Frost Depth & Snow Load in Cleveland, OH (2026)
3 verified frost depth & snow load rules for Cleveland, Ohio, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Frost Line Depth
Cleveland sets footing depth in its own codified building code, and gives houses a shallower figure than everything else: 3 feet for one and two family dwellings, 3 feet 6 inches for other buildings.
Cleveland Footing Depth: 3 Feet for Houses, 3 Feet 6 Inches Otherwise
Some RestrictionsCleveland Codified Ordinances § 3125.06 (Depth of Footings)
§ 3125.06 Depth of Footings. (a) Protection Against Action. (1) When subject to frost action, the bottom of footings shall be not less than three (3) feet, six (6) inches below the adjoining ground surface except that footings for one (1) and two (2) family dwelling houses and similarly lightly loaded buildings shall be not less than three (3) feet below the adjoining ground surface, and except...
Ground Snow Load
Cleveland sets a ground snow load of 30 pounds per square foot in the design criteria sheet its Building and Housing department publishes to complete Ohio's blank table.
Cleveland OH Ground Snow Load: 30 psf
Light RestrictionsCity of Cleveland Department of Building and Housing, Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria
City of Cleveland — Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria. One-, Two-, and Three-Family Dwellings, Section R301, the following local design criteria is established for the City of Cleveland, and shall be used in Table R301.2 (1). These criteria may also be used where permitted in Ohio Building Code chapter 16, Structural Design. GROUND SNOW LOAD: 30 Pounds per square foot. SEISMIC DESIGN CATE...
Building Design Criteria
Cleveland's design criteria sheet sets seismic category B, Severe weathering and required ice shield underlayment, and changes the wind exposure category within 600 feet of the Lake Erie shoreline.
Cleveland OH Building Design Criteria
Some RestrictionsCity of Cleveland Department of Building and Housing, Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria
City of Cleveland — Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria. WIND SPEED: 90 Miles per hour; Exposure Category: B (Exposure Category: D within six hundred feet (600') of Lake Erie shoreline.) SEISMIC DESIGN CATEGORY: B. SUBJECT TO DAMAGE FROM WEATHERING: SEVERE. SUBJECT TO DAMAGE FROM TERMITES: MODERATE to HEAVY. SUBJECT TO DAMAGE FROM DECAY: SLIGHT to MODERATE. WINTER DESIGN TEMPERATURE: 5° F. ...
Looking for Cuyahoga County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Cleveland city rules.
Frost Depth & Snow Load in Cuyahoga County →