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I need to make an egress window and the depth below grade is 24".

However, most egress window wells at home improvement stores are 20" in height and I need to buy 2 of them which made the cost double.

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I am thinking about using cement blocks to make the well like so

enter image description here

It may cost me only $200 vs $800.

My questions: 1. Is this allow by code (in general)? I am in Washington State

  1. How to prevent water leakage inside the well? Basically do I need to seal it (like bathroom)?

Thanks.

mike65535
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HP.
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  • I'm guessing wildly, so don't take anything I say seriously. However, my expectation is that water collecting in such egress well is inevitable. Unless you have a crazy wide roof, rain + any amount of rain wind from the wrong direction will guarantee to collect water in the well. Therefore I expect that the well is designed only to keep dirt out, not water, and the thing that has to be sealed is just the window. Of course my opinions matter far less than what code says, and my random guess doesn't take into consideration long-term effects. So like I said, just guessing here. – conman May 15 '19 at 12:14
  • That question isn't an exact duplicate, but it definitely answers your question - water collecting in the well is expected, so you have to plan for sufficient drainage. It also describes how to use cement block for the egress window well. – conman May 15 '19 at 12:16

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