Frost Line Depth in Burien, Washington
- 4 verified codes nearby
- Checked Oct 2026
No official local value
No official frost line depth is published for Burien.
Nearby official codes require 12–18 in (4 verified codes).
Source and how we checked
We searched this place’s own code and website and found no published frost line depth.
Climate: 25 nights a year at or below 32 °F (NOAA 1991–2020, Seattle Tacoma International Airport, 2.6 mi).
Checked Oct 2026. Report a correction
Does Burien have an official frost line depth?
No adopted frost line depth found for Burien in its official documents (checked Oct 2026). The nearest official values, from codes we verified, are 12 to 18 in. Use the deepest of them until the building department confirms Burien’s own number.
What frost line depth does Burien use for footings under Table R301.2(1)? Is it 12 in, like Redmond?
How deep do footings, decks and water lines need to be in Burien?
Drawn with the deepest nearby official value (18 in). Confirm Burien’s own depth before you dig.
House or garage footing in Burien: dig at least 18 in (46 cm). Below the frost line and at least 12 in deep (IRC R403.1.4).
| 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 Burien?
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
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- N
- D
Burien never averages a low below freezing. 25 nights a year reach 32 °F or colder; Dec is coldest, with an average low of 37.1 °F.
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Seattle Tacoma International Airport station, 2.6 mi away, elevation 370 ft.
Monthly temperatures as a table
| °F | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low | 37.7 | 37.7 | 39.9 | 43.3 | 48.7 | 53 | 56.8 | 57.2 | 53.6 | 47 | 40.9 | 37.1 |
| High | 48 | 50.3 | 54.2 | 59.3 | 66.3 | 71.1 | 77.4 | 77.6 | 71.6 | 60.5 | 52.1 | 47 |
Burien has fewer freezing nights than 43 of the 47 other Washington places we track. The Washington median is 54. Coldest: Chelan County; mildest: Lakewood.
What frost line depth do towns near Burien use?
4 official codes near Burien are verified; each links to its document.
| Place | Verified frost line | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Redmond | 12 in | 18 mi away |
| Bremerton | 12 in | 18 mi away |
| King County | 12 in | 24 mi away |
| Lynnwood | 18 in | 25 mi away |
How likely is the soil in Burien to heave?
USDA rates the sampled soil around Burien as 100% none for frost action (main soils: Alderwood, Anthraltic Xerorthents, Everett).
USDA NRCS soil survey, 9 sample points within 2 mi. Higher frost action means more risk of heave; see frost heave.
Burien at a glance
- Frost line depth
- No official local value
- County
- King County
- Population (2023 est.)
- 50,730
- Mean annual temperature
- 53.7 °F
- ZIP codes (4)
- 98146 · 98148 · 98166 · 98168