Dayton, OH Frost Depth & Snow Load: Frost Line Depth (2026)

Ohio leaves the frost line depth to each jurisdiction, and Dayton publishes its answer as a plain statement rather than a filled-in table: a minimum depth of 32 inches from finish grade to the bottom of the footing is required. That is the same figure Columbus uses, and shallower than Toledo's 36 inches. The city pairs the depth requirement with a note that minimum footing size is determined by the load bearing value of the soil, so depth alone does not settle the design, the footing has to be sized for what the ground beneath it can carry. Dayton does not publish a ground snow load anywhere in its building guidance; what it publishes instead is a roof snow load, which is a different quantity and is covered separately.