Egress windows in La Crosse
Egress window help across the city, from century-old houses near downtown to postwar ranches on the south side.
La Crosse is the county seat and the largest city in La Crosse County, with 52,680 residents at the 2020 census. It sits on a wide river plain on the east bank of the Mississippi, where the Black and La Crosse rivers come in, and it's hemmed in on the east by bluffs about 500 feet high, Grandad Bluff among them.
Built on sand
Much of the city is built on broad sandy terraces that the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey says are traditionally called "prairies." That sand was laid down by glacial meltwater. It digs easily and drains quickly, which is good news for a well pit, but sandy walls can cave, so installers shore or slope the excavation near the footing.
Old houses, many renters
With UW-La Crosse, Viterbo and Western Technical College in town, the city has nearly 20,000 students, and many houses in College Park, Grandview Emerson and the neighborhoods around downtown are rented. Owners turning basement rooms into legal bedrooms are a big share of egress calls. Older homes in Cass and King, Washburn and on the Northside often have stone, brick or early block foundations, and those take extra care to cut.
Permits in the city
The City of La Crosse Building and Inspections office at City Hall, 400 La Crosse St., handles residential permits. The city's own window and door packet says a building permit is required even for replacing windows, with framing and final inspections as needed. If you hire a contractor who isn't bonded and insured, the city asks you to sign a cautionary statement with the application. Window work on homes built before 1978 also falls under Wisconsin's lead-safe renovation rules, DHS 163.
Common La Crosse jobs
- Egress windows for basement bedrooms in rentals near campus
- Cutting openings in block walls in mid-century neighborhoods
- Careful openings in stone and brick foundations near downtown
- Clear covers for wells on tight city lots
Common questions
Who issues permits for egress windows in La Crosse?
The City of La Crosse Building and Inspections office at City Hall, 608-789-7530. Your contractor should know what your job needs and should pull the permit.
Do you cover all of La Crosse?
Yes, including French Island and the neighborhoods up against the bluffs. Call with your address and we'll connect you with a company that works in your area.
Services in La Crosse
- Egress window installationA new code-size basement window, from digging and cutting to the finished well.
- Foundation cutting and enlarging openingsCut a new opening, or make an old one bigger, in poured, block or stone walls.
- Egress window wellsSteel, composite or rock-terrace wells sized for code, with drainage and ladders.
- Window well coversClear covers, grates and custom lids that keep snow out but open from inside.
- Basement bedroom code helpFind out whether a basement room can legally be a bedroom, and what it needs.
Nearby areas
Finishing a basement bedroom, or told your basement window won't pass?
Call now and a local egress window installer will talk through your basement with you.