We have been reviewing egress options for our basement also. We do not have room to put in larger window wells on the walls where there are windows due to setback issues. Instead we will be adding a door and stairs at the back of the house with the door entering a room that will be used as a bedroom. The VERY rough quote we got for this was in the 10K ballpark due to needing a drain at the bottom and the concrete work. This is in the Seattle area. That seems to line up with the OP's quote of 10.7K. It is frustrating to me overall because our house is the only house on our street that does not have direct egress to the outside from the basement. I cannot understand why the original owner (who we bought from and who built the house himself) did not add a door, especially because they used the basement a lot. One thing to add to the above post is that I was told that egress requirements are not just so you can get out, but also so that a firefighter can get in with all the gear on his back. That cleared things up for me a lot because IMO the requirements make for pretty large openings for your average person to get out.

Posting a drawing won't help since the space is only 50 sq. feet with the room shaped like one of those neo-angle showers with the door opening on that angled side. In addition to the corner post I was referring to, we also have to contend with an area in a different corner that is sloped because it is under a stairway. Our current shower is about 3' x 4' and we really do not want to go any smaller than this. I've heard back from my contractor who says that since the floor will be dug into anyway, we can move things around at no additional cost if we keep the plumbing within three feet of where it is now. So, at least in theory that gives me some more choices maybe. We are fortunate in that we are not in the position of saying we can absolutely only spend xxx. However, for a basement shower enclosure there is no way in the world I want to pay $1500 to $2500 just for glass (and probably a lot more if I try to go with what I want which is a shower that has two glass sides). These are ballpark prices I found from an old thread here on how much frameless glass costs. "$1,400 - $1,900 for most showers including installation, 10 ml glass, door, fixed panel and hardware. Larger showers with multiple sides, special hardware can range from $ 2,500 - $8,000 +" And another from a month ago. " There are a lot of options in hardware and glass. Expect 1700-2500. Depending on options and how square the opening is." Actually we are planning to do all of the tiling ourselves after the contractor frames it and gets the cement board up. So that is my DIY savings possibility. Now I am back to the question one again though of whether a tile floor, rather than using one of the standard acrylic pans that comes with enclosures, will force me into the custom glass category. Thanks again for the help.

I too live in Montana. We are in the process of design and build. We examined a number of alternatives from using a modular home (different than a trailer, different than a manufactured home) and the issue of basement vs 2nd story. with a modular home, it is cheaper to build up. With the traditional stick built house, it’s cheaper to add a finished basement. With the finished basement, it is important to inquire about the means they use to pour and form the foundation. In our case, the foundation walls are a dual insulation remain in place form. Meaning there is 8-10 inches of insulation on both the exterior and interior wall. The concrete is then poured into the cavity of that form. This not only adds energy efficiency below grade, but it also adds that “ground water” vapor barrier. that said, there is a difference in how basements and 2nd stories are appraised. Typically below grade is valued at 40-50% of the above grade story. Think of it like this, your main floor is 1000 sq ft. It appraised at 100 per sq ft. The basement is 1000 sq ft. Even if it mirrors the main floor, it might only appraise at $40-$50 per sq ft. Where as if that basement was an above grade story, it would appraise at the $100 sq ft. keep this mind, as it affects appraisal value, but may not influence a resale value in the same manner. It is best to contact a local real estate agent, and a local appraiser to inquire about these specifics in your area.

I don’t see how a periscope style dryer vent would help if the dryer vent is in the position the washer needs to be. Depends on your set-up. In my basement laundry, the vent terminates in a wall perpendicular to the dryer. Instead of having a 4" vent and the room required to make a 90 degree bend in 4" dryer hose (behind the dryer), the periscope (with a smaller cross section diameter) allowed me to get the dryer 1.5-2" closer to the wall behind the dryer. I had enough space on the side of the dryer to connect the periscope to 4" vent pipe that angles upward w/ an adjustable elbow and then up the wall and outside. If the vent has to run behind a washer, a periscope would reduce the space needed behind the washer, theoretically. That is if there are no other obstructions such as a standpipe that is coming thru the floor behind the washer (vs being in the wall), etc. A periscope may help you gain part of what is lost to the space req'd for the dryer exhaust...saying this because you said: The main disadvantage with this setup is that I can’t push the appliances all the way back against the wall because the dryer hose is in the way behind both appliances. The periscope isn't going to allow you to recover all of that space. In super tight quarters like my laundry room, gaining even an inch and a half was +++.