Boman Kemp Egress Window Wells

A basement egress window well isn’t a metal liner you bolt on and forget. It’s a safety system. Basement egress window systems combine a mounting frame, a well, and the basement window itself into a cohesive unit that ensures reliable emergency escape while preventing water infiltration and structural issues. Get the sizing wrong and the assembly fails inspection. Skip a corrosion detail during install and the well rots out years early in Montana’s wet, freeze-thaw soil.

For broader project planning, explore WBC’s building materials resources.

This guide covers what the system includes, how to size it for IRC egress, the two install paths, and the one buried-metal detail that wrecks galvanized wells before their time.

Boman Kemp has been building these since 1967. The well most people order is the Easy Well — heavy-duty 18-gauge galvanized steel with a 1-inch profile and double-ribbed corners for added strength, which cuts down the need for extra bracing. Finishes come in white or stacked stone enamel.

What’s in the System — and Why It’s Not Just a Well

A code-compliant egress opening is a package of parts that work together. The Boman Kemp Basement Window Well Systems are a complete solution that includes the Easy Buck, Easy Well, basement windows, safety grates, polycarbonate covers, and escape ladders.

Each piece earns its spot. The window well grate provides fall protection while remaining easily removable from the inside during egress. A built-in ladder offers quick escape access, and a clear cover shields the well from debris and weather while still allowing natural light to brighten the basement space. The well itself keeps earth back from the window, so you get light and ventilation without a dirt pile against the glass.

That last point matters here. These integrated components work together to create a reliable escape route that meets building codes, while also improving the basement’s livability through increased natural light and ventilation.

The components Western Building Center carries in the Boman Kemp line:

Item	Code	Type
56x36 clear cover	BKC5636	Polycarbonate cover
Steel grate (EG5636)	BKG5636	Safety grate
56x36x46 window well	EG5636	Wall-mount well
Egress areawell ladder, 4 ft / 3 rung	EAWL4	Escape ladder

Sizing for IRC Egress — The Decision That Passes or Fails Inspection

This is the call that matters most. Buy too small and the inspector won’t sign off. The assembly must meet IRC codes, including a minimum net clear area of 9 square feet for the well.

The window opening has its own minimums separate from the well. The opening sits no more than 44 inches above the floor, runs at least 20 inches wide and 24 inches high, and provides 5.7 square feet of net clear area. The well around it has to clear that 9 square foot floor.

Boman Kemp’s wells are built to beat the number, not just scrape it. The 4040 Easy-Well comes in at 10.27 square feet of well area, and the matching 4040 window gives 7.027 square feet of net clear opening — both over the line with room to spare.

Ordering is a two-measurement job. Measure the width and projection of your Easy Well, then use the system selector tool to find the part numbers you need. The lineup runs across sizes referenced in the system drawings — 4020, 4024, 5224, 5624, 5236, 5636, 6424, 6436, 6824, 6836, 7624, 7636, 8024, and 8036. The specifications guide details various finished egress window openings, wall thicknesses, well depths, and projections, plus available finishes for wells and bucks and the glass options.

Buck-Mount or Wall-Mount, and the Corrosion Detail Nobody Talks About

There are two install paths, and which one you use depends on whether you’re building new or cutting into an existing wall.

Buck mount is the new-construction path. The well bolts directly to the Easy Buck frame using buck nuts. Wall mount is the retrofit path — during a remodel, the well attaches with concrete expansion bolts. The 56x36x46 unit Western Building Center carries is a wall-mount well, built for that remodel scenario.

Either way, the fundamentals are the same. Set the well roughly 12 inches below the bottom of the window so you’ve got room for gravel and drainage. In Montana that gap does double duty — it gives snowmelt somewhere to go before it pools and freezes against the window. Fasten the top two holes, then drop a fastener every 10 inches down the well, and put a screw in the bottom hole so all four corners hold during backfill. Waterproof and sort out drainage before any dirt goes back in. You don’t get a second shot at it once the hole’s filled.

Now the part that quietly kills galvanized wells: the metallic path. Boman Kemp tracked decades of premature corrosion back to a corrosion cell — a metallic path connecting the well to the foundation rebar, which is often tied to the home’s electrical grounding through the Ufer ground. Modern foundations pack in more rebar than older ones, which raises the odds of accidental contact between the steel mat and your buck or mounting bolts.

Prevention is straightforward if you do it before the pour. Position the rebar so it can’t touch the buck or the mounting bolts. Then run a continuity test with a multimeter and a copper sulfate electrode, both before and during the install. A clean reading shows a voltage spread of roughly 0.20 or greater between the Ufer ground and the buck or bolt. That spread tells you the well is electrically isolated from the grounded rebar — and that the galvanizing will do its job instead of fighting a buried battery.

This is the detail that separates a well lasting decades from one that streaks rust in five years. Worth the multimeter.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the minimum size for a basement egress window well? The well needs a net clear area of at least 9 square feet to meet IRC. The window opening inside it must give 5.7 square feet of net clear area, sit no higher than 44 inches above the floor, and measure at least 20 inches wide by 24 inches high. Boman Kemp’s 4040 Easy-Well runs 10.27 square feet, clearing the well minimum.

Do I need a buck-mount or wall-mount well? Buck mount is for new construction — the well bolts to the Easy Buck frame with buck nuts during the build. Wall mount is for remodels, attaching to an existing foundation with concrete expansion bolts. The 56x36x46 Boman Kemp well in the stock list is a wall-mount unit.

Can I put a cover on the well, or does that block the escape route? You can, and in snow country you’ll want one. The clear polycarbonate cover shields the well from debris and weather while still allowing natural light through. It has to be paired with a safety grate, not used alone. The grate keeps people from falling in but slides off easily from the inside for emergency egress.

Why do galvanized window wells rust out early? Premature corrosion comes from a metallic path linking the well to the foundation rebar, which is frequently grounded through the home’s electrical system via the Ufer ground. That creates a corrosion cell. Keep the rebar from touching the buck or bolts, and run a continuity test — a voltage spread of about 0.20 or greater confirms the well is isolated.

How far below the window should the well sit? Roughly 12 inches below the bottom of the window. That leaves room for gravel and drainage, which keeps water — and in Montana, snowmelt — from backing up against the glass and freezing.

How does the escape ladder attach? Permanently, with self-tapping metal screws, per code. The areawell ladder in the stock list is a 4-foot, 3-rung unit.