Basement bedroom requirements in Alberta: windows, alarms and permits

A room with a bed in it isn't automatically a bedroom. Alberta's building code sets rules so that someone sleeping in a basement can be woken up by an alarm and can get out in a fire. These are the items that come up most often, based on Safety Codes Council guides.

A way out

Unless the bedroom has an exterior door or the building has a fire sprinkler system, it needs at least one window that:

• Opens from the inside without tools or special knowledge.
• Gives an unobstructed opening of at least 0.35 m² (3.77 sq ft).
• Has no dimension under 380 mm (15 in).
• Reaches that size without removing sashes or hardware, and doesn't need support to stay open.

How high the window can be

The code doesn't set a maximum sill height, but it recommends that sills of windows meant as emergency exits be no higher than 1.5 m above the floor. That can be hard to achieve in a basement. Where the sill has to be higher, the guidance recommends improving access, for example with built-in furniture below the window.

Window wells

If the window opens into a window well, you need at least 760 mm (30 in) of clearance in front of it. Sliders, casements and inward-opening awnings don't need more than that. An outward-opening awning needs the 760 mm measured beyond the outer edge of the sash.

Smoke and CO alarms

• A smoke alarm on each storey, in each bedroom and between the bedrooms and the rest of the storey.
• Smoke alarms hard-wired and interconnected, so that when one sounds they all do.
• In a home with a fuel-burning appliance or attached storage garage, a carbon monoxide alarm inside each bedroom or within 5 m of each bedroom door.

Permits and plans

Finishing a bedroom needs permits. The building permit application usually includes a basement floor plan showing the use and size of each room, plus window and door locations and sizes, and a cross-section of the foundation wall. Your municipality can tell you exactly what it wants, and it may also ask about ceiling height, so check before you settle on the layout.