Hey all - we're building a new home and I noticed that in one of the bedrooms, the windows are not designed to open. The bedroom is on a first floor and facing the front of the house. Seems like a silly question, but are bedroom windows required to be operable by code?

TIA

Pretty sure yes. They also have to be a minimum height from floor. I believe it's for egress in the event of a fire. But I'm no expert...

They dont have to be operable, or open...you can leave it as is. The only thing is that room will now be considered "an office" or "a studio" for appraisal or resale purposes, I think you would rather have it be a functional "bedroom" though.

We had this issue and didn't realize until we were already building. Luckily we noticed it and were able to put a window that met egress code on an opposite wall.

Have to open for a bedroom. Only need one that opens, so could leave the front one as is and add a side one as said above.

Houston. When I build several years ago the code was windows had to open

There has to be a secondary means of egress direct to outside. It could be a door or a window. If it looks like a bedroom and smells like a bedroom....a room with a built in closet, possible direct access to a bathroom, a size generally big enough to be considered a sleeping area, then usually it will be considered a bedroom for egress means no matter what you call it. Just because you call it a study or an office, does not mean it cannot be considered a bedroom.

Thanks for all the replies. We checked out a couple homes around the neighborhood with the same layout and they had operable windows in the same spot. The construction plans also detail that those windows need to be operable, so I brought it up to the builder. I'm surprised our inspector did not catch that.

I would think that you would want them operable. Also they have to be within a minimum distance from the floor. An earlier poster probably meant that, but said it backwards.

Quote:

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Have to open for a bedroom. Only need one that opens

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This is the case for jurisdictions I have built in. There are standards that have always been the same in my experience:


Here are my vague recollections
:
min height is somewhere around 20-24" off ground
max height of bottom sill ... no idea (maybe 42")

min sf is around 5.5 - 6sf
min height of window opening is 24"
min width of window opening is 24"


basically needs to be safe for a person of reasonable ability to escape without a ladder or squeezing through.

The minimum off floor only comes in if the finished floor is more than 6' above grade (think second floor windows). Generally around BCS you will not have an issue with the minimum on the first floor and windows 12" to 18" off finished floor is very typical.