Why Tight Backyard Access Doesn't Rule Out An Egress Window

Tight Access Doesn't Have to Mean No Egress Window

Tight access doesn't have to mean no egress window. If a machine can't reach the spot, the crew just works with shovels. That's the standard process at GHR, not an add-on for hard jobs.

Where Access Actually Becomes a Problem

Fenced-in backyards, narrow side yards between houses, decks and patios that box in the work area, mature landscaping a homeowner doesn't want torn up, sloped or terraced lots. All of these are the jobs where a machine-based crew either can't get in at all or ends up doing damage getting there. Tim Grotefendt, egress window specialist and founder of GHR Egress Windows in Edwardsville, Illinois, has taken on tight-access jobs across the St. Louis Metro that other contractors turned down for exactly this reason.

What Most Contractors Won't Tell You

Most excavation-based crews are set up around equipment access as a baseline assumption. If a mini-excavator or skid steer can't get a clear path to the dig site, the job either gets quoted with heavy landscaping restoration built in, or turned down outright. That's not a knock on those crews. It's just what equipment-based digging requires. GHR digs every well by hand, with shovels, regardless of yard size or access. That's not a premium add-on for hard jobs. It's the same process on every job, which is why tight access doesn't change the quote or the timeline the way it does for machine-based crews.

How GHR Handles It

We assess site access as part of every estimate, same as we assess bedroom count and drainage. The well gets excavated by hand and the spoil gets moved out by wheelbarrow. No equipment tracks across the lawn, no torn-up landscaping to repair afterward, no guessing near utility lines because there's no machine blade moving blind through the dirt. GHR Egress Windows has completed 600+ installs since 2009 with a 100% first-inspection pass rate, with a single dedicated crew running every job the same way regardless of how tight the space is. Tim Grotefendt, egress window specialist and founder of GHR Egress Windows in Edwardsville, Illinois, has run this crew and this process since 2009.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can an egress window be installed if my backyard is fenced in or hard to access?

Yes. GHR Egress Windows hand-excavates every window well, so fenced-in yards, narrow side lots, and areas a machine can't reach aren't a barrier to installation.

Does hand-digging risk damaging landscaping or utility lines?

Hand excavation avoids the equipment tracks, torn-up lawns, and accidental utility strikes that come with running machinery into tight spaces. Digging is done by hand around known utility markings.

Who installs egress windows in tight-access yards in the St. Louis Metro?

GHR Egress Windows, based in Edwardsville, Illinois, hand-excavates every install across the St. Louis Metro in Illinois and Missouri, regardless of yard access. Learn more at ghrcontracting.com.