I live in P.A. and a realestate agent told me that, a new code says that every basement remodel needs egress. Even if it is not a bedroom. Does any one know?
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The only answer that matters will come from your local building dept.
I would think you could get away with it if no sleeping rooms. I will not take a basement job with bedrooms and no egress though.
I've turned down more than a few. Too much liability if someone fries in the trap you built for them.
I think that according to the 2006 icc you need an egress for every bedroom in a basement. But if your whole basement is a home theater you still need an egress, if you have a bedroom and home theater you need only one egress and it would be in the bedroom. They are not a bad idea anyway. This is in reference to new construction or a new remodel, If your basement is finished previously ( unless it is a local code) you can not be made to put one in. You mentioned real estate agent is this involving a sale or purchase?
Wallyo
Edited 2/22/2008 12:47 am ET by wallyo
don't know re code, but i put in an egress window to allow for a bedroom in the new basement someday, and boy am i glad i did. the amount of light they add to your space is amazing. i'd even consider putting in more than code requires :-0 they're that good. of course, you need to put in a nice well. we salvaged stones from the old foundation with good results.
Good comments, second that!
made the mistake of leaving the words bedroom, instead of recroom on plans I was submitting, $500 to put in a larger egress window, 110 for a arcfault breaker, 70 for CO/fire allarm .. next time I'll double check, no bedrooms in the basement ..
And take the chance that some future occupant suffers death or injury as a result of my doing that? Thanks I will pass and see to it the money is found to protect the future occupants from that if it is what code calls for.
They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.
I can only speak to our local code in MN. I'm in the middle of a basement remodel and while the code folks tried to talk me into it, they conceded that no, there is no requirement for an egress unless it's a bedroom. I did have to show them things I was doing to make it 'un-bedroom-like' such as having french doors on it, no closet, built in desk (it's an office). And then I had to sign a statement saying it was not being designed as a bedroom. Apparently, that's so that I can't later try and sell the house and state that it's a bedroom.
Never heard of an egress requirement for a basement home theater (they must think that people might fall asleep during movies as I do), but that seems a bit Minnesotan, where they're taking away all liberties including the Vikings and Wolves winning. To live in Minnesota without harrassment, you must not smoke, you can't crave alcohol on Sundays (sales not allowed), you must support the highways with a high license plate fee ($70 and up), and you must let the interests in the Twin Cities rule the rest of the state. Sort of like Chicago ruling Illinois.
Maybe if you drive a new car, but licence plates only cost me $35/year....
In Pennsylvania, under the state code which is the national IBC code, you DO need two means of egress out of any occupied windowless story below grade. (basement). One can be the stair that takes you up to the house. The second can be a door, an egress window, a bilco door type enclosure, or a walk out basement portion.
If you have an existing basement that is unfinished, and only has one exit, you cannot legally finish it if you do not have a second means of egress, bedroom or not
It really is not so difficult unless you have virtually no land around you. There are pre-manufactured window well units that meet egress codes that give you nice light, as said above.
You mentioned window wells. I saw something the other day I have never seen before.
Home owner got some cheap clear plastic skylights and set them over the window wells helps keep debris ans water out of the well.
They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.
This is a very interesting question.
The 2006 IRC (that the state of PA adopted thru it's Uniform Construction Code) requires egress for any finished basement so if you are finishing your basement as part of your new home, you need the egress window. In fact, 2006 IRC says any basement needs egress window so even unfinished basements are required to have them now. (I dont have the code book in front of me so excuse the impercise statement of the code but intent is there)
Most townships interpret that you need the egress window in a renovation when you go to pull the permit as well.
However!......!!!...!>!>!!!.....This is a good one!!
Below is an exerpt from a notice I received from a gentleman at the State who was the contact person for the implementation of the codes. His name is Jon Balson. This is about 3 years old but i know one town is enforcing the states position though they encourage a person to get a permit to make sure things are done safely.
By the way, I would be uncomfortable putting a bedroom in a basement without an egress window for access reasons, but there are thousands of homes across the US that have em.
3. Confusion still exists regarding one of the major changes to the UCC
made by Act 92 of 2004, the exemption of residential alterations.
The General Assembly exempted from UCC permits (and inspections) all
alterations to residential buildings not making structural changes or
changes to the means of egress.
The greatest confusion seems to exist in the case of a residential
basement alteration. If this work involves finishing the basement for
sleeping rooms or recreational or other uses, no permit would be
required if structural changes are not made and if the existing means of
egress (the stairway to the first floor) is not altered.
Since no UCC requirements apply to this work, obviously, the means of
emergency escape and rescue opening requirement (found in R310) cannot
be imposed.