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CITY OF ONTARIO
BUILDING DEPARTMENT
303 East B Street
Ontario, CA 91764
Ph (909)395-2023, Fax (909)395-2180
INFORMATION
BULLETIN
106
Effective: 1 / 1 / 2020
Revised: ----
EGRESS WINDOW REQUIREMENTS FOR RESIDENTIAL
Egress windows (Emergency escape and rescue openings) requirements per 2019 California Residential Code:
▪ Every sleeping rooms, habitable attics, and basements shall have at least one operable egress window or door approved for emergency escape
and rescue. Exceptions:
1. basements for mechanical equipment only and not larger than 200 square feet.
2. Sleeping rooms in basements of fire sprinklered building not required to have egress windows provided that the basement has one
mean of egress and one egress window OR the basement has two means of egress.
▪ This emergency escape and rescue openings shall open directly into a public way, or to a yard or court that opens to a public way.
▪ Emergency escape and rescue openings shall be operational from the inside of the room without the use of keys, tools or special knowledge.
▪ Egress window size shall comply ALL the following:
✓ The minimum net clear opening area shall be 5.7 square feet. Direct grade level egress windows can be 5.0 square feet minimum.
✓ The minimum net clear opening height shall be 24”.
✓ The minimum net clear opening width shall be 20”.
▪ Egress windows shall have the bottom of the clear opening not greater than 44” measured from the floor.
▪ Where security bars (burglar bars) are installed on egress windows or doors, such devices shall be releasable or removable from inside without
the use of a key, tool, or special knowledge and must be approved by Fire Department.
MINIMUM WIDTH AND HEIGHT FOR EGRESS WINDOWS AT GRADE FLOOR LEVEL (5.0 FT
2
MIN. OPENING AREA) :
20
20.5
21
21.5
22
22.5
23
23.5
24
24.5
25
25.5
26
26.5
27
36
35.1
34.3
33.5
32.7
32
31.3
30.6
30
29.4
28.8
28.2
27.7
27.2
26.7
27.5
28.0
28.5
29
29.5
30
26.2
25.7
25.3
24.8
24.4
24
MINIMUM WIDTH AND HEIGHT FOR EGRESS WINDOWS AT SECOND FLOOR OR HIGHER (5.7 FT
2
MIN. OPENING AREA) :
Width (inches)
20
20.5
21
21.5
22
22.5
23
23.5
24
24.5
25
25.5
26
26.5
27
Height (inches)
41
40
39.1
38.2
37.3
36.5
35.7
34.9
34.2
33.5
32.8
32.2
31.6
31
30.4
Width (inches)
27.5
28
28.5
29
29.5
30
30.5
31
31.5
32
32.5
33
33.5
34
34.2
Height (inches)
29.8
29.3
28.8
28.3
27.8
27.4
26.9
26.5
26.1
25.7
25.3
24.9
24.5
24.1
24