Egress Window Installation in Buffalo, MN
You are finishing the basement in a Buffalo house and the bedroom needs a way out.
Reply within one business day. Or call / text 763-204-2099.
Egress window installation in Buffalo, MN: JMB Builders digs out the outside, cuts or enlarges the opening in the basement wall, sets a header where the wall needs one, installs the egress window and an anchored well with drainage gravel, backfills and trims the inside. We check with the City of Buffalo building department and pull the permit. Priced per window; send photos of the wall and we reply within one business day.
- Priced per window, well included
- Permit checked and pulled with the city
- Drainage gravel under every well
Most egress windows we are asked about in Buffalo go into the 1990s to 2010s subdivisions, where the basement was left unfinished and the owners are now adding a bedroom or an office down there. Those basements usually have a couple of small hopper windows set high in a poured wall. One of them gets cut wider and lower to egress size, or a new opening is cut where the bedroom will be.
The early-1900s homes in the older in-town blocks are a different job. Their foundations vary, and we look at the wall from inside and out before anything is quoted. Some walls cut cleanly; others need more support over the opening, and a header that size is sized by an engineer.
On any lot, but especially one that slopes toward Buffalo Lake or Lake Pulaski, we look at where surface water runs before choosing the window location. The well is anchored to the foundation and set on drainage gravel so rain and snowmelt soak away instead of standing against the new glass. Most cities require a permit for cutting a foundation opening; we check with the City of Buffalo and pull it.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough: a reply within one business day, or ask for a free in-home estimate. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
What you supply
- Marked utilities: we call Gopher State One Call before digging
- Where the bedroom will be, so the window lands in the right wall
- Your pick of casement or slider, window color and well style
- Paint color for the inside trim — painting is quoted as a separate line, or leave it primed and caulked and paint it yourself
What JMB supplies
- Site check of the wall, the grade and anything in the way of the dig
- Permit application with the City of Buffalo when one is required
- Excavation, wet-saw cutting of the wall and concrete haul-away
- Header over the opening where the wall needs one
- Treated buck, egress window, sill pan, flashing, foam and sealant
- Well anchored to the foundation, drainage gravel and backfill
- Drywall returns or wood jamb extensions and casing inside
- Photos of the finished window and well in your job folder
How it is priced: per window
Quoted in writing from your photos, with a reply within one business day. What moves the number:
- Enlarging an existing basement window vs. a new cut in solid wall
- Poured wall in a newer house vs. an older foundation that needs a closer look
- Depth below grade and the size of the well
- Decks, AC units, meters or landscaping over the dig
- Well type and whether you want a cover
- Interior finish: drywall returns, jamb extensions or an unfinished wall
- Permit fees with the City of Buffalo when required
Send photos of the wall inside and out, the ground in front of it and whether the basement is finished yet.
How long it takes
One egress window: usually two to three days from dig to trim, plus inspection timing. The wall is closed up at the end of the cutting day.
How your project works
- 1
Send photos, get a written quote
Send three photos of the space and a sentence about what you want. You get a clear, itemized reply within one business day. Prefer a look in person? A free in-home estimate is always an option.
- 2
Pick materials, or bring your own
We help you choose profiles and materials that fit the house and the budget, or match your existing millwork exactly — or you buy the door or trim yourself and we install it. Everything is confirmed before the crew is scheduled.
- 3
Clean, precise installation
The crew shows up on time, protects floors and furniture, and installs with tight joints and consistent reveals. Photos of the finished work go in your job folder.
- 4
Walkthrough and invoice
We walk the finished work with you. If anything is not right, we fix it before we call the job done. Then one invoice, paid by check or direct deposit — no card fees, no payment links.
Egress Window Installation in Buffalo, MN: questions, answered
Do you install egress windows in Buffalo, MN?
Yes. Buffalo is the Wright County seat and part of our regular service area, and we installed in Buffalo this June. The job covers the dig, the wall cut, the window, the well and the inside trim. Send photos of the basement wall and we reply within one business day, or book a free in-home estimate.
Do I need a permit for an egress window in Buffalo?
Most cities, including those in Wright County, treat cutting or enlarging a foundation opening as permit work. We check with the City of Buffalo building department before the job, apply for the permit when it is required and schedule the inspection. The permit fee is a line on the quote.
Can an egress window go in a basement on a lake lot?
Usually, yes. What matters is where surface water runs and how deep the window sits below grade. We pick a wall where the yard drains away from the house when we can, and set the well on drainage gravel so water does not stand against the window.
Is it easier to enlarge an old basement window or cut a new one?
Enlarging an existing window is usually simpler, because part of the wall is already open and the location is set. A new cut makes sense when the bedroom is on a wall with no window. Either way, the opening is checked against the code for an emergency escape opening before we cut.
What size does a basement bedroom egress window have to be?
The code sets a minimum clear opening, a minimum width and height and a maximum sill height, plus a well with room to climb out. We size the window and well to that code range and the city inspection confirms it. A casement reaches the clear opening with a smaller rough opening than a slider.
Do you put in egress windows in Monticello and Delano too?
Yes. Monticello, Delano, Albertville and Annandale are all near Buffalo and in the area we work. The permit is pulled with whichever city or county the house is in.
Recent JMB work, from our job log
59 installs recorded across 30 Twin Cities communities since Dec 2025. Window and door installs for homeowners and the builders we work with. Counts come straight from our job log; no customer names.
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Read morePage reviewed October 9, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All by city pages
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