Duluth Egress Window Guide: MN & WI Code Rules (2026)

Updated October 23, 2026. This guide is general information, not legal or engineering advice. Rules change, so confirm with the agency listed before you start work.

Quick reference

Topic	Minnesota (Duluth, Hermantown, Proctor)	Wisconsin (Superior)
Code	2020 Minnesota Residential Code (based on the 2018 IRC)	Uniform Dwelling Code, SPS 321.03
Opening size	5.7 sq ft net clear (5 sq ft at or below grade); at least 24 in high and 20 in wide	Nominal net clear opening at least 20 by 24 in
Sill height	No more than 44 in above the floor	No more than 60 in; a permanent platform is needed above 46 in
Well or areaway	At least 9 sq ft, 36 in out and 36 in wide	At least as wide as the window and 36 in out
Ladder needed	Well deeper than 44 in	Areaway bottom more than 46 in below grade
Permits	Duluth: Construction Services and Inspections	Superior: Building Inspection
Contractor rules	DLI residential building contractor or remodeler license for multi-skill work	DSPS Dwelling Contractor credentials to pull a permit; city registration

What does the Minnesota code require?

The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry's fact sheet on emergency escape and rescue openings summarizes the 2020 Minnesota Residential Code. Basements, habitable attics and every sleeping room need at least one operable escape opening. If a basement has sleeping rooms, each one needs its own opening, but other basement areas don't. The opening must give a net clear area of at least 5.7 square feet, or 5 square feet for openings at grade or below, with a clear height of at least 24 inches and width of at least 20 inches, reached by normal operation from inside. The sill can be no more than 44 inches above the floor.

Wells and ladders in Minnesota

A window whose sill is below grade needs a well with at least 9 square feet of horizontal area, projecting and spanning at least 36 inches, that lets the window open fully. Wells deeper than 44 inches need a permanently attached ladder or steps with rungs at least 12 inches wide inside, projecting at least 3 inches from the wall, and spaced no more than 18 inches apart for the full depth. A ladder can intrude up to 6 inches into the required dimensions. Wells must drain to the foundation drainage system or an approved alternative unless the soil is well drained.

Covers, bars and guards

Bars, grilles, covers and screens can go over an escape opening only if the minimum size is maintained and they release or come off from inside without a key, tool, special knowledge or extra force. DLI notes the code has no requirement for guards over window wells but asks homeowners to consider fall risk and make sure a guard doesn't block escape.

Replacement windows and existing basements

A replacement window can be exempt from the size and sill rules if it's the manufacturer's largest standard size that fits the existing opening and has the same or a better operating style, and the work isn't part of a change of occupancy. Repairs and alterations to an existing basement don't require new openings, but a new sleeping room created in an existing basement does, unless the basement is sprinklered.

Duluth permits

The City of Duluth's Construction Services and Inspections division handles building permits and lists windows among the work it permits. Its handout on finishing basements says egress windows are required in basements and every sleeping room, calls for a site plan when a window well is involved, and requires smoke alarms when sleeping rooms are added or created. Hermantown and Proctor are separate cities and handle their own permits.

Rentals in Duluth

The Duluth Fire Department's Life Safety Division licenses rental housing. Its one-family dwelling application caps licenses at four legal bedrooms, or five for homes larger than 2,500 square feet as of July 13, 2017, and a housing inspector inspects to identify needed code corrections.

Wisconsin rules for Superior

Under the Uniform Dwelling Code's exit section, SPS 321.03, as quoted in a Wisconsin municipal handout, an egress window needs a nominal net clear opening of at least 20 by 24 inches. The lowest point of the opening can be up to 60 inches above the floor, but above 46 inches a permanent platform is needed, no more than 24 inches high. Below-grade windows need an areaway at least as wide as the window and 36 inches deep from the wall, built so water entering it doesn't get into the house. A ladder is needed when the bottom is more than 46 inches below grade, with rungs at least 12 inches wide, no more than 12 inches apart, extending to within 12 inches of grade and able to support 200 pounds. Basements used for sleeping need at least two exits, and an egress window in each bedroom is one way to provide the second.

Who can do the work?

In Minnesota, contractors who sell homeowners work in more than one special skill need a residential building contractor or remodeler license from DLI. Single-specialty contractors are generally exempt, as are contractors with gross annual receipts under $15,000 who hold a certificate of exemption. In Wisconsin, a building permit for a one- or two-family home must be applied for by someone holding Dwelling Contractor credentials, or by an owner who lives in the home. The City of Superior also requires contractors and subcontractors to register.

Questions to ask an installer

What is the net clear opening of the window you're proposing?
What is my foundation made of, and how will you support the wall above the cut?
How deep will the well be, does it need a ladder, and how will it drain?
Who pulls the permit, and when is the inspection?
What's your license or credential number, and what's warrantied?

Common questions

What size does a basement egress window need to be in Minnesota?

The 2020 Minnesota Residential Code calls for at least 5.7 square feet of net clear opening, or 5 square feet at or below grade, at least 24 inches high and 20 inches wide, with a sill no more than 44 inches above the floor.

When does a Minnesota window well need a ladder?

When the well is deeper than 44 inches. The ladder or steps must be permanently attached and usable with the window fully open.

Are Superior's egress rules the same as Duluth's?

No. Superior follows Wisconsin's Uniform Dwelling Code, which uses a 20 by 24 inch nominal opening, a 60 inch maximum sill with a platform above 46 inches, and a ladder when the areaway is more than 46 inches deep.

Duluth egress window guide (2026)