Frostline.info

Frost line depth in Los Angeles County, California

Frost reaches about 2 inches in typical soil across Los Angeles County, from 0″ in the mildest ZIP code to 7″ in the coldest. Codes in this climate commonly set footing depth at 12 inches (code minimum).

Shallow frost
Estimated frost depth
2″
typical silt/loam soil
Typical code footing depth
12″ minimum
rule of thumb for this climate
Design freezing index
4
°F-days, 100-year winter
ZIP codes covered
287
#36 of 58 counties in CA (1 = deepest)
2″ 0″12″24″36″ ground frozen
Est. frost (typical soil) Typical code footing depth Clay–sand range

Frost depth by soil type

Soil typeEst. frost depth
Sand / gravel (drains well)2″
Silt / loam (typical yard soil)2″
Clay (holds water)2″

County average. Methodology.

Verify before you dig. These are climate-based estimates. The legally required frost depth is the figure your building department publishes in its IRC Table R301.2 (climatic and geographic design criteria). Call the Los Angeles County building or permitting office in California and call 811 before digging.

Frost depth by ZIP code in Los Angeles County

ZIPCityEst. frostCode range
90001Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90002Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90003Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90004Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90005Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90006Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90007Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90008Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90010Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90011Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90012Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90013Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90014Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90015Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90016Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90017Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90018Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90019Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90020Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90021Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90022Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90023Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90024Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90025Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90026Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90027Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90028Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90029Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90031Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90032Los Angeles2″12″ minimum
90033Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90034Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90035Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90036Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90037Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90038Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90039Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90040Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90041Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90042Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90043Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90044Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90045Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90046Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90047Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90048Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90049Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90056Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90057Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90058Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90059Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90061Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90062Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90063Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90064Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90065Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90066Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90067Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90068Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90069West Hollywood0″12″ minimum
90071Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90077Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90079Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90094Playa Vista0″12″ minimum
90134Los Angeles0″12″ minimum
90201Bell Gardens0″12″ minimum
90210Beverly Hills0″12″ minimum
90211Beverly Hills0″12″ minimum
90212Beverly Hills0″12″ minimum
90220Compton0″12″ minimum
90221Compton0″12″ minimum
90222Compton0″12″ minimum
90230Culver City0″12″ minimum
90232Culver City0″12″ minimum
90240Downey0″12″ minimum
90241Downey0″12″ minimum
90242Downey0″12″ minimum
90245El Segundo0″12″ minimum
90247Gardena0″12″ minimum
90248Gardena0″12″ minimum
90249Gardena0″12″ minimum
90250Hawthorne0″12″ minimum
90254Hermosa Beach0″12″ minimum
90255Huntington Park0″12″ minimum
90260Lawndale0″12″ minimum
90261Lawndale0″12″ minimum
90262Lynwood0″12″ minimum
90265Malibu0″12″ minimum
90266Manhattan Beach0″12″ minimum
90270Maywood0″12″ minimum
90272Pacific Palisades0″12″ minimum
90274Palos Verdes Peninsula0″12″ minimum
90275Rancho Palos Verdes0″12″ minimum
90277Redondo Beach0″12″ minimum
90278Redondo Beach0″12″ minimum
90280South Gate0″12″ minimum
90290Topanga0″12″ minimum
90291Venice0″12″ minimum
