Exposed foundation and large egress well - need help

Question

New to this website. I wanted to ask a question regarding our new home that is being built. There is a large chunk of foundation in one corner of the house that is exposed, along with a very tall egress well (see picture below of one of us standing next to it - it's over 6 feet tall).

I've never seen such a large amount of foundation exposed and such a large window well exposed before. When we brought it up with our builders and asked about adding additional soil or slope to that corner they just said they built it based on the grading map that was pre-designed and they just have to stick with what they're told - there will only be approx 6-8 inches of topsoil remaining to be added. However, not only is it an eyesore, but we are worried about safety - the basement window is supposed to be a second escape instead of emergency, but in a house with elderly members and kids, this egress well and window over 6 feet tall seems like a real safety concern (they would climb up and be unable to get down easily in case of emergency).

I was wondering whether anyone has experienced this before, and whether there's any regulations regarding the maximum height this egress well can be for all these safety reasons? If they're refusing to add any additional soil "because of the grading map", are they any additional ideas or advice to deal with this?

Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

Something does not add up, here.

If the grade is 6" up, the window-well should be a few inches above grade, not several feet above grade.

"Large amount of exposed foundation" is not that unusual, though you'd be well advised to have it insulated and stuccoed rather than leave it as exposed bare concrete, uninsulated.

And if you are having the house built both of these things should have been addressed/discussed at design time, not when the building is nearly completed.

Answer 2

I don't think this window exit can be classified as "egress" except for the emergency exit.

The building code (IBC) defines an egress as "an unobstructed path to leave buildings, structures, and spaces. A means of egress is comprised of exit access, exit, and exit discharge." You can read this article to find out the code specified requirements on egress.

However, please keep in mind that, whether the builder has violated the code or not depending on whether this egress is required by the code or not. For instance, if there is egress other than the main entrance, and is located within a certain distance to the main entrance without obstruction, then this window exit can only be considered for emergency escape purposes only.

Since the builder must have a permit for the construction, and the construction drawing with egress information on it must be furnished for approval, so it is rather a simple matter to find out, either from the architect or the local building department.

Answer 3

It need not be a permanent eyesore because you can plant tall shrubs around the base of the foundation. You could paint the metal well to match the foundation.

Alternatively, you could fill to raise the grade next to the foundation. To limit the total amount of fill you could construct a strong retaining wall of Keystone or Versa-Lok perhaps 6' to 10' from the foundation. Of course, if you would place fill next to the foundation then you would have to waterproof the foundation first.

I would leave that metal well as is because it's height would allow filling next to the foundation if desired. If people actually had to use that well to egress in a fire, the 6 ft drop to the ground would be slight hindrance.