egress ChecklistTwelve checks that tell you whether your basement bedroom conforms.
- Basement Window EnlargementWidening an existing basement opening so the window meets egress.
Not sure whether your window qualifies?
Request a free preliminary review with optional opening dimensions and photos. We can identify questions to investigate; only the permit authority can determine compliance.