Window Well Installation
Every egress window needs a well that holds the earth back and lets water out. We install galvanized steel wells with every egress window, replace rusted and collapsed wells, and build custom masonry wells for homes that deserve better than bare steel. Drainage under every one.
Built for the Window, Not Bolted On
A window well is not an accessory. It is the structure that keeps soil off the window and the reason an egress opening stays usable as an exit. Every well we install is mechanically fastened to the foundation and filled with drainage stone down to the footing.
- Galvanized steel, standardIncluded with every egress window installation. Fastened to the foundation, never floating in the backfill.
- Sized to codeBuilt with the full 760 mm of clearance the Ontario Building Code requires for an egress window, with deeper options for deeper openings.
- Custom masonry, the upgradeBlock anchored to the foundation with rebar and epoxy, parged, capped with a rock face limestone sill. The full build is on the custom window wells page.
- Covers that stay legalA cover over an egress well must open from inside without tools. Screwed-down covers fail inspection.
Replace a Rusted or Collapsed Well
Steel wells rust from the bottom up, because the bottom is where water sits when there is no drainage under the well. A well that is pulling away from the wall, caving in, or sitting tighter than 760 mm to the window is past repair.
Replacement is more than swapping the steel. We take the old well out, dig the bowl back to clean soil, fasten the new well to the foundation, and rebuild the drainage below it before anything is backfilled. Done that way, the new well does not inherit the problem that killed the old one.
A well that fills with water is usually a drainage failure, not a well failure. That fix is covered on the window well drainage page.
Drainage Under Every Well
We excavate to the footing, remove the native soil, and backfill the entire bowl with clear drainage stone. The well sits on a 24 inch dry well that runs the full depth to the footing, and water entering the well disperses into the stone instead of pooling against the window. Every install is tested with a running hose before we backfill.
That build is why our 3 year water-free warranty holds even on homes without working weeping tile.
Included, Not an Add-On
The window well and its drainage are part of the $3,999.99 complete egress window installation, not a line item on top. The cost page shows everything that number covers. Standalone well replacements and upgrades are priced from photos, free.
Asked on Almost Every Job
- Can you replace just the well, without touching the window?Yes. If the window is sound and the opening is code sized, the well and its drainage can be rebuilt on their own.
- What size does a window well need to be?For an egress window, 760 mm of clearance measured out from the window face. The full code numbers are on the legal basement bedroom page.
- Why does my window well fill with water?Because nothing under it drains. A well without a stone bowl below it is a bucket. The fix is dug, not pumped.
- Steel or masonry?Steel is the standard and does the job. Masonry is built once, into the house, and finished with a limestone sill. Most people decide after seeing both in photos.
Get a Free Estimate From Photos
Send photos of the well, inside and out. You get a written estimate without booking a site visit, whether it is a new install, a replacement, or a well that will not stop filling with water.