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Greeley, CO Frost Depth & Snow Load: Frost Line Depth (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Key Facts

Frost line depth
30 inches
How it compares
Six inches shallower than Denver and Aurora, both 36 inches
Code edition enforced
2021 International Building Code and 2021 International Residential Code
Weathering
Severe
Seismic design category
B
Citation
Greeley Municipal Code Sec. 22-87, Table R301.2(1)

Summary

Greeley sets its frost line depth at 30 inches in the design criteria table added to its municipal code: six inches shallower than Denver and Aurora.

Sec. 22-87. - Table R301.2(1) added; climatic and geographic design criteria. GROUND SNOW LOAD 30 PSF; Speed (mph) 115; Topographic Effects NO; Special Wind Region NO; Wind-borne Debris Zone NO; SEISMIC DESIGN CATEGORY B; Weathering Severe; Frost line depth 30"; Termite Slight to Moderate.

Full Breakdown

Greeley adds its own Table R301.2(1) to the municipal code rather than leaving the model code's blanks unfilled, and the frost line depth column reads 30 inches. That is a genuinely different figure from the Denver metro cities to the south, which sit at 36 inches, and it is the kind of difference that only exists because Colorado has no statewide residential code to flatten it. The same table records weathering as Severe, seismic design category B, wind speed 115 mph, and termite risk as Slight to Moderate, with topographic effects, special wind region and wind-borne debris zone all marked no. The city enforces the 2021 International Building Code and 2021 International Residential Code alongside the 2023 National Electrical Code.

Violations & Fines

Footing depth is verified at the foundation inspection before concrete is placed, and a footing bearing above 30 inches will not pass. Note the code's own footnote warning that the frost line depth may require deeper footings than the model figure indicates: the tabulated 30 inches is the jurisdiction's minimum, not a guarantee that conditions on a particular site will not demand more.

Frequently Asked Questions

How deep do footings have to be in Greeley?
30 inches. Greeley's Table R301.2(1), added at Municipal Code Sec. 22-87, fills the frost line depth column with 30 inches.
Why is Greeley shallower than Denver?
Because each Colorado jurisdiction sets its own. There is no statewide residential code to standardise the figure, so Greeley's 30 inches and Denver's 36 inches are both simply what those cities adopted.
Could my site need deeper footings than 30 inches?
Possibly. The code's own footnote notes that frost line depth may require deeper footings than the model figure indicates, so the tabulated number is a minimum rather than a ceiling.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Greeley

All Greeley rules

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