Frost Line

BobReeves · Nov 5, 2003

How can one fine out how far down the frost line is in a given area? I have spent an hour with google and came up with nothing.

Thanks,
Bob

Golfgar4 · Nov 5, 2003

Call your local building code department. They can tell you excatly what it is, and what codes may apply to any project.

bebster · Nov 5, 2003

You'll need to get the exact level from the local building inspector to comply with a permit, but to give you a sense of it, it's 5' in much of Minnesota, 4' in most of the northeast (except upper northeast where it is typically 5'), and drops to about 30"-36" in PA and Ohio, and down to 24" or so in Maryland and DC area, and then to 12" in southern Virginia.

DocHeb · Nov 5, 2003

From the information in your bio, for your area it is ___ inches /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Just joshin' ya - fill out your bio, we don't bite.

Southeast Michigan code is footings 42" below surface. Last winter, with the lack of insulating snow cover and the prolonged cold, the frost got down to 36" in some places - the deepest freeze for some years. The year before they dug the basement for my house at Knotwyrk Farm (Ann Arbor, MI) and the ground wasn't even frozen in January. Some of the lakes in the area didn't even freeze over that year.

BobReeves · Nov 6, 2003

OOPS, thought I had filled in the info when I registered, Just getting old and paying for the brain cells I killed in the 60's. Entered my location as Tulsa, I actually live just east of Tulsa but nobody knows where Catoosa is /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I just bought the property and right now am in the research mode. Have lived in a mobile home park for the last 10 years and have allot to learn. We are going to move our mobile home onto the property and morph it into something with more room. The first step will be a porch all the way around the mobile with a roof that covers everything. Then as we can afford it close in the back side and expand the living space into it. Don't want to get into a mortgage so will do what we can as we have the money.

Thanks for the help, I am expecting this site to be a godsend over the next couple of years.

Rch · Nov 6, 2003

Call the local grave digger. They have a network that ties in with weather people to keep track of that. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

bebster · Nov 6, 2003

I think it's 18" in your area. I have a friend in Broken Arrow and I think that's what he told me. Don't ask me how I possibly remembered that!

BobReeves · Nov 6, 2003

Thanks,

That sounds about right, we don't usually have really bad winters here. If we get 6 inches of snow all the schools and business close, then it is gone in a couple of days.

bebster · Nov 6, 2003

But you may as well check with the local building inspector (or any contractor will know this). For the sake of 6" +/- you may as well be in conformance. (if for no other reason than resale value).

BobReeves · Nov 6, 2003

I will before I do anything, I have ordered the building code and am going to get the local revisions from the county before I actually do anything. Was just trying to get an idea of how far down I was going to have to put the footings while in the planning stage.

Thanks for the help guys, I am sure I will have more questions as things progress.