In this post we’ll take a look at the building code for egress window well ladders. But first, why are window well ladders so important?

Having a dependable ladder inside your egress window well is essential for ensuring the safety of your family. If the ladder inside your window well isn’t designed properly, it could hinder or prevent a family member from escaping a burning inferno.

Let's take a look at some bad window well ladders, and then we’ll take a look at the code.

Built With the Wrong Material

The last thing you need is for your window well ladder to go up in flames while you’re trying to escape. A wooden ladder could burn, and a plastic ladder could melt. Another issue with a wooden ladder is that it could rot over the course of time, rendering it useless when you need it most.

For these reasons, we always install a steel ladder inside our window wells.

Not Properly Secured

If you have an egress ladder that’s simply leaned up against the wall of your window well, it could tip over while someone is trying to escape. It’s well documented that people can struggle with basic tasks like putting a key into an ignition when trying to escape a life or death situation. Don’t bet the life of your loved one on their ability to balance on an unsecured ladder.

We secure our ladders directly into the concrete walls of the window well with anchors designed for concrete applications. This ensures that no matter the situation, the ladder is ready and waiting to help your family make a quick exit.

Completely Missing

This one is kind of obvious, but you might be surprised at how often this is the case. Suppose you’re getting the house nice for some important guests, and so you decide that since your ladder isn’t fastened to the window well, you’ll simply pull it out temporarily.

After your guests leave, you forget to put the portable ladder back into the window well, putting your family at risk.

Here again, because our escape ladder is securely bolted to the side of the window well, you won’t be tempted during a fit of zealous “sprucing up” to remove it. It will always be ready and waiting in case of a fire.

Which Code Does Wichita Use?

At the time of this writing, Wichita uses the 2018 International Residential Code (IRC) as the starting point for egress window wells.

Which Window Wells Require a Permanent Ladder?

Any window well with a depth of 44 inches or more is required to have a permanently affixed ladder to ensure an easy exit in case of an emergency.

What Dimensions Does the Ladder Have to Have?

Ladders have to be at least 12 inches wide, and project 3 inches or more inches from the wall. The rungs cannot be spaced more than 18 inches apart.

In addition, the ladder has to be fully functional when the egress window is fully open. In other words, when your window is completely open, it can’t block a person’s ability to use the ladder.

The Illumicast Egress Window Well Ladder

We designed our steel ladders to discreetly fit in the corner of our egress window wells. This simple yet elegant design is rugged and practical.

The ladder is powder-coated so that it looks good for years to come.

Our standard ladder is 3 ft long. We also have optional 4 ft and 5 ft ladder lengths.

The ladder is permanently fastened to the side of the window well with concrete anchors during our 1 Day Installation process.

Our egress ladder is included as a standard feature in our window well installation package.

Conclusion

When choosing an egress window well installer for your home, make sure that the ladder they install does three things:
- Is made from a durable material
- Meets all local building codes
- Is permanently secured in place

The Illumicast egress ladder does all of these things, and more.

For more information or to get a free quote for your project, please give us a call at 620-200-0616 or contact us through our website.