Summit County, OH Frost Depth & Snow Load: Frost Line Depth (2026)
Key Facts
- Frost line depth
- 38 inches minimum
- Governs Akron
- Yes. Akron merged its building department into Summit County in 2009
- Footer sizing
- Per RCO Table 507.3.1
- Code edition enforced
- 2019 Residential Building Code of Ohio: the current edition
- How it compares
- Deepest in Ohio; Columbus and Dayton are 32 inches, Toledo 36
Summary
Summit County Building Standards sets a frost line depth of 38 inches, the deepest in Ohio we have found, and it governs Akron, which has had no building department of its own since 2009.
RESIDENTIAL DECK CONSTRUCTION SPECIFICATIONS — County of Summit Building Standards Division. Construction plans shall be submitted for review to verify compliance with the 2019 Residential Building Code of Ohio (RCO). FOOTER: The footer shall be sized based upon RCO table 507.3.1 Frost line depth is minimum of 38" inches.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
Summit County's Building Standards Division states a frost line depth of a minimum of 38 inches in its residential deck construction specifications, with the footer sized under the Residential Code of Ohio table for deck footings. Thirty-eight inches is the deepest figure of any Ohio jurisdiction we cover: deeper than Cleveland's 42-inch general rule only in the sense that Cleveland allows 36 inches for houses, and well beyond Columbus and Dayton at 32. The county's reach is the important part. Akron combined its building department into the Summit County Department of Building Standards in 2009, so Akron has published no criteria of its own since, and Summit County's figures are what govern building there. Unusually for this category in Ohio, the document is current: it requires compliance with the 2019 Residential Building Code of Ohio, the edition in force, rather than the 2013 edition that several Ohio criteria sheets are still keyed to.
Violations & Fines
Footing depth is checked at inspection before concrete is placed, with the footer sized according to the code's deck footing table rather than by depth alone. Because Summit County reviews for Akron as well as for its own unincorporated areas and partner jurisdictions, an Akron project is submitted to the county rather than to the city.
Frequently Asked Questions
How deep do footings have to be in Summit County, Ohio?
What is the frost depth in Akron?
Is this document current?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Summit County
Compare Summit County to another location·View the Ohio frost depth & snow load overview
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