Frost Depth and Snow Load in the Uintah Basin

In Uintah County and Duchesne County, footings need to go at least 30 inches below grade for frost protection, and Utah's code lists Vernal and Duchesne at a 39 pounds per square foot (psf) ground snow load. Rangely, Colorado, runs higher: 42 inches and 65 psf. Your exact numbers depend on your address and elevation, so confirm them with the office that issues your permit.

If you're inside Vernal city limits, the city hasn't published its own frost depth, so call Vernal City to confirm it. Not sure which office covers you? Start with our guide to building permits in the Uintah Basin.

This is general information, not engineering or legal advice. Your building office has the final say.

Frost depth and snow load at a glance#

These are the published minimums. Your building office has the final say, and some sites need more.

How deep footings go for frost in Vernal and Uintah County#

Outside city limits, Uintah County sets the number: 30 inches. The county's Plan Review page and its May 2026 single-family permit packet say footings must be continuous and at least 30 inches below grade for frost protection. Under walkout and threshold areas, the footing has to step down 30 inches too. Foundation walls must be at least 8 inches wide and stick up at least 6 inches above grade.

The county's commercial checklist uses the same 30-inch frost footing rule.

Vernal hasn't published a frost depth table of its own. Its residential permit page says plans are designed to the International Residential Code (IRC), and that code leaves the frost line to the local office. Call Vernal City at (435) 789-2271 and ask what depth they want on your plans. Don't assume the county number carries over.

Naples hasn't published a figure either. Call Naples City at (435) 789-9090 to confirm.

Reading a bid that says 30-inch footings#

If a bid or plan set for a house in unincorporated Uintah County calls for 30-inch footings, that matches the county's published minimum. It's a minimum, not a ceiling. Poor soil or a walkout can mean deeper footings, and the office can ask for more on its own. Inside Vernal, Naples or Roosevelt, none of the cities has published a figure, so ask the city what it wants before you compare bids.

If you're having footings dug and poured, get that depth on the plans first.

Why 30 inches?#

The model code says footings have to sit at least 12 inches below undisturbed ground and below the local frost line, and they can't bear on frozen soil (IRC R403.1.4 and R403.1.4.1). The code doesn't set one frost line for everybody. Each jurisdiction fills in its own, and 30 inches is the figure Uintah County and Duchesne County publish.

Soil can change the answer#

Uintah County's permit packets ask whether there are soil problems on or near your property, and the checklist lists geotechnical data for footings and foundations. Duchesne County's design table says its frost line "may be site specific" and may need deeper footings. If your office asks for soils information, get it started early.

Duchesne County and Roosevelt#

Duchesne County publishes a design table on its general design information page. The page notes the table was updated July 1, 2023. It lists:

• Frost line: 30 inches, which may be site specific and may require deeper footings
• Weathering: Severe
• Ice barrier underlayment required: Yes
• Winter design temperature: -2°F
• Ground snow load: varies with elevation, and the table points to Utah's code and the Utah State University snow load map

Confirm the numbers for your lot with Community Development: Building Division at (435) 738-1150. Agricultural buildings in Duchesne County need an Agricultural Exemption Form that is signed, notarized, and recorded with the County Recorder. Building without the required permit costs at least a fee equal to the permit. The county explains both on its What Buildings Need a Building Permit page.

Duchesne City has its own building department. Call (435) 738-2464 for the frost depth and snow load it wants inside city limits.

Roosevelt hasn't published a frost depth or snow load table. Call Roosevelt City at (435) 722-5001 to confirm.

Snow load: what your roof has to carry#

Ground snow load is the starting number an engineer or truss designer uses for your site. Roof snow load is what the roof is designed to carry once that number is adjusted for the roof and the building. You don't need to do the math. Your plans just need the right starting number.

Utah sets ground snow loads for some cities in its state amendments to the residential code, Utah Code 15A-3-202, effective July 1, 2026:

• Vernal: 39 psf at 5,384 feet
• Duchesne: 39 psf at 5,508 feet
• Manila: 26 psf at 6,368 feet

Each value applies at and below the listed elevation, within 100 feet. For other locations, the code points to the Utah Snow Load Study map from Utah State University.

