Queen Anne's County, MD Frost Line Depth: 24 in

Verified

24in

61 cm · 2 ft

Set in the building code Queen Anne's County has adopted.

Source and how we checked

Document: labor.maryland.gov

Climate: 97 nights a year at or below 32 °F (NOAA 1991–2020, Chestertown, 12.3 mi).

Checked Oct 2026. Report a correction

Footings Deck Water line Fence post

1 of 3nearby verified codes use the same depth
97nights a year at or below 32 °F
46%of nearby soil rated “high” for frost action (USDA)

How deep is the frost line in Queen Anne's County?

Queen Anne's County's building authority sets the frost line depth at 24 in (61 cm). Footings, piers and other permanent supports must reach at least this depth (IRC R403.1.4.1).

Who sets the frost line depth in Queen Anne's County?

Maryland leaves the frost line depth to each city or county, and Queen Anne's County fills it in when it adopts the residential code. The value above comes from Queen Anne's County’s own document on labor.maryland.gov. See how Maryland sets frost line depth.

How deep do footings, decks and water lines need to be in Queen Anne's County?

House or garage footing Deck footing Water service line Fence post

House or garage footing in Queen Anne's County: dig at least 24 in (61 cm). Below the frost line and at least 12 in deep (IRC R403.1.4).

Minimum depths in Queen Anne's County with a 24 in frost line
Project	Depth	Rule
House or garage footing	24 in	Below the frost line and at least 12 in deep (IRC R403.1.4)
Deck footing (attached)	24 in	Below the frost line and at least 12 in deep (IRC R507.3)
Water service line	30 in	6 in below the frost line and at least 12 in deep (IRC P2603.5)
Fence post bottom	24 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 Queen Anne's County?

Average lows are at or below freezing from Dec to Feb. 97 nights a year reach 32 °F or colder; Jan is coldest, with an average low of 27.1 °F.

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Chestertown station, 12.3 mi away, elevation 40 ft.

Monthly temperatures as a table

°F	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Low	27.1	28.1	35.1	45	54.9	64	68.7	67.2	60.2	48.1	38.1	31.1
High	40.8	44.2	52.5	64.4	73.6	82.2	86.6	85	78.3	66.8	55.5	45.4

Queen Anne's County has fewer freezing nights than 4 of the 6 other Maryland places we track. The Maryland median is 98. Coldest: Bowie; mildest: Gaithersburg.

What frost line depth do towns near Queen Anne's County use?

3 official codes near Queen Anne's County are verified; each links to its document.

Official frost line depths near Queen Anne's County
Place	Verified frost line	Distance
Baltimore	30 in	33 mi away
Calvert County	24 in	43 mi away
Howard County	30 in	47 mi away

How likely is the soil in Queen Anne's County to heave?

Low 22%Moderate 21%High 46%

USDA rates the sampled soil around Queen Anne's County as 11% none, 22% low, 21% moderate, 46% high for frost action (main soils: Matapeake, Ingleside, Unicorn).

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

How do you confirm the frost line before you dig in Queen Anne's County?

Call 811 at least a few working days before you dig, so buried lines are marked.
Confirm the frost line depth with the Queen Anne's County building department.
Ask whether your project needs a permit (decks, larger sheds and footings usually do).
Dig below 24 in unless the building department tells you otherwise.
Book the footing inspection before you pour concrete.

Queen Anne's County at a glance

Frost line depth: 24 in
Population (2023 est.): 52,508
Mean annual temperature: 56 °F
ZIP codes (16): 21607 · 21617 · 21619 · 21620 · 21623 · 21628 · 21638 · 21640 · 21644 · 21649 · 21651 · 21657 · 21658 · 21666 · 21668 · 21679