Egress window

EERO — emergency escape and rescue opening

A window big enough to climb out of in a fire (or for a firefighter to climb in). Bedrooms and finished basements generally require one.

What it means for you

North Carolina's minimum clear opening is smaller than the national figure — 4.0 sq ft for a ground-floor/basement opening, not the 5.7 you'll read on national sites. Getting this wrong fails inspection.

Where you'll see it

On a permit, and in any basement-finishing or bedroom-window quote.

Related terms

Defined by Marc Hanley Verified against NC Residential Code R310

Reading this on your own quote?

Run the 30-second check — where your number lands against real NC ranges, plus the red flags.

Check my quote →

← All glossary terms