Denver Egress Code
Denver egress code requirements, in plain English.
The City and County of Denver enforces the IRC for emergency escape and rescue openings. Here's what it actually says — and what inspectors look for.
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1. Where egress is required
Every basement with a habitable space — and every sleeping room on any floor — must have at least one operable emergency escape and rescue opening. In a basement, that opening is almost always an egress window or walkout door.
2. Minimum window size
- Net clear opening: 5.7 sq ft (5.0 sq ft if the sill is at grade).
- Minimum height: 24 inches.
- Minimum width: 20 inches.
- Sill height: no more than 44 inches above the finished floor.
3. Window well requirements
- Minimum horizontal area: 9 sq ft, with minimum 36-inch projection and width.
- If the well is more than 44 inches deep, a permanently affixed ladder or steps is required.
- Drainage to the foundation perimeter drain or to an approved daylight outfall.
4. Walkout door requirements
An exterior door used for emergency escape must be at least 32 inches wide, swing or slide outward without a key from the inside, and connect via a code-compliant stairwell with a landing and guardrails to grade.
5. Permit process
Cutting a foundation in Denver requires a building permit. Most jurisdictions also require an engineering letter for the header detail, especially in poured concrete walls. We pull the permit, manage the inspection, and provide a copy of the final approval for your records.
6. Permit & inspection process in Denver
For most Denver-area projects, the permit lifecycle is predictable: we submit plans and the engineering letter to the local building department, the permit is issued in 1–3 weeks (faster in Denver, Lakewood, and Arvada — slower in Jefferson and Douglas counties for finished-basement scopes), and the inspector visits on the day backfill is complete. We coordinate the rough and final inspections, walk the install with the inspector, and hand you the signed approval for your records.
This applies to both egress window installs and basement door conversions. The well is part of the inspection — see window well requirements for the drainage and ladder rules the inspector checks.
Permit lifecycle
From plan submittal to signed final approval.
- 1
Plan submittal
We package the engineered header detail, the well drainage plan, and the site sketch — and submit it to your local building department.
- 2
Permit issuance
Most Denver-area permits clear in 1–3 weeks. We pay the fee and pull the placard.
- 3
Rough inspection
After the foundation cut and rough framing, the inspector verifies the opening size, header, and well dimensions.
- 4
Final inspection & approval
On backfill day, the inspector signs off the drainage, ladder (if required), and the operable opening. We hand you the signed final.
Call or text us — and turn your dark basement into a bright, legal bedroom.
Pick up the phone or text photos of your basement wall and exterior — we'll tell you exactly what it takes to make the room code-compliant, daylit, and safe. No forms, no pressure, no sales pitch.
Or schedule a basement assessment