An egress window gives a basement bedroom a clear way out, and it also cuts a hole in your foundation wall and a well in your yard. The job is small compared with lowering a floor, but it still produces two separate materials: concrete from the wall and dirt from the window well.
Permits and the dig
Cutting into a foundation wall and building a window well is structural work. Confirm with your City on the permit your address needs before you plan anything else.
BC 1 Call lists outdoor digging as the trigger for a locate request, and the request is free. You can submit online at any time or call 1 800 474 6886 during call centre hours. Utility members respond within three working days, and you are not clear to dig until all the notified members have contacted you.
Concrete and dirt, kept separate
An egress window usually makes:
- A concrete cut out from the foundation wall.
- Dirt from the window well excavation.
These go to different places. Concrete goes in its own 10 or 12-yard bin and dirt goes in its own 10 or 12-yard bin. Neither goes in a larger bin or in with junk. For a small job with a little of each, ask about a mixed concrete and dirt bin (10 or 12-yard), which costs extra. Our concrete page and dirt page explain the bins. For the reasoning, read our guide to concrete and dirt disposal for homeowners.
Because this is a small job, you may be wondering whether one bin can do it all. We answer that when you book, so tell us what size window and how deep the well will be, and we will tell you what to order.
Dust and safety
Metro Vancouver's construction toolkit lists silica as a hazard in concrete and fill dirt. Cutting concrete makes fine dust. Leave the cutting to a qualified contractor and follow their safety plan.
After the cut
The framing, drywall and trim around the new window are a different set of waste. Drywall goes in its own bin, and clean wood in its own load. If you are doing other work at the same time, a junk bin handles the general debris. A 20-yard bin is where most people start.
On your driveway, a bin takes no permit. Some cities ask for a permit when a bin sits on the street or lane, so check with yours before delivery. We will time delivery to your permit dates. We drop it off, the contractor fills it, and we haul it off when it is full.
FAQ
Do I need a permit to cut in an egress window? Usually yes. Confirm with your City.
Do I call before I dig a window well? Yes. BC 1 Call is free and members respond within three working days.
Can the concrete and dirt go in one bin? Sometimes, in a 10 or 12-yard mixed bin for an added fee. Ask when you book.
Can one small bin handle the whole job? Ask us when you book and tell us the size of the window and the well.