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For egress window and foundation contractors

Every Egress Job Needs a Site Plan. Here It Is.

An egress window permit asks for the same drawing as an addition: the house on the lot, the location of the window well on the wall, and the distance from the well to the property line. Foundation repair, underpinning and waterproofing permits ask for the same sheet with the work marked. PlotForge™ loads the recorded lot from the address, drops the house on it, and you mark the well and read the setback. Done in minutes, for every job.

What does a site plan for an egress window permit need to show?

A site plan for an egress window permit shows the property lines with dimensions, the existing house placed to scale, the location of the window well on the wall where the egress window goes, the well's size, and the distance from the well to the nearest property line. Foundation repair and waterproofing permits use the same sheet with the work area marked.

What the plan reviewer looks for on an egress or foundation site plan

These permits are routine, which is why a missing site plan is the most common reason they stall. The sheet is short and the reviewer wants the same things every time:

The lot, dimensioned — the recorded property lines with every side's length, loaded from the address

The house, placed from records — the existing footprint in one click, corners lined up with the roof on the aerial

The well or the work area — a small rectangle for the window well at its size on the wall it goes on, or a zone for the foundation repair

The setback — the distance from the well to the nearest property line labels itself; add the corner dimension if the office wants two

A note that says what it is — "42×36 egress well, bedroom 2, west wall" where the reviewer looks for it

The rest of the lot — driveway, walks, the existing shed: traced over the aerial so the sheet reads as the real property

How an egress contractor draws the permit site plan

Type the address

The recorded lot loads to scale on the aerial with the owner and parcel number filled in.

Add the house

One click places the existing house; drag a corner onto the roof edge if the record sits off.

Mark the well

Drop a small rectangle at the well's size against the wall and add a pointer note naming the window. The setback labels itself.

Export and attach

Export the to-scale PDF with the cover sheet. Upload the well manufacturer's detail as its own sheet in the same file.

The tools egress and foundation contractors use

Auto-add existing buildingsThe house from public records in one click, every corner editable, so the well sits on the real wall.How it works → Structure builderA rectangle at the well's exact size against the foundation wall; the dimensions label themselves.How it works → Corner setback dimensionsClick the well's corner for the perpendicular distance to the property line, drafting style.How it works → Drafter-style pointer notesA drafter-style pointer naming the window, the well and the room it serves.How it works → Title block that fills itselfYour company info once in My Info; every sheet's title block fills itself, job after job.How it works → Attach your own sheetsThe well detail or the engineer's letter as its own title-blocked sheet in the same permit PDF.How it works →

Which plan fits an egress or foundation contractor

Egress jobs every week

Contractor, $199/mo

Twenty permit-ready plans a month at about $10 each, the title block filled automatically, every job saved in your account. The office and the field share one account on higher-volume plans; ask us.

Permits when the job calls for one

Job Pack, 12 plans for $144

Twelve clean exports at $12 a plan, no subscription, credits that never expire. Compare plans.

A drafter on staff

DXF export

Every paid plan exports a layered DXF with the lot, setbacks and footprint for the drafter who finishes the detail. See the DXF.

▶ Watch the lessonAdd Existing Buildings to a Site Plan in One Click ▶ Watch the lessonLine Up a Building Footprint With the Roof ▶ Watch the lessonSite Plan Title Block: Type Your Info Once

Egress and foundation contractors FAQ

Does an egress window need a permit?

In most jurisdictions, yes: cutting a new opening in a foundation wall is structural work, and a basement bedroom's egress is a life-safety item the inspector signs off on. The application typically asks for a site plan showing the well location and a detail of the window and well.

Why does the office want a site plan for a window?

Because the window well is a structure outside the foundation wall, and it has to meet the side-yard setback like anything else built outside the house. The site plan proves the well stays inside the building envelope.

Can I use the same drawing for foundation repair or waterproofing?

Yes. Trace the repair or excavation area as a labeled zone along the wall, add a pointer note for the scope, and export. Underpinning and pier permits that ask for a site plan want exactly that.

I do several of these a week. Does the drawing get faster?

Yes. Save your company info once in My Info and the title block fills itself on every sheet, the house places in one click, and the well is one rectangle and one note. Saved projects on a subscription mean a revision never starts over.

Can I give the drawing to my draftsman?

Yes. The DXF export carries the property lines, setbacks, the house and your rectangles on named drafting layers, so the draftsman adds the detail without redrawing the lot.

Is a PlotForge™ site plan a survey?

No. The property lines are the recorded parcel lines from public records, drawn to scale over an aerial photo. That is what most building departments accept for a permit site plan, and it is not a boundary survey or an engineered drawing. If your office requires a sealed survey for this project, PlotForge can trace that recorded survey as the boundary and the sheet prints a notice saying so.

Does it work where I am?

PlotForge™ covers all 50 states and Washington, D.C.; the only exceptions in the country are named on the coverage page. It is also expanding into Canada, starting with select counties in Ontario and Alberta. The most reliable check is free: sign up, type the address, and watch the lot load.

Draw the egress permit site plan in minutes

Load the lot, add the house, mark the well, read the setback. Free for 30 days, no credit card required; a clean, permit-ready export is $29.

Start an Egress Site Plan Free → See Every Drawing Tool