Safer Basement Bedrooms Start with the Right Window
Code-compliant egress windows with emergency exit, secure ventilation & energy efficiency.
An egress window is your family's or tenant's second way out in a fire. In Calgary, every bedroom, including a basement bedroom, needs an egress window or an exterior door. At ANKA, we build egress windows from European tilt and turn windows, a design that opens fully inward like a door for escape and tilts in from the top for safe, secure airflow every other day of the year.
We are the only local manufacturer of European tilt and turn egress windows in Alberta. Every window is made in our Calgary facility, so we control quality from the first cut to the final inspection and can build custom sizes to fit your foundation opening with short lead times.
Trusted by Calgary Homeowners and Builders
- 25 years of experience in the window and door industry
- 300+ projects completed and 3,500+ windows and doors supplied across Canada
- Custom sizes built in Calgary for basement developments, legal secondary suites, renovations and new homes
Egress Requirements
Egress Window Requirements in Calgary and Alberta
Under the National Building Code – Alberta Edition, a bedroom without a direct exterior door (in a suite without sprinklers) needs at least one outside window that meets these minimums. The City of Calgary reviews the egress window at plan review and checks it again at inspection.
Both the area and the dimension rules must be met. A 380 mm × 380 mm opening passes the dimension rule but fails the area rule.
Egress Window Size Examples
The clear opening is measured with the window in its normal open position, not the rough opening or the frame size. That is why the window style matters as much as the window size.
Which Window Styles Qualify as Egress in Calgary?
The City of Calgary's egress window guidelines accept casement, horizontal sliding, vertical sliding and awning windows when they meet the opening rules, and they list tilt and turn windows as acceptable egress windows. Hopper windows are not accepted, because you would have to crawl over the glass to get out.
Note under this section: Requirements summarized from City of Calgary Building Advisory A19-005. Always confirm your project with the City; a building permit is required when you develop a basement or add a secondary suite.
Why Tilt and Turn Windows Make Better Egress Windows?
Most egress windows are designed to pass an inspection. A European tilt and turn window is designed to be lived with: it gives you the widest possible escape route in an emergency, and safe, secure ventilation, better insulation and easy cleaning the rest of the time.
A Wider, Clearer Emergency Exit
In turn mode, the whole sash swings inward like a door, so nearly the full window becomes open space. A sliding window only opens half its width, so it needs a much larger frame, and often more concrete cutting, to reach the same 0.35 m². There is no crank operator or arm across the opening to climb past, and larger tilt and turn units open wide enough to step through, not just squeeze through.
Opens Inward, So the Window Well Stays Clear
Outswing casement and awning windows swing out into the window well and take up part of the escape space in front of the window. A tilt and turn sash opens into the room, so the full window well clearance stays free for climbing out, and for firefighters climbing in.
Simple to Open in a Panic
One handle does everything. Turn it to the side position and pull, and the window is fully open: one motion to unlock, one motion to open, with no keys, tools or special knowledge. Children, guests and tenants can be shown how in seconds.
Fresh Air Without Giving Up Security
On an ordinary day, turn the handle up and the sash tilts in from the top, a few inches. Air flows in, while the sash stays held in the frame, so it can stay open while you sleep or are away. Basement windows sit at ground level and are easy to reach from outside, so this secure ventilation is something a standard egress window cannot offer.
Multi-Point Locking Instead of Security Bars
Fixed security bars are not allowed on egress windows, because they would block the escape route. Our tilt and turn windows use German Roto hardware that locks the sash at several points around the frame, not just at one latch. That makes them much harder to pry open from outside, while they still open instantly from inside.
Warmer, Quieter, More Efficient Basements
Basements are often the coldest rooms in a Calgary home. Our egress windows are built on the Fens 7600 system: a 76 mm, multi-chamber uPVC profile, reinforced with steel. When the handle is locked, the sash is pulled tight against continuous gaskets around its whole perimeter, so there are no brush seals for wind and snow to get through, as there are on sliders. The result is fewer drafts, less condensation and lower heating bills.
Clean Both Sides from Inside
n turn mode, the outside of the glass is right in front of you. No more climbing into the window well to wash a basement window.
Egress Windows for Basement Bedrooms and Secondary Suites
Calgary's registry of safe, legal secondary suites passed 27,000 in 2026, and every one of them needs a code-compliant egress window in each bedroom. Whether you are finishing a basement, legalizing an existing suite or adding a rental unit, the right egress window protects the people sleeping downstairs. It also helps your suite pass inspection the first time and makes the space more comfortable to live in.
Legalizing a Suite? The Amnesty Ends December 31, 2026
The City of Calgary's Secondary Suite Amnesty Program ends on December 31, 2026. Owners who bring an existing suite up to code before then avoid development permit and registration fees, and suites built before March 12, 2018 may qualify for reduced requirements. A compliant egress window in every bedroom is one of the safety items the City checks, so order yours early to finish on time.
Built for Homeowners, Landlords, Builders and Renovators
- Homeowners: a bright, safe basement bedroom that adds real living space.
- Landlords and suite owners: a code-compliant bedroom window for a legal suite, plus security and comfort tenants notice.
- Builders and renovators: custom sizes made in Calgary to fit your openings, with short lead times.
How We Make Your Egress Window
- Measure and plan: we look at your opening, window well and room layout, including clearance for the sash to swing inward.
- Size for compliance: we size the window so its clear opening meets the 0.35 m² and 380 mm minimums, with margin to spare.
- Build in Calgary: your window is manufactured in our Calgary facility, using Fens 7600 profiles and Roto hardware.
- Deliver and install: your window arrives ready for installation and inspection.
