Frost Line Depth in Chaves County, NM: Roswell Requires 12 in

No official local value

No official frost line depth is published for Chaves County.

Nearby official codes require 12 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: 87 nights a year at or below 32 °F (NOAA 1991–2020, Roswell Ind Air Pk, 4.3 mi).

Checked Oct 2026. Report a correction

Footings Deck Water line Fence post

12 in1 verified code within 4 mi
87nights a year at or below 32 °F
86%of nearby soil rated “low” for frost action (USDA)

Does Chaves County have an official frost line depth?

No adopted frost line depth found for Chaves County in its official documents (checked Oct 2026). The nearest official values, from codes we verified, are 12 in. Use the deepest of them until the building department confirms Chaves County’s own number.

What frost line depth does Chaves County use for footings under Table R301.2(1)? Is it 12 in, like Roswell?

Call 811 at least a few working days before you dig, so buried lines are marked.
Confirm the frost line depth with the Chaves County building department.
Ask whether your project needs a permit (decks, larger sheds and footings usually do).
Dig below 12 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 Chaves County?

Drawn with the deepest nearby official value (12 in). Confirm Chaves County’s own depth before you dig.

House or garage footing Deck footing Water service line Fence post

House or garage footing in Chaves County: dig at least 12 in (30 cm). Below the frost line and at least 12 in deep (IRC R403.1.4).

Using the nearby official value of 12 in until Chaves County confirms its own
Project	Depth	Rule
House or garage footing	12 in	Below the frost line and at least 12 in deep (IRC R403.1.4)
Deck footing (attached)	12 in	Below the frost line and at least 12 in deep (IRC R507.3)
Water service line	18 in	6 in below the frost line and at least 12 in deep (IRC P2603.5)
Fence post bottom	12 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 Chaves County?

Average lows are at or below freezing from Dec to Jan. 87 nights a year reach 32 °F or colder; Jan is coldest, with an average low of 28.1 °F.

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Roswell Ind Air Pk station, 4.3 mi away, elevation 3,649 ft.

Monthly temperatures as a table

°F	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Low	28.1	32.5	39.4	47	56.7	65.7	69.9	68.6	61.2	48.8	36.3	28.3
High	57.3	63.2	71	79.4	87.8	96.2	96.5	94.6	87.6	77.7	65.7	56.5

Chaves County has fewer freezing nights than 12 of the 16 other New Mexico places we track. The New Mexico median is 124. Coldest: McKinley County; mildest: Lea County.

What frost line depth do towns near Chaves County use?

One official code near Chaves County is verified.

Official frost line depths near Chaves County
Place	Verified frost line	Distance
Roswell	12 in	4 mi away

How likely is the soil in Chaves County to heave?

None 14%Low 86%

USDA rates the sampled soil around Chaves County as 14% none, 86% low for frost action (main soils: Reakor, Reeves, Reakor variant).

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

Chaves County at a glance

Frost line depth: No official local value
Population (2023 est.): 63,561
Mean annual temperature: 63.2 °F
ZIP codes (9): 88116 · 88201 · 88203 · 88230 · 88232 · 88250 · 88253 · 88339 · 88344