Frost Line Depth in Des Plaines, IL: Nearby Codes Require 42 in

No official local value

No official frost line depth is published for Des Plaines.

Nearby official codes require 42 in (5 verified codes).

Source and how we checked

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

Climate: 121 nights a year at or below 32 °F (NOAA 1991–2020, Chicago Ohare International Airport, 3.2 mi).

Checked Oct 2026. Report a correction

Footings Deck Water line Fence post

42 in5 verified codes within 16 mi
121nights a year at or below 32 °F
61%of nearby soil rated “moderate” for frost action (USDA)

Does Des Plaines have an official frost line depth?

No adopted frost line depth found for Des Plaines in its official documents (checked Oct 2026). The nearest official values, from codes we verified, are 42 in. Use the deepest of them until the building department confirms Des Plaines’s own number.

What frost line depth does Des Plaines use for footings under Table R301.2(1)? Is it 42 in, like Glenview?

Call 811 (JULIE) at least a few working days before you dig, so buried lines are marked.
Confirm the frost line depth with the Des Plaines building department.
Ask whether your project needs a permit (decks, larger sheds and footings usually do).
Dig below 42 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 Des Plaines?

Drawn with the deepest nearby official value (42 in). Confirm Des Plaines’s own depth before you dig.

House or garage footing Deck footing Water service line Fence post

House or garage footing in Des Plaines: dig at least 42 in (107 cm). Below the frost line and at least 12 in deep (IRC R403.1.4).

Using the nearby official value of 42 in until Des Plaines confirms its own
Project	Depth	Rule
House or garage footing	42 in	Below the frost line and at least 12 in deep (IRC R403.1.4)
Deck footing (attached)	42 in	Below the frost line and at least 12 in deep (IRC R507.3)
Water service line	48 in	6 in below the frost line and at least 12 in deep (IRC P2603.5)
Fence post bottom	42 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 Des Plaines?

Average lows are at or below freezing from Dec to Mar. 121 nights a year reach 32 °F or colder; Jan is coldest, with an average low of 18.8 °F.

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Chicago Ohare International Airport station, 3.2 mi away, elevation 658 ft.

Monthly temperatures as a table

°F	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Low	18.8	21.8	31	40.3	50.6	60.8	66.4	65.1	57.1	45.4	34.1	24.4
High	31.6	35.7	47	59	70.5	80.4	84.5	82.5	75.5	62.7	48.4	36.6

Des Plaines has fewer freezing nights than 46 of the 71 other Illinois places we track. The Illinois median is 127. Coldest: Hoffman Estates; mildest: Madison County.

What frost line depth do towns near Des Plaines use?

5 official codes near Des Plaines are verified; each links to its document.

Official frost line depths near Des Plaines
Place	Verified frost line	Distance
Glenview	42 in	5 mi away
Palatine	42 in	9 mi away
Hoffman Estates	42 in	13 mi away
Lombard	42 in	13 mi away
Wheaton	42 in	16 mi away

How likely is the soil in Des Plaines to heave?

Moderate 61%High 39%

USDA rates the sampled soil around Des Plaines as 61% moderate, 39% high for frost action (main soils: Orthents, Mundelein, Anthroportic Udorthents).

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

Des Plaines at a glance

Frost line depth: No official local value
County: Cook County
Population (2023 est.): 58,010
Mean annual temperature: 51.3 °F
ZIP codes (5): 60007 · 60016 · 60018 · 60056 · 60068