A Bucket Without a Drain Is Just a Bucket
Egress Window Well
Installation
in Maryland
In Maryland's clay-heavy soils, a window well without proper drainage is a collection point for every rainstorm.
Water accumulates, presses against your foundation wall, and works its way past your window frame. A correctly installed well, sized to egress code with a dedicated drain, changes that equation entirely.
Drainage Isn't Optional in Maryland Clay
Why Window Well Drainage
Matters So Much Here
Maryland clay soils, particularly the Piedmont clay common across Baltimore, Harford, Carroll, and Cecil counties, drain slowly. When 2 inches of rain falls in an afternoon, the soil around your home is already near saturation. Without a drain at the base of the window well, that water has one option: pooling until it finds a gap in your window frame or the surrounding concrete.
A properly installed window well includes a gravel bed at least 6 inches deep at the base, a perforated drain pipe tied into your foundation drainage system, and the well itself set tight against the foundation wall with waterproof sealant at every contact point.
A well that empties itself during every rainstorm, rather than filling up until it finds the window frame
When the Well Itself Needs Replacing
Signs Your Window Well
Needs Full Replacement
These point to a well that needs rebuilding, not just a drain fix, and are common in homes where egress windows were added without a permit.
- The well is too small to allow your egress window to open fully
- The well is pulling away from the foundation wall
- The original well was set without any drain connection at all
- You're finishing a basement and adding a code-compliant egress opening for the first time
- A home inspector flagged the well as too small or non-compliant during a sale
What's Included
OBW's Egress Window Well
Installation Services
Built to code dimensions with real drainage, not a well that just looks the right size.
Code-Compliant Sizing
Minimum 36-inch horizontal projection and 36-inch width per Maryland IRC, confirmed to allow the window to open fully.
Excavation & Gravel Bed
A gravel bed at least 6 inches deep at the base, backfilled with clean 57-stone for drainage.
Perforated Drain Pipe
A 4-inch perforated drain pipe sloped to daylight or tied into your foundation drainage system.
Foundation-Anchored Well
The well is set tight against the foundation wall with waterproof sealant at every contact point.
Surface Grading
Soil around the well is graded away from it to direct surface water elsewhere, not toward the opening.
Written Workmanship Guarantee
Every window well installation is backed by a written workmanship guarantee. Ask your inspector for the terms that apply to your job.
The Process
How OBW Installs a New
Egress Window Well
Excavate and remove what's failing. Set the well to code. Install the drain. Seal and grade.
Excavation & Removal
OBW excavates below the window and removes any existing well or gravel that's clogged, undersized, or lacks a drain.
Well Sizing & Setting
The new well is set to proper depth and horizontal clearance per Maryland IRC egress code, anchored to the foundation wall.
Drain Installation
A perforated 4-inch drain pipe is installed at the base, sloped to daylight or tied into your existing foundation drain system.
Sealant & Grading
Butyl sealant is applied where the well meets the siding, and the surrounding soil is graded away from the well.
Photos From the Field
Job Site Photos
A closer look at the equipment, materials, and job site conditions involved in this kind of work.
Honest Answers
Egress Window Well Questions
from Maryland Homeowners
Call (410) 879-3360 if your window well is too small or pooling water. Our inspectors will tell you whether it needs a drain fix or full replacement.
Why is window well drainage not optional in Maryland?
Maryland clay soils, particularly the Piedmont clay common across Baltimore, Harford, Carroll, and Cecil counties, drain slowly. When 2 inches of rain falls in an afternoon, the soil around your home is already near saturation. Without a drain at the base of the window well, that water has one option: pooling until it finds a gap in your window frame or the surrounding concrete.
A properly installed window well includes a gravel bed at least 6 inches deep at the base, a perforated drain pipe tied into your foundation drainage system, and the well itself set tight against the foundation wall with waterproof sealant at every contact point.
What size does an egress window well need to be by code?
Maryland IRC requires egress window wells to have a minimum horizontal projection of 36 inches and a minimum width of 36 inches to allow emergency exit, and the well must allow the window to open fully. If your existing well is too small, a common issue in homes where egress windows were added without a permit, OBW can excavate, remove, and replace it with a properly sized prefabricated steel or concrete well.
This sounds similar to a window well drain repair. What's the difference?
This page covers building or replacing the well itself, sized to current egress code, as part of a new or upgraded egress window opening. If you have an existing window well that simply needs its drainage fixed or added, without changing the well's size or the window behind it, that's covered on our window well drains page, a narrower, faster fix rather than a full well install.
What does OBW's installation process actually involve?
We excavate below the window, remove any existing well or gravel that's clogged or undersized, and set the new well to proper depth and horizontal clearance. The base gets backfilled with clean 57-stone for drainage, a perforated 4-inch drain pipe is installed sloped to daylight or tied into your foundation drain system, and the well is anchored to the foundation wall. We finish with butyl sealant along the top edge where the well meets the siding and grade the soil away from the well to direct surface water elsewhere.
How do I know if my current window well needs replacement rather than a drain fix?
If the well is too small to allow your egress window to open fully, is pulling away from the foundation wall, or was set without any drain connection at all (common in homes built before 1990), that's a well-replacement situation. If the well itself is fine but water simply isn't draining out of it fast enough, that's usually a drain-only fix. OBW assesses which one your situation is before recommending anything.
Why Oriole
Why Maryland Homeowners Trust
OBW with Window Well Installation
Sized to Code, Not Guesswork
OBW builds every window well to Maryland IRC egress minimums, confirmed to let the window open fully, not just look sized right.
Built for Maryland Clay
OBW designs every well drain around Piedmont clay's slow drainage, not a generic spec that works in sandier soil elsewhere.
No Subcontracting
OBW's own crew handles every excavation, well install, and drain connection, in house, start to finish.
Family-Owned Since 1953
Founded by Frank Pirog Sr. in 1953. Amber Pirog leads the company today. Written workmanship guarantee on every installation.
Reviews
What Our Maryland Neighbors Say
A Well That Doesn't Drain Isn't Doing Its Job.
Get a Window Well
That Actually Drains
We assess your existing well, drainage conditions, and egress code compliance, then give you a clear scope and price.
Free Inspection
OBW assesses your well's size, condition, and drainage to confirm whether it needs replacement. Free, no obligation.
Written Installation Plan & Quote
You receive a written quote specifying the well size and drainage your opening needs, before any work is scheduled.
Installation & Grading
OBW's crew excavates, sets the well, installs the drain, and grades the soil around it. Written workmanship guarantee issued upon completion.
Window Well Pooling Water Every Time It Rains?
Free inspection. Sized to code, drained properly.
Family-owned since 1953 · MHIC #4247 · Written Workmanship Guarantee