Frost Line Depth in Stevens County, WA: Spokane County Requires 24 in

No official local value

No official frost line depth is published for Stevens County.

Nearby official codes require 24 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: 170 nights a year at or below 32 °F (NOAA 1991–2020, Chewelah, 9.5 mi).

Checked Oct 2026. Report a correction

Footings Deck Water line Fence post

24 in1 verified code within 57 mi
170nights a year at or below 32 °F
77%of nearby soil rated “moderate” for frost action (USDA)

Does Stevens County have an official frost line depth?

No adopted frost line depth found for Stevens County in its official documents (checked Oct 2026). The nearest official values, from codes we verified, are 24 in. Use the deepest of them until the building department confirms Stevens County’s own number.

What frost line depth does Stevens County use for footings under Table R301.2(1)? Is it 24 in, like Spokane County?

Call 811 at least a few working days before you dig, so buried lines are marked.
Confirm the frost line depth with the Stevens County building department.
Ask whether your project needs a permit (decks, larger sheds and footings usually do).
Dig below 24 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 Stevens County?

Drawn with the deepest nearby official value (24 in). Confirm Stevens County’s own depth before you dig.

House or garage footing Deck footing Water service line Fence post

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

Using the nearby official value of 24 in until Stevens County confirms its own
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 Stevens County?

Average lows are at or below freezing from Oct to Mar. 170 nights a year reach 32 °F or colder; Jan is coldest, with an average low of 20.3 °F.

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Chewelah station, 9.5 mi away, elevation 1,670 ft.

Monthly temperatures as a table

°F	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Low	20.3	21.3	26.8	32.8	40.4	45.5	48.8	46.6	39	30.7	26.1	20.6
High	32.9	39.8	50.1	60.2	70	75.7	86.1	86.3	76	59.3	42.1	33

Stevens County has more freezing nights than 46 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 Stevens County use?

One official code near Stevens County is verified.

Official frost line depths near Stevens County
Place	Verified frost line	Distance
Spokane County	24 in	57 mi away

How likely is the soil in Stevens County to heave?

Moderate 77%High 21%

USDA rates the sampled soil around Stevens County as 1% low, 77% moderate, 21% high for frost action (main soils: Donavan, Newbell, Martella).

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

Stevens County at a glance

Frost line depth: No official local value
Population (2023 est.): 48,837
Mean annual temperature: 46.3 °F
ZIP codes (21): 99006 · 99013 · 99026 · 99034 · 99040 · 99101 · 99109 · 99110 · 99114 · 99122 · 99126 · 99129 · 99131 · 99137 · 99141 · 99148 · 99151 · 99157 · 99167 · 99173 · 99181