Basements,
brought up to code.
Indigo Construction cuts in egress windows and finishes the rooms behind them. Owner-run by Trent Allen, licensed with the City of Sioux Falls, and working across East River South Dakota.
One trade that does the whole basement.
An egress window is a hole in a foundation wall, a hole in the yard, a window, and a room that finally counts as a bedroom. We handle every part of that, then keep going with the framing, drywall, trim and flooring the room needs.
OUR SPECIALTY
Egress windows
We saw the opening in your foundation, dig and set the well, install the window, and leave you with a basement bedroom that meets the escape-opening rules in the International Residential Code.
Egress windows
Basement finishing
Framing, drywall and trim that turn bare concrete into rooms people actually use.
Basement finishing
Foundation repair
Cracks, seepage and the damage a freeze-thaw winter does to a basement wall.
Foundation repair
Drywall
Hang, tape, finish and patch.
Drywall
Finish carpentry
Casing, base, stairs and built-ins.
Carpentry
Wells & covers
Deeper wells, ladders and covers.
Wells & coversEvery basement bedroom needs a way out.
Building code requires an emergency escape and rescue opening in every basement and in each basement sleeping room. In practice that means a window a firefighter can come in through and you can climb out of, with a well big enough to stand in. Here are the numbers inside Sioux Falls city limits:
- 5.0 ft²Minimum net clear opening. The unamended 2021 IRC, which some towns use, asks for 5.7 ft².
- 24 × 20Minimum clear height and width in inches, measured with the window fully open.
- ≤ 48 inHighest the bottom of the opening can sit above the floor (44 in under the model code).
- 9 ft²Minimum window-well area, at least 36 in out from the wall and 36 in wide. A ladder is required past 48 in deep.
Source: City of Sioux Falls, Emergency Escape and Rescue Openings, and its amendments to the 2021 IRC section R310. Full guide + checker →
Dig while the ground is open. Finish inside all winter.
Sioux Falls designs footings for a 42-inch frost line. Cutting a new window means excavating beside the foundation, and that work belongs to the months when the ground can be dug. The rooms behind the window don't care about the weather, so we do both, and your project keeps moving whatever the month.
Four steps, one crew.
No subcontractor relay. The person who measures your wall is the person responsible for the finished opening.
Look
Trent comes out, checks the wall, the grade, what's buried along that side of the house, and where the window works best for the room. Estimates are free.
Plan
You get a written scope: window size and style, well type, cover, and how the inside will be trimmed. Permits are pulled where your city requires them.
Cut & set
Excavate, saw the foundation, add the header where one is needed, set the well and window, drain, seal and backfill.
Finish
Interior returns, drywall and trim so the window looks like it came with the house, then the site is cleaned up and inspected.
Shows up. Keeps you posted. Cleans up.
Quoted as posted on Google and Angi. Indigo holds 5.0 stars on Google and 4.8 on Angi.
“I had asked for a quote on redoing an area wall in an egress window well. Trenton from Indigo came out right away and was easily available by phone or text... He gave me an estimate and a good timeline to get the work done and he delivered on all of it. The new wall was installed well and the old wall was cleaned up on a quick turn around which I really appreciated.”
“Trent was a great contractor to work with, he took time to explain to us what was involved getting the job done. Kept us posted on any issues that arose... Cleaned up around the work area every day... I would hire him again.”
“Indigo’s owner is a responsive professional who provides high quality services. I finally found a handyman with excellent communication and construction skills. He cares about the quality of the product and services he provides.”
“When he said he’d be here he was always here, kept me posted at all times and did a quality job for me. I would recommend him to anyone and if I need other work done he will be my man!”
“I had doors installed, Sheetrock, flooring and paint. Trim and wainscoting. Complete remodel of garage and much more!”
“Great job! Raised ceiling beams in garage so garage door can be installed. Quick and professional work, good price too!”
Read all 11 reviews on GoogleWorked with Trent? Leave a review
Sioux Falls to the Missouri River.
Home base is Sioux Falls, and we take work across eastern South Dakota: west on I-90 through Mitchell to Chamberlain, north up I-29 to Brookings and Estelline, and along US-14 from Brookings to Huron and Miller.
- Sioux FallsMinnehaha & Lincoln Co.
- BrookingsBrookings Co.
- TeaLincoln Co.
- HarrisburgLincoln Co.
- BrandonMinnehaha Co.
- MadisonLake Co.
- MitchellDavison Co.
- HuronBeadle Co.
- HartfordMinnehaha Co.
- Dell RapidsMinnehaha Co.
- BalticMinnehaha Co.
- CrooksMinnehaha Co.
You'll deal with Trent.
Indigo Construction is Trent Allen's company, started in November 2023. Egress windows are the specialty and the reason most people call. The rest of the work follows from them: a new window usually means a new room, and a new room means framing, drywall, trim and flooring.
- Licensed residential building contractor, City of Sioux Falls #16860
- BBB Accredited, A+ rating
- Inside and outside handled by the same crew
What people ask first.
Short answers here. The egress code guide goes deeper and has a checker you can run on your own window.
Does a basement bedroom legally need an egress window?
Yes. Every basement, and each sleeping room in a basement, needs an emergency escape and rescue opening (IRC R310.1, which Sioux Falls has adopted). If you're adding a bedroom to an existing basement, that new bedroom needs its own opening.
What size does an egress window have to be in Sioux Falls?
Inside Sioux Falls city limits the opening needs at least 5.0 square feet of net clear space when fully open, at least 24 inches of clear height and 20 inches of clear width, with the sill no more than 48 inches above the floor. The city amended the 2021 IRC, which asks for 5.7 square feet and a 44-inch sill. Our checker tests your measurements against both.
Do I need a window well?
When the sill is below the ground outside, yes. The well needs at least 9 square feet of area, at least 36 inches of projection and 36 inches of width. In Sioux Falls a well deeper than 48 inches needs a permanently attached ladder or steps (44 inches under the model code).
Can you put in an egress window in winter?
The cutting and the window itself can happen in cold weather. The excavation is the hard part once the ground freezes, so most cut-ins are scheduled while the ground is open. Interior work, like finishing the room, drywall, trim and flooring, happens all year.
Is Indigo Construction licensed?
Yes. Indigo Construction LLC holds a City of Sioux Falls Residential Building Contractor license, number 16860. The city requires a passed exam, a compliance bond and liability insurance for that license.
What areas do you serve?
Sioux Falls and eastern South Dakota: west on I-90 through Salem and Mitchell to Chamberlain, north to Brookings, Estelline, De Smet, Huron and Miller, south through Tea, Harrisburg and Lennox to Canton, and east through Brandon and Garretson to the Minnesota line.