I think at this point, since the builder made the decision to go ahead & pour without consulting with you first on the necessary changes due to setback issues, he needs to stop what he's doing and go over what his new gameplan is with you. I'm guessing that the setback issue is on the kitchen/desk area/stair wall since the dining room would be obliterated if the problem was on that side of the house. That missing foot of space can really mess up your stair area as well as the doors that are in that space. You may have to lose one door & the space at the stairs will be very tight (unless the builder thought enough ahead & moved the porch door wall out a foot when he poured). The builder is right that 24' is the maximum width he could've made it regardless of any discussions you may have had, but that 1' changes alot of other things that DO have to be discussed. Bottom line--work has to stop until this is sorted out to your satisfaction given the setback issues you've encountered. If you're still at a loss as to what to do with the layout after listening to the builder's ideas, you may want to try seeking layout help from SummerfieldDesigns, MarthaElena or BigKahuna on the GW site.

The rebar and other reinforcements in the concrete expand and contract at different rates. That's not a problem with the usual minimal stable temperature ranges, but creates large enough cracks during a fire that it renders the foundation unsound for future bearing use. Not to mention the heat damaged plumbing contained within or under the slab also cannot be re-used. I'm sorry for your loss.

The only thing quick about your question is the math. If the widow sill is less than 44" off the floor, then the top of a 4' window would be about 14" below the top of the foundation. You can pour a concrete lintel over the top of the window. The window opening should be framed out in the forms before the concrete is poured. The hopper windows are often set inside removable steel window bucks and poured directly into the concrete with the top of the window about a foot down from the top of the foundation. When you consider that the dirt will be about 9" below the top of the foundation, and the top of the windows will be lower, you should realize how much light will be blocked by a window well. The egress window well can't be more than 44" deep either without steps to climb out. When the gravel in the bottom of the window well should be 8" below the window frame to protect from rot and termites etc, the top of a standard window well would still be about 28" below the top of the foundation or 19" below the dirt level. If you go with a stepped window well, you will get more light into the basement, as will a wider well. At that point, you may want to consider making the hole for the window wider than the window and all the way to the top of the foundation even if the window doesn't go that high. Then you can side around the window and above it to make it look better and tie it into the rest of the house. If you want to go with the smallest window wells possible, I would increase the height of the window to 5'. That will tie them into the rest of the house nicer without any extra siding hanging down and give you more of what is usually much needed light in the basement, as the well will block the light coming in from the lower half. These are all details that should be drawn up on complete plan. It is often done on a separate sectional view. This will include the actual height of the foundation which may not be exactly 9' if using plywood forms, the thickness of the basement floor, how many sill plates to avoid anchor bolts interfering with the floor joists etc, etc. From there, it is easier to figure out where the top of the window will be in relation to the maximum sill height.

We shouldn't guess about the structural solution without knowing the configuration of the wall. The issue is the wall's ability to resist the force of the unbalanced fill and we son't know what that is or how far the nearest perpendicular bracing wall is. The solution may be horizontal dowels (rebar drilled into wall) if the wall is laterally braced nearby or it might require a new perpendicular interior wing wall or removing the wall back to the nearest perpendicular brace. Waterproofing can be easily maintained with the original system or a better one if necessary. Ask them for a better one for free. I like cold sprayed modified asphalt with a protective drainage board over it. A sheet membrane is another option, but the project could be in a desert where waterproofing is not important. This isn't a difficult problem but it can't be solved in the abstract. Let the pros propose a solution. DO NOT let a lawyer contact anyone for any reason; there is no dispute. Even if there were a potential dispute it would be best to find a reasonable solution before raising that issue because if the work stops you have a much more serious problem.