Egress Windows in Sharon, MA
A finished lower level in a 1950s Sharon Cape or split-level can add serious living space — but if anyone is going to sleep down there, the state's amended IRC R310 rules call for a full-size emergency escape opening cut right through the foundation wall. Coen Construction, a design-build GC one town over in Stoughton (MA CSL CS-107247), cuts, installs, and carries these windows through inspection across Sharon.
Most of our egress work in Sharon starts in a postwar basement. The town's biggest building boom ran through the 1950s and 60s — the median home here dates to about 1955 — so the typical job is saw-cutting a poured or block foundation under a Cape, ranch, or split-level in Sharon Heights or East Sharon, setting a steel lintel, and installing a casement that meets the 5.7-square-foot clear-opening requirement. The pre-1940 antiques clustered around Town Center and Post Office Square are a different job entirely: older masonry foundations usually need extra shoring and a heavier header before the new unit goes in, and we price that difference up front rather than discovering it mid-cut.
Sharon also adds a wrinkle its neighbors don't. There is no municipal sewer anywhere in town, and the Board of Health enforces Article 7, which runs stricter than state Title 5. Septic systems are rated by bedroom count, so turning basement space into a legal bedroom puts your system's capacity on the table. We settle that question first — before any concrete dust — so you never learn at final inspection, or worse at resale, that the new bedroom outran what your septic system was designed to handle.
Permits run through the Town of Sharon Building Division at 217R South Main Street, filed on the town's OpenGov online portal. The inspector verifies clear-opening dimensions, sill height, and the window well at rough and final, and deep wells get a permanently fixed ladder per code. We tie every well into footing drainage or a deep gravel base so a March nor'easter can't fill it like a bathtub, and if your house sits in the N. Main Street local historic district, we sequence a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historic District Commission ahead of the building permit. We're active in town, too — including a recent home addition near Orchard Hill Drive. Call (617) 857-2636 for a straight answer on your basement.
Sharon egress window installation planning starts with foundation cutting, structural lintels, window well drainage, egress code clearances, and permit-ready drawings.
For South Shore, we account for coastal exposure, flood-zone details, salt air and wind-driven rain before setting schedule expectations.
Material choices should match coastal-rated siding, fasteners, flashing, decking, and weather barriers.
Coen Construction builds around Sharon's housing stock, permit path, and neighborhood character.
Services in Sharon
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a permit from the Sharon Building Division to add an egress window?
Yes. Cutting a structural opening in your foundation requires a building permit, filed through Sharon's OpenGov portal (sharonma.portal.opengov.com). The Building Division works out of the DPW building at 217R South Main Street — 781-784-1525 ext. 2310 with questions. Plan on a rough inspection at the lintel stage and a final once the window and well are set.
Will legalizing a basement bedroom affect my septic system in Sharon?
It can. Every Sharon home runs on septic, and the Board of Health's Article 7 is tougher than state Title 5 — tanks over 25 years old must be replaced unless certified structurally sound. Since septic capacity is rated per bedroom, adding a legal bedroom invites a capacity review. We confirm what your system supports before we cut.
How does the age of my Sharon house change the egress job?
Postwar Capes, ranches, and split-levels from the 1950s–60s boom cut predictably — poured and block foundations typically open up in a day. The pre-1940 homes around Town Center and Post Office Square are slower: older masonry needs shoring and a heavier lintel, which adds both schedule and cost. We scope the foundation type at the first site visit.
What if my home is in the N. Main Street historic district?
Exterior alterations inside Sharon's Ch. 40C district — both sides of N. Main Street from Post Office Square to School Street — need a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historic District Commission before work starts. A new window and well on a visible elevation counts. We handle that filing and schedule the building permit behind it so you're not paying for idle weeks.
Plan your project
Coen Construction · 387 Page Street Ste 10B, Stoughton, MA 02072
Request a free estimate · (617) 857-2636