Window well covers
A cover keeps the well clear of snow and leaves, but it must never trap someone inside.
In a Fargo winter, an uncovered window well fills with drifted snow, and every spring thaw sends that snow down against the window. A good cover keeps out snow, rain, leaves, rabbits and anything else that ends up in the well, and makes the hole safer for kids and pets walking by. But on an egress well, the cover is part of the escape route.
What does the code say about covers?
The residential code allows bars, grilles and covers over an escape opening or window well as long as the required clear opening is still there and the cover can be released or removed from inside without a key, tool, special knowledge or more force than it takes to open the window. A bolted-down steel grate or a cover with a padlock doesn't meet that rule.
Types of covers
- Clear polycarbonate domes or flat covers. Let in light and shed snow. Look for a hinged or lift-off design that a child or a smaller adult can push open from below.
- Steel or aluminum grates. Strong enough to walk on, but they let snow through. Egress models hinge open from inside.
- Combination covers. A grate with a clear panel on top for both strength and weather protection.
Winter questions to ask
- How much snow load is the cover rated for?
- Can it be pushed open from inside with snow piled on it?
- Will it fit the well you have, or does the well need replacing first?
- Does it leave a gap for venting so the well doesn't fog up?
Keep the escape route clear
Don't stack firewood, patio furniture or a snowblower path's worth of snow on top of an egress well. If you shovel near the house, throw the snow somewhere else. The best cover in the world won't open under a three-foot drift.
The installer prices the job after seeing the wall, the yard and the room. We don't quote prices, and any number given over the phone before someone has looked at your foundation is only a rough starting point.
Where we connect you with help
Common questions
Do I need a cover on my egress window well?
The code doesn't require one, but most people here want one to keep out snow and debris. If you add one, it must open from inside without tools or keys.
Can a window well cover be locked for security?
Not on an egress well. A cover over an escape opening must be removable from inside without a key, tool or special knowledge.
Related services
- Basement egress window installation
- Cutting and enlarging openings
- Window wells and ladders
- Basement bedroom code compliance
More background: Fargo egress window guide.
Finishing the basement or adding a bedroom down there?
Call now and a local egress window installer will help you plan the opening, the well and the permit.