Manila's own building permit application (page 3) lists different figures: snow 30 lbs, ground snow 43 lbs, and a frost depth of 36 inches. Use the town's figures on the plans. The 26 psf state number is context for the statewide table, not the number the town prints on its application.

Uintah County's numbers need a closer look. The current single-family permit packet (May 13, 2026) and the county's Plan Review page both list a 30 psf roof snow load and a 39 psf ground snow load. Neither one says whether that figure holds at every elevation in the county. An older county packet from December 2015 listed 43 psf ground. If you come across that older PDF, that's why the numbers differ. Call Uintah County at (435) 781-5336 to confirm the figure for your lot before you design, especially if you're building higher than Vernal.

Higher up? Check the map#

If your property sits above the elevation listed for the nearest city, say up toward the mountains, the USU ground snow load map gives a site value by address or coordinates. USU notes its values are tied to the residential and commercial codes they were built for. Utah changed its commercial code on July 1, 2026, so commercial designers should use the ASCE Hazard Tool instead.

Ice barrier#

Duchesne County's design table says ice barrier underlayment is required. Uintah County's inspection list calls for roof decking, underlayment, flashing and ice shield to be in place at the roof inspection, before shingles go on.

Small sheds, decks, and garages#

Utah's residential code doesn't require frost protection for a freestanding accessory building of 600 square feet or less of light-frame construction, or 400 square feet or less of other construction, with an eave height of 10 feet or less (IRC R403.1.4.1). Footings still have to be at least 12 inches below undisturbed ground. Utah's statewide amendments don't change that section.

Uintah County, Vernal, Duchesne County and Roosevelt don't publish whether they apply this exception. Your office has the final say, so call to confirm before you pour.

You may also hear about frost-protected shallow foundations, which use insulation so the footings can be shallower. The code only allows them for buildings kept at a monthly mean temperature of at least 64°F. It says they can't be used for unheated garages, carports, porches or utility rooms (IRC R403.3), unless engineered (ASCE 32). So if your garage or addition won't be heated, that option is off the table unless it is engineered to ASCE 32.

Decks have their own footing section in the code (R507.3). Uintah County's Building Division page warns that several decks have collapsed in the county in recent years, and urges permits, inspections and licensed contractors.

Rangely and the smaller towns#

• Rangely: the town code (Sec. 243.4) sets a 65 psf ground snow load and a 42-inch frost line depth, and requires ice shield underlayment. Call the Rangely building inspector at (970) 878-9450 to confirm these are current.
• Dinosaur: call Town Hall at (970) 374-2286.
• Manila: the town's building permit application lists a 36-inch frost depth, snow of 30 lbs, and ground snow of 43 lbs. Call (435) 784-3143 to confirm.
• Daggett County: the residential building permit calls for perimeter footings at least 30 inches below grade. Its snow loads are Manila 30, Browns Park 30, Dutch John 40, Clay Basin 40, and the Pines 80 lbs. Call (435) 784-3222 ext. 230 to confirm.
• Rio Blanco County outside Rangely: call the county Building Division at (970) 878-9452.

Who to call to confirm your numbers#

• Uintah County, outside city limits: (435) 781-5336
• Vernal City: (435) 789-2271
• Naples City: (435) 789-9090
• Duchesne County, outside city limits: (435) 738-1150
• Duchesne City: (435) 738-2464
• Roosevelt City: (435) 722-5001
• Town of Manila: (435) 784-3143
• Daggett County: (435) 784-3222 ext. 230
• Rangely building inspector: (970) 878-9450
• Rio Blanco County Building Division: (970) 878-9452
• Dinosaur Town Hall: (970) 374-2286

Tell them the address or parcel number and ask for the frost depth and ground snow load they want on your plans. Write down the numbers and the name of the person you talked to. Then make sure those same numbers end up on your plans and in your truss or engineering order. For the full breakdown of who covers what, see which office issues your permit.

Planning a foundation?#

Footings are the one part of a building you can't fix later. If you're planning a foundation or slab, call Tobin at (435) 790-4883, Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm, to confirm whether it's work Flat Rock can take on.

The related projects on this page show some of Flat Rock's concrete and framing work, plus the Peterson Home project.