Egress window size requirements
For a new emergency escape opening, the California Residential Code (cited as CRC R319 in the City of Sacramento's 2026 window guide) requires:
| Requirement | Minimum or maximum |
|---|---|
| Net clear opening | 5.7 sq ft (5.0 sq ft at grade floor) |
| Clear opening height | 24 in. minimum |
| Clear opening width | 20 in. minimum |
| Sill height | 44 in. maximum above the floor |
The numbers measure the opening when the window is open, not the glass size. A 3-foot-wide single-hung only opens on its bottom half, so it can fail where a casement of the same size passes.
The retrofit rule for older houses
Many valley homes were built under older codes with different limits. The City of Sacramento's window replacement guide (CDD-0327) and the Town of Loomis guidelines use the same approach: a retrofit may not leave the house less safe, minor reductions in clear opening are allowed, and if the contractor shows the old bedroom window met the code when the house was permitted, the new one only has to match that. The permit's scope of work must state that the egress window meets the code in force when the structure was permitted and the year it was built. The inspector verifies it at final.
Older limits from those tables: June 1962 to April 1971, 48 in. maximum sill and 5.0 sq ft opening; from July 1977, 44 in. and 5.7 sq ft.
Choosing a style that passes
Casement
Opens fully on a hinge, so it gives the most clear opening for its size. The usual fix when a slider or hung window comes up short. See casement windows.
Sliders
Only half opens. Wide sliders often pass on width but check the height. See sliding windows.
Single- and double-hung
Height is the usual problem, because only one sash opens. Tall units can pass. See double-hung windows.
Egress window cost
Fixr puts an above-grade egress window in an existing opening at about $500 to $1,000, roughly the price of any replacement window. Enlarging an opening or lowering a sill adds framing, header and stucco work and needs plan review. Below-grade basement egress, rare in valley homes, runs about $2,500 to $7,500 nationally. Main guide: window replacement in Sacramento.
Main guide: window replacement in Sacramento.