Egress Window Installation in Princeton, MN
You are finishing the basement and the new room needs to count as a bedroom.
Reply within one business day. Or call / text 763-204-2099.
Egress window installation in Princeton, MN: we dig outside, cut or enlarge the opening in the basement wall, set a header where the wall needs one, install the window and an anchored well on drainage gravel, backfill and trim the inside. We check with the City of Princeton building department and pull the permit. JMB Builders is a short run up Highway 169 from Zimmerman. Priced per window.
- Priced per window, all-in
- Cut, window, well and trim included
- Permit pulled with the City of Princeton
Most egress windows we are asked about in Princeton go into the 1990s-and-newer homes along the highway corridor. Those basements were often left unfinished, and when an owner finishes one, a bedroom down there needs an escape opening that meets code. The original basement windows are small and set high, so the opening gets cut wider and lower and a well goes in outside.
The older homes in Princeton's small-town core are a different job. Some have early-1900s or mid-century foundations, with the furnace, the water service or a beam right where you would want the window. We look at the wall from inside and outside before we price it, and pick a spot that is clear of what runs through it.
Most cities require a permit for cutting a new or larger opening in a foundation wall. We check with the City of Princeton building department, pull the permit and schedule the inspection. Every dimension is checked against the code before the saw comes out.
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
- Photos of the wall from inside and outside, and of what is on the ground there
- Whether the basement is finished, being finished, or bare
- Your choice of casement or slider, the color and the well style
- Paint color for the inside trim — painting is quoted as a separate line, or paint it yourself
What JMB supplies
- Site check of the wall, the grade and what runs inside the wall
- Gopher State One Call locate before digging
- Permit through the City of Princeton building department
- Excavation, wet-saw cut of the opening and concrete haul-away
- Header where the wall needs one; engineer sizing when it calls for it
- Treated buck, egress window, sill pan, flashing, foam and sealant
- Anchored well, drainage gravel and backfill
- Inside returns or jamb extensions and casing
- 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 a solid wall
- Poured concrete vs. block vs. an older foundation, and wall thickness
- How deep below grade the sill sits, which sets the size of the well
- A deck, AC unit, meter or landscaping over the dig
- Inside finish: drywall returns, wood jamb extensions or a bare wall
- Well type and whether you want a cover
- Permit fee from the city
Send inside and outside photos of the wall and tell us what the room will be used for.
How long it takes
Usually two to three days from dig to trim for one window, 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.
Situations and options
Highway-corridor basement finish
A 1990s-or-newer home with a bare basement. The existing small window is cut down and out to egress size, and the inside is finished to match the new drywall.
Older in-town foundation
An older Princeton home where the wall material and what runs through it decide where the window can go. We look first and choose a spot clear of beams, ducts and services.
Casement or slider
A casement opens its full width, so it reaches egress with a smaller rough opening. A slider opens half, so it needs a wider cut for the same clear space.
Egress Window Installation in Princeton, MN: questions, answered
Do you install egress windows in Princeton, MN?
Yes. JMB Builders is based in Zimmerman, a short drive down Highway 169 from Princeton. We do the dig, the cut, the window, the well and the inside trim, and pull the permit. Send photos of the wall for a reply within one business day, or book a free in-home estimate.
Does Princeton require a permit for an egress window?
Most cities require a building permit to cut a new or larger opening in a foundation wall. We check with the City of Princeton building department for your address, pull the permit and schedule the inspection. The permit fee is a line on the quote.
Can you add an egress window to an older house in Princeton?
Usually, yes. Older foundations take a closer look first: what the wall is made of, how thick it is, and what is running through it inside. We pick a location clear of beams, posts and services and tell you if the wall needs an engineer to size a header.
I am finishing my basement myself. When should the egress window go in?
Before the drywall. The opening is cut and the window set while the wall is still bare, then you or your drywaller wrap the returns, or we trim it with jamb extensions. Doing it first also gets the inspection done while everything is visible.
How big does a window well need to be?
Big enough for someone to climb out, and with a ladder or steps when it is deep. The code sets the minimums, and we size the well to the window and the depth of the cut. It is anchored to the foundation and set on drainage gravel so water soaks away.
Do you do egress windows in Cambridge and Big Lake as well?
Yes. We install egress windows in Cambridge, Big Lake, Elk River and Zimmerman, and check with each city's building department for its permit.
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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