DIY or pro

Should you do this yourself?

Four questions, and none of them are about how handy you are. They are about the wall you already have. We do not estimate your job: we tell you which side you are on and show you the two real numbers.

1Can the opening reach the code dimensions on the wall you have in mind?

If the code cannot be met on this wall, there is no job to price, whoever does it.

2Does a new opening have to be cut into the foundation?

Cutting reinforced concrete means temporarily carrying the load above it.

3Will the finished window well be deeper than 44 inches?

Past that depth the well owes a permanently affixed ladder, and the excavation is no longer a shovel job.

4Does your jurisdiction require a permit and an inspection?

A permit does not stop you from doing the work, but it does put an inspector in the loop.

An excavated window well against a foundation wall, before the window is set
Photo: The Great Egress Co.

Why we do not give you a number

Nobody can price your basement from a form.

Calculators that hand you a figure after four questions are guessing, and the guess is what gets quoted back at you. We would rather show you the two ranges that are actually documented and let you place yourself between them.