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Rainmaker
726,638
Lew Corcoran
Better Living Real Estate, LLC - East Bridgewater, MA
Expert guidance. Exceptional results.

Ah, the frost line—nature’s way of reminding us that winter is not just a season but a force to be reckoned with! While you’ve got the ice-taming six inches over there, I’m dealing with a frost line of 2 feet 12 inches. So, yeah, when setting those deck posts, it’s basically a game of “how deep can you dig?”

I just hope your builder doesn’t plan to serve up any frozen cocktails while working on your project! Let’s just say, when it comes to building, I take that frost line seriously.

How about you? Ready to brave the cold, or are you just in it for the deck parties?

Mar 01, 2025 09:46 AM
Rainmaker
546,475
Katina Hargrove 352-551-0308
Stake Your Land Realty, Inc. - Eustis, FL
Broker/Owner, SFR®, e-PRO®, GRI, AHWD, REALTOR®

Fred Griffin Florida Real Estate 

I personally don't know much about the construction process. Thanks for sharing as we keep on learning here in the rain. As I clicked on your link, I am not sure that it affects mid Florida.

Mar 01, 2025 12:07 PM
Rainmaker
967,899
Bruce Walter
Keller Williams Realty Lafayette/West Lafayette, Indiana - West Lafayette, IN

Fred, it is 30 inches in our area.  A lot of contractors go down to 36 inches to be extra safe.

Mar 01, 2025 11:41 AM
Ambassador
3,460,082
Kathleen Daniels, Probate & Trust Specialist
KD Realty - 408.972.1822 - San Jose, CA
Probate Real Estate Services

This is not something I have ever had to concern myself with. That is left to the contractors/builders, perhaps even the permitting department, Fred. 

Mar 01, 2025 11:27 AM
Rainmaker
940,699
Jeff Pearl
Realty One Group Capital / LIC in VA - Lovettsville, VA
Full Service Full Time Realtor

24" in Virginia. We usually dig down 24" x 16" - 24" wide, then pour 8" of concrete. In limestone district, we have make footers wider,Usually 30", with 1/2" rebar.

Mar 01, 2025 11:19 AM
Rainmaker
1,653,597
Thomas J. Nelson, REALTOR ® CRS,ABR,PSA,RCS-D, CFSP
Big Block LPT Realty 858.232.8722 - La Jolla, CA
Coastal San Diego, Veteran's & Retirees Services

What is this frost line you speak of?
America's Finest City wants to know. 😂
14 Top-Rated Beaches in San Diego, CA ...

Mar 01, 2025 07:56 AM
Ambassador
2,639,167
Kat Palmiotti
eXp Commercial, Referral Divison - Kalispell, MT
Helping your Montana dreams take root

Apparently the average frost line in Montana is 61" but in my area, it's lower. I believe footings need to be three feet where I am (although I'm not 100% sure).

Mar 02, 2025 04:53 AM
Ambassador
5,104,799
Brian England
Ambrose Realty Management LLC - Gilbert, AZ
MBA, GRI, REALTOR® Real Estate in East Valley AZ

Hmm, I am thinking that we don't have a frost line where I live since it seems to always be warm, haha.

Mar 02, 2025 04:47 AM
Rainmaker
779,771
Lynnea Miller
Bend Premier Real Estate - Bend, OR
Premier Real Estate Service in Central Oregon

We deal with frozen ground in our area all the time. My builder husband told me that typically the foundation of homes are down 22 inches to get below the freezing ground.

Mar 01, 2025 01:58 PM
Rainmaker
2,887,775
Richard Alan Naggar
people first...then business Ran Right Realty - Riverside, CA
agent & author

Only people in this business know such things & those that they tell it too Fred Griffin Florida Real Estate ...This reminds me of weep screens which go below stucco, capture the water/moisture & send it AWAY from the house. Also, on a separate note, when installing fencing for dogs or wildlife, digging down deeper, inserting chicken wire is a must to prevent come & go plus natural predator instinct to dig to tunnel under. Thank you Fred

Mar 01, 2025 12:52 PM
Ambassador
2,138,274
Alan May
Jameson Sotheby's International Realty - Evanston, IL
Home again, home again...

The frost line in the Chicago area is around 42 inches.  But there are areas in the northern U.S. that are much deeper.

Mar 01, 2025 11:37 AM
Rainmaker
329,046
Dario Ferreira
Attleboro, MA
Internet Marketing & SEO

It's 4 feet in Massachusetts.
Learned that the hard way, when I had to dig holes for deck posts a few years back.

Mar 01, 2025 09:54 AM
Rainmaker
5,439,615
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Real Estate Broker

Sorry, Fred... but I have no clue. The subject has never come up when I've built my own homes or represented clients who have built their homes.

