What Makes a Room a "Bedroom?"

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Defining the Bedroom Defining the bedroom space is important for two main reasons: home value and safety. The value of a home increases with bedroom number, so it is always in the best interest of the home seller to have as many rooms labeled “bedrooms” as is possible, particularly if legitimate investment has been made on a room, space or in an addition. The number of bedrooms can also have tax assessment implications. More bedrooms can mean higher taxes, so a homeowner should know what legally can be considered a bedroom, despite how a room might be used. Code requirements that vary from state to state will determine what can and cannot be considered a bedroom, despite how that space may have been used. Codes are in place primarily for safety purposes. A space can only be defined as a bedroom when it meets these code requirements, which can include specifications on fire safety measures and means of egress. The Safety Issue When a space is to be labeled a bedroom or otherwise, safety is the primary deciding factor. The International Residential Code (IRC) specifies required features for a “habitable room,” which includes the “sleeping unit” or bedroom. Builders must follow the IRC—and their state’s building safety codes—when constructing a space to be designated a “bedroom.” “There are general requirements to all habitable rooms,” says Larry Frank of the International Code Council (ICC), based out of Washington, D.C., “and specific requirements for other rooms, including the bedroom.” An effective means of egress in the event of a fire is the reason there are window requirements on the bedroom space. Technically, a bedroom must have two means of egress, so a second door will suffice, but it must open to the outside, which makes the exterior door a less practical solution. Not any window will do. It must have a minimum opening area of 5.7 sq. feet, a minimum opening height of 24 inches and a minimum opening width of 20 inches. The maximum distance between the finished floor and the finished window sill is 44 inches, but a recent addition to the IRC mandates a minimum distance between the finished floor of the room and the window sill of 24 inches to prevent children from falling out of an open window. Note that whether the second means of egress is a window or a door, it must be operable from the inside without the use of keys, tools or special knowledge. Building codes have specifications for the placement of smoke alarms with regards to the bedroom. New construction requirements state that smoke alarms must be placed within each bedroom and outside of each bedroom.

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