Escape window grilles (quick release)

What are quick-release escape window grilles?

An escape window grille is a retractable grille with a release on the inside that opens it without a key or tool. It secures a window against entry from outside while keeping the window usable as an emergency escape route from inside, which bedroom and upstairs windows often need to be.

Building regulations guidance across the UK expects many habitable rooms, especially upstairs bedrooms in houses, to have a window that can be used for escape if a fire blocks the stairs. A key-only grille over that window turns an escape route into a trap if the key cannot be found.

A quick-release grille solves this. From inside, a lever or push release opens the lock in one movement; from outside, the release should not be reachable. We position the release so it is easy for an adult to find in the dark and out of reach of very young children where possible.

How much do quick-release escape window grilles cost?

Our guide range is £534 to £1,074 including VAT (£445 to £895 plus VAT) per window, supplied and fitted. The exact figure depends on size, type, finish and locking, and your fixed price is confirmed in writing after the free survey. See all grille prices.

Specification and options

Keyless internal lever or push-button release
No key or tool needed to open from inside
Release positioned so it should not be reachable from outside
Retractable lattice that folds fully clear of the opening
Release positioned at a sensible height
White, black or anthracite finishes
Can be keyed alike with other grilles for daytime locking
Clear opening kept at or above the window's escape size

Where quick-release escape window grilles are used

Bedroom windows in houses and bungalows
Upstairs habitable rooms
Loft conversion windows
Basement bedrooms
Rooms in HMOs and rented homes

What to decide before you order

Is it an escape window?

If the room relies on the window for escape, the grille must have a keyless release.

Clear opening

The folded grille must not reduce the window's clear opening below what escape requires.

Release position

Easy to find and operate in the dark, but not something a passer-by can reach.

Children

Discuss the release position with us if young children use the room.

Rules across the UK

The rules on planning, listed buildings and fire safety differ between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. These are the points most relevant to quick-release escape window grilles; local pages show the version for your nation.

England (similar principles apply in Wales, Scotland and NI)

Bedroom and escape windows

Approved Document B (fire safety) expects many habitable rooms in houses, especially first-floor rooms, to have an emergency escape window with an unobstructed opening of at least 0.33 m², at least 450 mm high and 450 mm wide, with the bottom of the opening no more than 1,100 mm above the floor. We only fit grilles over escape windows with a release that opens from inside without a key.

Grilles in rented homes

Landlords in England must keep rented homes free from serious hazards under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System, which includes fire. A grille that stops a tenant using an escape window can create a hazard, so grilles in rented homes should have keyless internal releases.

Grilles inside the glass

A grille fitted inside the glass does not normally need planning permission, because it does not materially change how the building looks from outside. If the building is listed, listed building consent may still be needed.

How it works

Tell us what needs securing

Use the quote tool or form, or call. Sizes and a couple of photos help us give a guide price straight away.

Free survey

A surveyor measures every opening, checks the walls and fixings, and talks through type, colour and locks.

Fixed price in writing

You get a written quote with the grille schedule, the price and the lead time. Nothing is ordered until you accept.

Made, fitted and handed over

Grilles are made to measure, fitted by installers working under our contract with you, tested and explained.

Escape window grilles (quick release): questions

Can I have security grilles on bedroom windows?

Yes, as long as the grille opens from inside without a key or tool. That keeps the window usable as an escape route.

How does a quick-release grille work?

A lever or push release on the inside of the lock box unlatches the grille so it can be slid open in one movement, with no key needed.

How much does an escape window grille cost?

Usually between £445 and £895 plus VAT (£534 to £1,074 inc VAT) per window supplied and fitted.

Could a burglar use the quick release?

It should not be possible from outside. The release is on the inside face and positioned so it is not reachable through the lattice from outside; we check this at fitting.

Do landlords need escape grilles?

Landlords must keep escape routes usable for tenants. A key-only grille over a bedroom escape window is a fire hazard, so a quick-release grille is the safer choice.

Can I lock a quick-release grille when I go away?

Some designs allow a key lock to be used as well, for when the house is empty. The release must always be usable when anyone is sleeping there.

Find quick-release escape window grilles near you

Choose your county or region for local information and the rules that apply where you are.