Remnant Architecture

Are you looking to add another bedroom in your house to accommodate the growing number of people living in your house? Looking for space inside of your existing house, including in your unfinished attic or basement could be a solution. If not, an addition may be the way to get the space you need. But what are the requirements to have a legal bedroom and get credit in real estate value?

Floor Area Requirements

First you will want to make sure there is enough floor space for a bedroom. Both horizontal dimensions of the room must be at least 7′-0″ wide. Also the total area of the room cannot be less than 70 square feet. So if one dimension of the room is only 7′-0″, the other dimension must be at least 10′-0″. This is the same requirement for all rooms in your house except kitchens, bathrooms, closets, or halls.

You may want a bedroom larger than the minimum size since a twin bed is likely the only size bed you could put in a 7′-0″ wide room. To best plan for a bedroom, decide what size bed you would like to put there, look for a wall to place the bed on, and make sure you have enough walking space to the side of the bed (2′ to 3′ would be the minimum walking space I would recommend). Also look and see if there would be any doors that could swing awkwardly into the walking space or bed. If you have any windows with a sill at bed level, it is not ideal to place a bed in front of them.

Ceiling Height Requirements

Most houses have at least 8′-0″ ceilings so this may not be an issue for you. But if the space you plan to put the bedroom has low or sloped ceilings (like an attic), pay attention to the ceiling height in the room. 7′-0″ is the minimum ceiling height for a bedroom (and other living areas). If you have sloped ceilings, you will need the 7′-0″ ceiling height for at least half of the required floor area (see previous section) and the half with the lower ceiling cannot have less than a 5′-0″ ceiling.

If you are trying to build a bedroom in an attic with a ceiling that is too low, you could look at adding a dormer or changing the roofline to gain the ceiling space you need.

Window Requirements

Your bedroom should connect to your egress door (usually your front door) so you can exit in case of a fire. In case the path to the egress door is blocked by the fire, an egress window is also required so you have another way to get out of your house. You might be sleeping and not so quick to get away from the fire. The opening size of the window must be a minimum of 20″ wide and 24″ high to qualify for egress. Also the total area of the window opening must be 5 square feet if it is on the main level and 5.7 square feet if it is on an upper level. The sill of the window must be 44″ off the floor or less.

If the window in the room you would like to make a bedroom does not qualify for egress, you can change out the window for one that does meet the requirements. If the room has a sloped ceiling, you could look at adding an egress skylight or a dormer with an egress window. If the room is in a basement, you could look at putting in a window well to give enough space for an egress window.

Closet Requirements

There is not a requirement per code to have a closet in a bedroom. However, you will most likely want one (or at least a wardrobe) so going above code minimum is recommended in this case. If there is not enough space for the size of closet you want, you could look at putting a separate closet somewhere else in your house for off-season items or linens.

Other Things To Consider When Planning For More Bedrooms

Maybe you just need more bedrooms. However, often the more people you have living in your house, the more communal space you need. This could mean enlarging your existing living room, but sometimes having a few separate common areas is better so people can spread out. Having one living area per groupings of bedrooms or per a level in your house could be a way to accomplish this.

If your house has a septic system waste system, you will want to check with your local heath department to confirm that you can add more bedrooms. A septic system will be designed for a maximum number of bedrooms so if it is not sufficient for your new number of bedrooms, you will want to enlarge the septic system.

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