Mar 01, 2025 08:14 AM
Ambassador
6,816,642
Bob Crane
Woodland Management Service / Woodland Real Estate, KW Diversified - Stevens Point, WI
Forestland Experts! 715-204-9671

Generally 4 to 5 feet for any buildings that we build. (according to Alan May 's chart, maybe we should be going with 6 feet.)

Sometimes we see decks where they posts were not put in properly and they have a post or two pushed upwards, once this happens it is very difficult to fix.

If you put cement in around the posts it is important to taper the cement toward the post so that when the frost squeezes in from the sides it pushes down on the post rather than pushing the post upward.

Mar 01, 2025 10:13 PM
Rainmaker
1,120,561
Candice A. Donofrio
Next Wave RE Investments LLC Bullhead City AZ Commercial RE Broker - Fort Mohave, AZ
928-201-4BHC (4242) call/text

Depending on where in AZ, it's either 0 or more than 24! 

I found this chart to determine it! LOL
It says ours is 10 but CA is 5  . . . since we are right across the River from CA, we're probably the same. AZ has up to 8000 ft elevation but ours is 500. 

Year-round owners don't worry about such things, but seasonals should. We DO get freezing temps in the dead of winter, and winterizing for the season is a pretty damn good idea! 

 

Mar 01, 2025 08:32 AM
Rainmaker
1,290,835
Doug Dawes
Keller Williams Evolution - 447 Boston Street, Suite #5, Topsfield, MA - Topsfield, MA
Your Personal Realtor®

In MA, the Frost Line can be 30"-35" but can go as deep as 48" Fred Griffin Florida Real Estate 

Mar 02, 2025 06:57 AM
Rainmaker
5,609,009
Wayne Martin
Wayne M Martin - Oswego, IL
Real Estate Broker - Retired

Thanks Alan May for posting the depth here in the Chicago area. It has been years since I had to think about it but did remember is was over 3 feet. While living in Florida, not a concern. 

Mar 02, 2025 04:37 AM
Rainer
472,936
J.R. Schloemer
Kentucky Select Properties - Louisville, KY

Looks like we are 24"-33".

Mar 01, 2025 09:04 PM
Rainmaker
2,310,168
Andrew Mooers | 207.532.6573
MOOERS REALTY - Houlton, ME
Northern Maine Real Estate-Aroostook County Broker

3 to 4 feet, good idea to styrofoam over water line from well when you convert a lake camp into a waterfront home.

Mar 01, 2025 02:17 PM
Rainmaker
3,076,711
Patricia Feager
Flower Mound, TX

Fred Griffin Florida Real Estate - Asking about the Frost Line is an excellent question. Soil here in TX moves and we don't have basements or crawl spaces. It can also vary depending on county. Not all soil is created equal.  

Mar 01, 2025 01:43 PM
Ambassador
3,986,267
Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400
HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400 - Pikesville, MD
Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome

Fred Griffin Florida Real Estate 

Here in Maryland, it is 32". Thanks for bringing up the topic.

Mar 02, 2025 07:58 AM
Ambassador
5,593,751
Debe Maxwell, CRS
Savvy + Company (704) 491-3310 - Charlotte, NC
The RIGHT CHARLOTTE REALTOR!

Oh wow! Ours is a foot deep. I'm not sure how deep the pipes are buried in our current home though. With the hard freezes we've had this year, I'm assuming they're deep enough as we haven't had any frozen pipes.

Mar 02, 2025 09:08 PM
Rainmaker
686,267
Greg Large
ERA Real Solutions - Grove City, OH
A Tradition of Trust

32" the requirement for Franklin County, which is central Ohio. 

Mar 02, 2025 05:49 PM
Rainmaker
1,499,664
John Juarez
The Medford Real Estate Team - Fremont, CA
ePRO, SRES, GRI, PMN

It is not a concern in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Mar 02, 2025 07:48 AM
Rainmaker
978,273
Mike McCann Broker - Mach1 Realty
Mike McCann - Broker, Mach1 Realty Broker-Auctioneer Serving Nebraska - Kearney, NE
ALL Types of Property For Sale 308-627-3700

Frost line in the ground varies from year to year in central Nebraska. It is determined by moisture and temperatures.  

This year we had a lot of extreme cold but not a lot of moisture.  Extreme cold on top of a lot of snow and rain will drive it deeper in the early part of the year.

Some years we are over 48" and some years under 24".   I am not sure what this years was.

Mar 05, 2025 02:47 PM
Rainmaker
945,531
Carla Freund
Keller Williams Preferred Realty - Raleigh, NC
NC Real Estate Transition & Relocation 919-602-848

I do believe it is something our builders and contractors consider but I don't know the code or rules for frost lines.

Mar 04, 2025 09:11 AM
Rainmaker
1,551,700
Ryan Huggins - Thousand Oaks, CA
https://HugginsHomes.com - Thousand Oaks, CA
Residential Real Estate and Investment Properties

I've never heard of a frost line until today.  We rarely see any kind of frost on our roofs.

Mar 03, 2025 08:49 AM
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