Installing Egress Windows - A Lucrative Add-On To Your Home Improvement Services

Real estate has been a significant part of the US economy for a long time, and with it, all the aspects of remodeling. This has made home improvement, small or large, a lucrative opportunity for contractors, landscape contractors, and other home remodel services to expand their service offerings. Egress window installation would make an excellent service add-on.  

Although new home construction has soared over the last decades, there are still plenty of older or old homes around that could benefit from home improvement overall and basement remodeling in particular. Owners of older dwellings might considerincreasing the value and the living comfort of their homes by finishing the basement of their houses. It is no surprise that these residents would be looking for a competent and reputable contractor or egress window installer if they do. 

Why Egress Windows?

Egress windows have become increasingly popular because newer building codes require them to make any bedroom on the below-ground levels conform. They can also add significant value to the home and make the living space in basements much more enjoyable and safe.

It is illegal in most municipalities to rent below-ground bedrooms without providing proper egress. Walk-out basements are costly, so the easiest way to fulfill code requirements and give potential future tenants a light-filled, safe living and sleeping space is to add an egress window. Depending on your real estate market, the skyrocketing cost of living might entice landlords to add more conforming bedrooms to their basements, which might even be encouraged by the local governments. For example, in Washington D.C., the local government is appealing to homeowners to remodel their basements and rent them out to ease the affordable housing shortage by introducing new programs, such as the Residential Accessory Apartments Program.

Does that mean expanding your existing business and adding egress window installation could be a good idea? 

Every situation is different, yet getting an egress window installation service up and running might not be as costly as you think. As a company offering home improvement services, you most likely have an extensive customer base already. So, why not take advantage?

Many homeowners contemplate basement remodels. Whether to increase the usable square footage or make rooms on the lower levels livable, rentable, and building code-compliant, replacing or adding windows is usually on the top of the list of considerations. The rate of new building permits is still on an upward trend, and while fluctuations are commonplace, the trends seem to bode well for the industry.

What is involved in installing an egress window? 

Generally, installing egress windows requires the following:

• Dumpster to haul away the dirt, deliver and pick up the dumpster.
• Two people to excavate 
• A concrete cutter          
• An engineer to sign off or design a system to mitigate the load.  
• In some cases, a fabricator would install the structural steel if required.     
• A carpenter to install the window and interior trim.                             
• Usually, a return trip to install the window and clean up
• Materials run for the window, lumber, etc.                                        
• Materials run for the window well.                                                    
• A salesperson, who is usually on commission

What is the cost of hiring workers? According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median construction labor rates across the U.S. were $18.16/hour in 2021.

By following the Bright Idea model, you can streamline the process significantly:

• Avoid multiple materials runs for lumber and window parts
• Avoid a separate purchase of the window well and cover as they are included
• No need for an external carpenter to install the window and interior trim.
• Avoid dealing with a commissioned salesperson
• Egress kits come with boilerplate, stamp-ready engineer drawings
• Clean, easy, and very time-efficient installation, even in difficult weather conditions
• No labor-intensive on-site modifications, hence fewer things to go wrong
• Enables you to install not just one but maybe even two windows in a day
• Appealing one-stop-shop offer for your prospective customers
• Streamlined installation allows you to bemore competitive in the marketplace
• More profitability, fewer mobilizations
• A lucrative, vertical, and easy rinse and repeat model

How to choose the best-designed egress window system?

While many window manufacturers or big box stores offer egress windows, you want to look for a company that provides you with a proper egress kit designed to work together. A complete kit will save you time and money. But be aware, there are kits, and then there are kits; not all are created equal.

Verify all egress window kit components work together seamlessly.

Whether you are a window installer or working in any other trade requiring bits and pieces,  you have most likely had to take long, time-consuming, and frustrating walks through your local hardware store to find the necessary components. Ensure that the kit of your choice provides everything you need on the job site.

What frame, window well, and well cover does the kit include?

An egress window install requires concrete cutting into the home's foundation, which can compromise the foundation's stability. Therefore headers, solid exterior frames, and trims are needed to safely and efficiently install an egress window. The quality of your exterior frame, headers, and other components will influence the quality of your completed work. You might want to ensure that your egress window kit has the right frame to do the job. A steel ExoFrame™  is a way to go, as it offers you an all-in-one solution with no headers and exterior trim necessary. A galvanized steel window well is recommended due to its sturdiness and longevity.

How easy is the egress window kit to install?

You may have the best instructions in the world, but when it feels like you are building a rocket ship rather than installing an egress window, it can quickly take the luster out of it. Is the window kit of your choice easy to install and within a reasonable timeframe?Time is money.

There is only one patented, very well-put-together egress window kit that provides the quality, security, and design you and your customers are looking for and offers easy installation. Check out this all-in-one egress window kit with ExoFrame™. You be the judge!

Will all the components work together like they are supposed to?

One of the most frustrating experiences when putting any piece together is when the parts do not fit. The peg is too big, the hole is misshaped, and the screws don’t fit. Look for a kit thatincludes components that work seamlessly together, are designed to interface, and simply fall into place. Our patented egress window kit includes even the drill bits, shims, and nut drivers.   

How long will the installation process take?

Our kit design allows our installers to sometimes installup to four kits in one day at one house. (8-inch foundation wall)

What are other installers and customers saying about the quality of the egress kit and the ease of installation?

Every manufacturer will only tell you the best, never the worst. Get a first-hand insight about the company you might choose your egress window products from by looking at their reviews and talking to them about their support process for new installers opening up to this line of services.

Egress Window Installation Includes Concrete Cutting

Don’t let the fact that you need to excavate the hole in front of the window and cut into the foundation scare you. There are plenty of good concrete cutters in the marketplace you could hire for the job. If you like to do it yourself, then the availability of the proper tools will make the excavation and concrete cutting segment of the egress window installation process more manageable.

Choosing the proper egress window manufacturer or supplier is anexcellent start to growing your business successfully.

Come join the winning team of Bright Idea Egress installers!Talk to one of our professional and courteous team members at Bright Idea Egressabout our egress window kit with ExoFrame™products and our egress window installer network. Call 303-761-3730 and find out today.