Frost Line Depth in El Dorado County, CA: Placer County Requires 18 in

No official local value

No official frost line depth is published for El Dorado County.

Nearby official codes require 18 in (1 verified code).

Source and how we checked

We searched this place’s own code and website and found no published frost line depth.

Climate: 97 nights a year at or below 32 °F (NOAA 1991–2020, Pacific House, 2.5 mi).

Checked Oct 2026. Report a correction

Footings Deck Water line Fence post

18 in1 verified code within 22 mi
97nights a year at or below 32 °F
91%of nearby soil rated “none” for frost action (USDA)

Does El Dorado County have an official frost line depth?

No adopted frost line depth found for El Dorado County in its official documents (checked Oct 2026). The nearest official values, from codes we verified, are 18 in. Use the deepest of them until the building department confirms El Dorado County’s own number.

What frost line depth does El Dorado County use for footings under Table R301.2(1)? Is it 18 in, like Placer County?

Call 811 at least a few working days before you dig, so buried lines are marked.
Confirm the frost line depth with the El Dorado County building department.
Ask whether your project needs a permit (decks, larger sheds and footings usually do).
Dig below 18 in (the deepest nearby value) unless the building department tells you otherwise.
Book the footing inspection before you pour concrete.

How deep do footings, decks and water lines need to be in El Dorado County?

Drawn with the deepest nearby official value (18 in). Confirm El Dorado County’s own depth before you dig.

House or garage footing Deck footing Water service line Fence post

House or garage footing in El Dorado County: dig at least 18 in (46 cm). Below the frost line and at least 12 in deep (IRC R403.1.4).

Using the nearby official value of 18 in until El Dorado County confirms its own
Project	Depth	Rule
House or garage footing	18 in	Below the frost line and at least 12 in deep (IRC R403.1.4)
Deck footing (attached)	18 in	Below the frost line and at least 12 in deep (IRC R507.3)
Water service line	24 in	6 in below the frost line and at least 12 in deep (IRC P2603.5)
Fence post bottom	18 in	No code rule; common practice is below the frost line

Work out posts, concrete and footing sizes with the fence post depth calculator or the deck footing calculator.

How cold does it get in El Dorado County?

Average lows are at or below freezing from Dec to Feb. 97 nights a year reach 32 °F or colder; Dec is coldest, with an average low of 30.5 °F.

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Pacific House station, 2.5 mi away, elevation 3,450 ft.

Monthly temperatures as a table

°F	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Low	31.8	31.2	32.7	35.6	42.1	47.2	53.4	52.5	48.9	41	34.9	30.5
High	44	49.9	55.9	63	72.3	81.7	90.3	88.7	83	66	50.8	42.7

El Dorado County has more freezing nights than 208 of the 208 other California places we track. The California median is 3. Coldest: El Dorado County; mildest: San Diego.

What frost line depth do towns near El Dorado County use?

One official code near El Dorado County is verified.

Official frost line depths near El Dorado County
Place	Verified frost line	Distance
Placer County	18 in	22 mi away

How likely is the soil in El Dorado County to heave?

None 91%

USDA rates the sampled soil around El Dorado County as 91% none, 9% low for frost action (main soils: McCarthy, Holland, Horseshoe).

USDA NRCS soil survey, 9 sample points within 2 mi. Higher frost action means more risk of heave; see frost heave.

El Dorado County at a glance

Frost line depth: No official local value
Population (2023 est.): 192,215
Mean annual temperature: 52.9 °F
ZIP codes (26): 95603 · 95613 · 95614 · 95619 · 95623 · 95629 · 95630 · 95633 · 95634 · 95635 · 95636 · 95651 · 95664 · 95667 · 95672 · 95682 · 95684 · 95709 · 95720 · 95721 · 95726 · 95735 · 95762 · 96142 · 96150 · 96155