Egress windows in Sioux Falls
Escape windows and wells for homes across South Dakota's largest city.
Sioux Falls had 192,517 residents at the 2020 census, making it the largest city in South Dakota. It's the Minnehaha County seat, and its southern neighborhoods reach into Lincoln County. The city grew up around the falls of the Big Sioux River and was chartered in 1856, so its housing runs from long-established neighborhoods near downtown to subdivisions still being built on the edges of town.
What makes egress work in the city different?
Inside city limits, the City of Sioux Falls Planning and Development Services office issues building permits and licenses contractors. The city lists lower-level finishes and window replacement as permitted projects, and contractors doing permitted work on one- and two-family homes must hold a city Residential Building Contractor license. Homeowners can do their own work on a home they live in, but still need the permit and inspections.
Older homes versus newer ones
Many houses in established neighborhoods have basements that were finished decades ago with small windows high on the wall. Those often need a full cut-down to reach a code-size opening, and the wall material can vary. Newer homes usually have poured walls, and some builders already roughed in one egress window, so a second bedroom downstairs may be a simpler job.
Common jobs
- Cutting down small basement windows for a new bedroom
- Second egress windows in newer homes finishing the lower level
- Replacing rusted steel wells on older houses
- Covers for wells beside driveways and sidewalks
Common questions
Who issues building permits for egress windows in Sioux Falls?
The City of Sioux Falls Planning and Development Services office handles residential building permits and inspections inside city limits.
Do you cover the Lincoln County side of Sioux Falls?
Yes. Call with your address and we'll connect you with a contractor that serves it.
Services in Sioux Falls
- Egress window installationA complete escape window for a basement bedroom: excavation, cut, window, well and finish.
- Cutting and enlarging openingsSaw-cut poured or block foundation walls to create a new egress opening or enlarge an old window.
- Window wells and laddersNew and replacement egress wells sized for the window, with drainage and a ladder where needed.
- Window well coversClear, grated or custom covers that keep out snow, leaves and animals but still open from below.
- Basement bedroom code complianceBring an existing basement bedroom up to code for a remodel, rental or sale, with permit and inspection.
Nearby areas
Finishing the basement or adding a bedroom down there?
Call and get connected with a local contractor who cuts and installs egress windows.