Your egress window well quote should include sales tax, city permits, and county engineering fees. If you received a quote without these items included, you’ll likely end up paying more than you expected.
Why Do These Quotes Look Different?
So you've decided you want to add an egress window well to your basement to improve the safety and natural light in your home. You call a few contractors to get quotes, but then you take a closer look and notice that the cheapest quotes don't include taxes or permits.
In this article we’ll explain the taxes and fees of an egress window well, so you can make smart buying decisions.
Egress Window Well Sales Tax
Unfortunately, in the state of Kansas, the materials of egress window wells are subject to sales tax. If your contractor gave you an egress window well estimate without the sales tax included, it means one of two things: Either the contractor is not following state laws, or else the contractor plans to charge you the sales tax at a later date.
There are a few important caveats here:
First, if the contractor paid sales tax when purchasing the items for the egress window well, then sales tax has already been paid to the State of Kansas, and they cannot charge you sales tax unless they are reselling the materials to you at a higher price.
Secondly, contractors are not obligated to charge sales tax on labor. Only the materials are required to be taxed. So if the contractor is charging sales tax on the entire invoice, you’re overpaying sales tax. It’s not illegal, but it is harder on your pocketbook.
Bottom line, expect to pay sales tax on at least part of the total bid if you’re dealing with a reputable contractor.
City Permits for Window Wells
Most cities require the contractor to pull a permit before installing an egress window well. If your contractor doesn't include permitting on your quote, he likely plans to either install the window well illegally, or plans to charge you the permitting fee later. In most Central Kansas cities, these permits are under $200.
County Engineering Fees for Egress Windows
In South Central Kansas, the only county that requires site specific engineering is Sedgwick County. Here’s where the fees start to get more substantial. When you combine the engineering fee with the city of Wichita’s permit fees, you can easily get hit with fees of $500 or more. That’s why you want to make sure those fees are included in your quote.
Does Illumicast Have Hidden Fees?
No, we do not have hidden fees. When we give you a quote, it is an all-inclusive quote. Sales tax and all legally required permits and engineering are included in your quote. Nobody likes surprise fees or upcharges, which is why we give you an all-inclusive price right out of the gate.
How Do I Get a Quote from Illumicast?
Getting a quote from Illumicast is easy. Call or text 620-200-0616, or fill out the form on our contact page, and we’ll be in touch with you shortly.