Here's from the 2000 IRC, the 2006 is roughly the same.



SECTION R310

EMERGENCY ESCAPE AND RESCUE OPENINGS

R310.1 Emergency escape and rescue required. Basements

with habitable space and every sleeping room shall have at least

one openable emergency escape and rescue windowor exterior

door opening for emergency escape and rescue. Where openings

are provided as a means of escape and rescue they shall

have a sill height of not more than 44 inches (1118 mm) above

the floor. Where a door opening having a threshold below the

adjacent ground elevation serves as an emergency escape and

rescue opening and is provided with a bulkhead enclosure, the

bulkhead enclosure shall comply with Section R310.3. The net

clear opening dimensions required by this section shall be obtained

by the normal operation of the window or door opening

from the inside. Escape and rescue windowopenings with a finished

sill height below the adjacent ground elevation shall be

provided with a window well in accordance with Section

R310.2.

R310.1.1 Minimum opening area. All emergency escape

and rescue openings shall have a minimum net clear opening

of 5.7 square feet (0.530 m2).

Exception: Grade floor openings shall have a minimum

net clear opening of 5 square feet (0.465 m2).

R310.1.2 Minimum opening height. The minimum net

clear opening height shall be 24 inches (610 mm).

R310.1.3 Minimum opening width. The minimum net

clear opening width shall be 20 inches (508 mm).

R310.1.4 Operational constraints. Emergency escape and

rescue openings shall be operational from the inside of the

room without the use of keys or tools.

R310.2Window wells.Window wells required for emergency

escape and rescue shall have horizontal dimensions that allow

the door or window of the emergency escape and rescue opening

to be fully opened. The horizontal dimensions of the window

well shall provide a minimum net clear area of 9 square

feet (0.84m2) with a minimum horizontal projection and width

of 36 inches (914 mm).

Exception: The ladder or steps required by Section

R310.2.1 shall be permitted to encroach a maximum of 6

inches (152 mm) into the required dimensions of the window

well.

R310.2.1 Ladder and steps.Window wells with a vertical

depth greater than 44 inches (1118 mm) below the adjacent

ground level shall be equipped with a permanently affixed

ladder or steps usable with the window in the fully open position.

Ladders or steps required by this section shall not be

required to comply with Sections R314 and R315. Ladders

or rungs shall have an inside width of at least 12 inches (305

mm), shall project at least 3 inches (76 mm) from the wall

and shall be spaced not more than 18 inches (457 mm) on

center vertically for the full height of the window well.

R310.3 Bulkhead enclosures. Bulkhead enclosures shall provide

direct access to the basement. The bulkhead enclosure

with the door panels in the fully open position shall provide the

minimum net clear opening required by Section R310.1.1.

Bulkhead enclosures shall also comply with Section R314.9.

R310.4 Bars, grills, covers and screens. Bars, grills, covers,

screens or similar devices are permitted to be placed over emergency

escape and rescue openings, bulkhead enclosures, or

windowwells that serve such openings, provided the minimum

net clear opening size complies with Sections R310.1.1 to

R310.1.3, and such devices shall be releasable or removable

from the inside without the use of a key, tool or force greater

than that which is required for normal operation of the escape

and rescue opening.

"Jeef" wrote in message
...
My brother lives in Waukesha County, Wisc and told me he can't remodel his
basement without putting in an auxiliary exit. I find this hard to
believe. Can anyone confirm this?

TIA, J