If your home uses an on-site septic system, adding bedrooms will increase the required capacity of your tanks and drain field. If you get a permit for the window replacement, a septic compliance report should be requested. If you are in an area without inspections or a request for septic compliance, it could be an issue at re-sale. If this is a moot point, adding egress windows in any sleeping room is a plus for safety and peace of mind.

Julie this is an interesting point. I never looked at it that way. the original owner/ builders family business is constructing, installing and maintaining precast septic tanks. I would think based on that, he would have installed a tank that is plenty big as he did have 3 kids in the house, but who knows. I will contact him and ask. the last thing i want to do is have to install a new septic system prior to closing because of this project.

Subject to your AHJ, IRC allows emergency escape & rescue replacement windows to reuse the existing sill heights with some caveats to comply with. At some point in the past, code dictated the sill height at 48", now it is 44". Bed#3 talk confused me a little on door vs window, but the emergency escape & rescue opening does not have to be a window, it can be a door to the outside.

The appraisal as a 2br was probably because the bedrooms were added after the fact without permit and so the tax assessment was never updated. If you are "adding" bedrooms (legally then), that changes your occupancy and the replacement window exemption does not apply.

@3onthetree

I would have thought that when we purchased the house, the new appraisal would have changed how many bedrooms were in the house total. Going to talk with my realtor and see if he has any insight.

Private appraisals don't change your tax assessment, and they are not even seen by the AHJ. The assessor looks at MLS listings for price sold, but that doesn't mean they alter the house amenities. They may or may not (probably not though as they aren't usually playing offense), notify the building department of glaring differences. If, however, a remodel has gone through permitting, certain changes will kick it over to the tax assessment office. A 2br going to a 5br would be one of them.

When was the house built and in what state? Did you later create the basement bedrooms with a building permit? What year were they added? If the windows were legal when the bedrooms were created, they are still legal.

I've not heard of a sill height requirement greater than 44". That requirement goes back to the mid 80's.

Passage for emergency escape and rescue through another space can be difficult. Show a diagram with rough dimensions. Remember, this bedroom window requirement is not only for emergency escape but recuse by the fire department and they like to enter the bedroom directly.

Be aware that the minimum opening requirement for the lowest level is smaller (usually 5 s.f. instead of 5.7 s.f. but check for local amendments).

@RES2
the house was built in 96 by the original owner. we are the second owners. this split level was fully finished minus the mechanical/laundry room at that time.