At a glance: You can beautify a window well by upgrading its finish, choosing a cover that shows off the window and blends into the background, and tidying the landscaping around it. Stone and white well finishes, clear covers that shed water, and mulch, gravel, or low plantings around the rim turn a bare well into part of the yard.
A window well keeps water and debris away from a basement window and lets natural light in, yet most sit in the lawn as a plain galvanized ring that nobody looks at twice. The well and the ground around it are part of the home’s exterior, so finishing them changes how the house reads from the yard, lifts its curb appeal, and sharpens the look of the whole exterior. It is one of those small spots that many homeowners overlook, yet it makes the whole yard look more cared for once it gets a little attention.
Here, you will find well finishes to choose from, how to pick a cover, and simple ways to landscape the area around the well. For the view from inside the basement and more on dressing up a well you already have, take a look at the companion post on making a window well beautiful.
Window Well Finishes
The finish sets the tone for everything else. A few options replace or dress up the bare metal look, and each one gives the well a cleaner appearance from the yard. Pick the one that best complements your home’s exterior and surrounding landscaping.
Stone Finish Wells
The Egress Decorative Stone well is galvanized steel with a gray stone print overlay that hides the corrugations, so it reads as a stone-look finish from the yard. It uses 18-gauge steel on most sizes and 16-gauge on the deepest, has a 36 inch projection, reaches depths up to 84 inches, and carries a 10-year warranty.
The composite well takes a different approach. It is one-piece fiberglass with a sandstone color and stone texture molded into the well itself, not a film laid over steel. It has molded-in steps, will not rust, and comes in 65 by 36 inch inside dimensions with 60 and 72 inch depths.
White Steel Wells
A white finish reflects more natural light into the basement than a standard galvanized well, so the room below feels brighter, which helps in a finished basement or basement bedroom. The white steel well is 18-gauge steel, with 16-gauge in larger sizes, and comes in egress sizes with a 36 inch projection. It reaches up to 80 inches wide by 84 inches deep and carries a 30-year warranty.
Decorative Liners
A printed vinyl liner adds a scene to an existing well without replacing it, with dozens of designs to pick from. If you want the details on liner sizes, installation, and cleaning, the companion post walks through all of it.
Choosing a Window Well Cover
A cover finishes the look of the well and keeps rain, snow, and debris out of it. Clear covers use clear impact-resistant polycarbonate, the same heavy-duty material found in safety glasses and greenhouse panels, with 250 times the impact resistance of glass. The polycarbonate is UV-treated so it does not yellow over the years, and every cover is built to the well’s measurements. Because the polycarbonate stays clear, it also lets daylight down to anything growing in or near the well, which is a nice touch if you like a bit of greenery by the window.
The covers come in distinct styles, and the one you choose depends on where your window sits and how you use the space around the well. Here is how the options compare.
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Cover |
Description |
Best for |
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Up to a 2 inch slope that sheds water and debris |
Windows at or below the well lip. The best seller, with a lifetime warranty and support for 400 pounds of static weight |
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The lowest profile |
The same materials and lifetime warranty as sloped at a lower price, and also supports 400 pounds of static weight |
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A rectangular dome that rises above grade |
Windows that extend above the well lip. Crank-out windows open fully into the well for egress |
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A rounded dome |
Standard metal wells, in 9 sizes and two shapes |
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Extra slope with a hinged flip-top |
Wells that need more drainage and easy access, with mesh sides that keep air moving |
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An open mesh steel or aluminum grate |
Decks and patios where airflow matters. Add a clear top cover for weather protection |
When a clear cover gets dusty or spotted, it rinses clean with a garden hose. You can see the full range on the window well covers page. Once you’ve chosen a cover that complements your home, the next step is to improve the landscaping around the well so the entire area looks finished.
Landscaping Around the Window Well
A few simple ideas turn the area around the well into part of your outdoor space. Grass up to the edge is the default, but a covered well keeps debris off the window and out of the well, so mulch, gravel, river rock, or decorative stones around the well work just as well and the area will look more finished.
A few simple habits keep the area sharp:
- Spread mulch 2 to 3 inches deep around shrubs and about 1 inch in flower beds. Natural-colored mulch holds its color longer than dyed mulch.
- Re-cut the bed edge every year, since grass creeps into beds about 3 to 4 inches a year.
- Mark off the well area with a decorative stone or wood border so it reads as its own feature.
Plants soften the look more than anything else you can add. Low-maintenance plants such as shrubs or perennials planted outside the rim hide the well walls and tie it into the yard. These foundation plants frame the well without much upkeep. Keep them clear of the cover’s edge so the cover still sits flat, and make sure no planting blocks an egress cover from popping off the well. When you match the border and ground cover to your existing beds, the well blends in with the rest of the landscape instead of standing apart, and the whole corner of the yard looks like it was planned that way.
Window Well Experts
Beautifying your window well doesn’t have to mean a complete landscaping overhaul. A decorative stone or white finish, a clear cover, and a few simple landscaping updates can make a noticeable difference in how the area looks. The key is choosing materials and finishes that complement your home’s exterior while keeping the window well functional, accessible, and easy to maintain.
Window Well Experts has built window wells and covers since 1975, when founder Joe Sikorski started making custom covers in the Chicago area, and has since served more than 50,000 customers across the US and Canada. The product line covers wells, covers, liners, and accessories, and every cover is built to the well’s measurements.
The warranties reflect the high-quality materials. Galvanized steel wells carry a 30-year warranty, decorative stone and fiberglass wells carry 10 years, and sloped and flat covers carry a lifetime warranty. Everything ships anywhere in the continental US, and the team is available seven days a week.
Ready to get started? Request a free estimate on a window well, cover, or liner from Window Well Experts. You can also call 1-888-650-9355, seven days a week, to talk through the right fit for your well.