90292Marina Del Rey0″12″ minimum
90293Playa Del Rey0″12″ minimum
90301Inglewood0″12″ minimum
90302Inglewood0″12″ minimum
90303Inglewood0″12″ minimum
90304Inglewood0″12″ minimum
90305Inglewood0″12″ minimum
90311Inglewood0″12″ minimum
90401Santa Monica0″12″ minimum
90402Santa Monica0″12″ minimum
90403Santa Monica0″12″ minimum
90404Santa Monica0″12″ minimum
90405Santa Monica0″12″ minimum
90501Torrance0″12″ minimum
90502Torrance0″12″ minimum
90503Torrance0″12″ minimum
90504Torrance0″12″ minimum
90505Torrance0″12″ minimum
90506Torrance0″12″ minimum
90601Whittier0″12″ minimum
90602Whittier0″12″ minimum
90603Whittier0″12″ minimum
90604Whittier0″12″ minimum
90605Whittier0″12″ minimum
90606Whittier0″12″ minimum
90638La Mirada0″12″ minimum
90640Montebello3″12″ minimum
90650Norwalk0″12″ minimum
90660Pico Rivera0″12″ minimum
90670Santa Fe Springs0″12″ minimum
90701Artesia0″12″ minimum
90703Cerritos0″12″ minimum
90706Bellflower0″12″ minimum
90710Harbor City0″12″ minimum
90712Lakewood0″12″ minimum
90713Lakewood0″12″ minimum
90715Lakewood0″12″ minimum
90716Hawaiian Gardens0″12″ minimum
90717Lomita0″12″ minimum
90723Paramount0″12″ minimum
90731San Pedro0″12″ minimum
90732San Pedro0″12″ minimum
90744Wilmington0″12″ minimum
90745Carson0″12″ minimum
90746Carson0″12″ minimum
90755Signal Hill0″12″ minimum
90802Long Beach0″12″ minimum
90803Long Beach0″12″ minimum
90804Long Beach0″12″ minimum
90805Long Beach0″12″ minimum
90806Long Beach0″12″ minimum
90807Long Beach0″12″ minimum
90808Long Beach0″12″ minimum
90810Long Beach0″12″ minimum
90813Long Beach0″12″ minimum
90814Long Beach0″12″ minimum
90815Long Beach0″12″ minimum
90822Long Beach0″12″ minimum
90831Long Beach0″12″ minimum
90833Long Beach0″12″ minimum
91001Altadena4″12″ minimum
91006Arcadia4″12″ minimum
91007Arcadia3″12″ minimum
91008Duarte6″12–18″
91010Duarte5″12–18″
91011La Canada Flintridge5″12–18″
91016Monrovia5″12–18″
91020Montrose4″12″ minimum
91024Sierra Madre6″12–18″
91030South Pasadena2″12″ minimum
91040Sunland0″12″ minimum
91042Tujunga4″12″ minimum
91101Pasadena1″12″ minimum
91103Pasadena1″12″ minimum
91104Pasadena3″12″ minimum
91105Pasadena1″12″ minimum
91106Pasadena2″12″ minimum
91107Pasadena4″12″ minimum
91108San Marino1″12″ minimum
91201Glendale0″12″ minimum
91202Glendale0″12″ minimum
91203Glendale0″12″ minimum
91204Glendale0″12″ minimum
91205Glendale0″12″ minimum
91206Glendale0″12″ minimum
91207Glendale0″12″ minimum
91208Glendale0″12″ minimum
91210Glendale0″12″ minimum
91214La Crescenta4″12″ minimum
91301Agoura Hills0″12″ minimum
91302Calabasas0″12″ minimum
91303Canoga Park0″12″ minimum
91304Canoga Park0″12″ minimum
91306Winnetka0″12″ minimum
91307West Hills0″12″ minimum
91311Chatsworth0″12″ minimum
91316Encino0″12″ minimum
91321Newhall0″12″ minimum
91324Northridge0″12″ minimum
91325Northridge0″12″ minimum
91326Porter Ranch0″12″ minimum
91331Pacoima0″12″ minimum
91335Reseda0″12″ minimum
91340San Fernando0″12″ minimum
91342Sylmar0″12″ minimum
91343North Hills0″12″ minimum
91344Granada Hills0″12″ minimum
91345Mission Hills0″12″ minimum
91350Santa Clarita4″12″ minimum
91351Canyon Country4″12″ minimum
91352Sun Valley0″12″ minimum
91354Valencia4″12″ minimum
91355Valencia3″12″ minimum
91356Tarzana0″12″ minimum
91364Woodland Hills0″12″ minimum
91367Woodland Hills0″12″ minimum
91381Stevenson Ranch0″12″ minimum
91382Santa Clarita3″12″ minimum
91383Santa Clarita3″12″ minimum
91384Castaic4″12″ minimum
91387Canyon Country3″12″ minimum
91390Santa Clarita4″12″ minimum
91401Van Nuys0″12″ minimum
91402Panorama City0″12″ minimum
91403Sherman Oaks0″12″ minimum
91405Van Nuys0″12″ minimum
91406Van Nuys0″12″ minimum
91411Van Nuys0″12″ minimum
91423Sherman Oaks0″12″ minimum
91436Encino0″12″ minimum
91501Burbank0″12″ minimum
91502Burbank0″12″ minimum
91504Burbank0″12″ minimum
91505Burbank0″12″ minimum
91506Burbank0″12″ minimum
91601North Hollywood0″12″ minimum
91602North Hollywood0″12″ minimum
91604Studio City0″12″ minimum
91605North Hollywood0″12″ minimum
91606North Hollywood0″12″ minimum
91607Valley Village0″12″ minimum
91608Universal City0″12″ minimum
91702Azusa4″12″ minimum
91706Baldwin Park4″12″ minimum
91711Claremont0″12″ minimum
91722Covina3″12″ minimum
91723Covina0″12″ minimum
91724Covina0″12″ minimum
91731El Monte3″12″ minimum
91732El Monte0″12″ minimum
91733South El Monte3″12″ minimum
91740Glendora3″12″ minimum
91741Glendora3″12″ minimum
91744La Puente0″12″ minimum
91745Hacienda Heights0″12″ minimum
91746La Puente0″12″ minimum
91748Rowland Heights0″12″ minimum
91750La Verne0″12″ minimum
91754Monterey Park2″12″ minimum
91755Monterey Park2″12″ minimum
91765Diamond Bar0″12″ minimum
91766Pomona0″12″ minimum
91767Pomona0″12″ minimum
91768Pomona0″12″ minimum
91770Rosemead2″12″ minimum
91773San Dimas0″12″ minimum
91775San Gabriel1″12″ minimum
91776San Gabriel1″12″ minimum
91780Temple City2″12″ minimum
91789Walnut0″12″ minimum
91790West Covina0″12″ minimum
91791West Covina0″12″ minimum
91792West Covina0″12″ minimum
91801Alhambra1″12″ minimum
91803Alhambra2″12″ minimum
91804Alhambra1″12″ minimum
93510Acton7″12–18″
93532Lake Hughes6″12–18″
93534Lancaster6″12–18″
93535Lancaster7″12–18″
93536Lancaster7″12–18″
93543Littlerock6″12–18″
93544Llano6″12–18″
93550Palmdale7″12–18″
93551Palmdale6″12–18″
93552Palmdale6″12–18″
93553Pearblossom7″12–18″
93563Valyermo5″12–18″
93591Palmdale7″12–18″

What this means for your project in Los Angeles County

Deck footings & piers

Footings must bear below the frost line and at least 12″ below undisturbed ground. For planning in this area, budget for holes around 12″ deep until your permit office confirms the exact figure.

Fence posts

Set posts at least one-third of their above-ground height. Where frost heave is a problem, carry concrete footings below the frost line (about 12″ here in typical soil) and bell or taper the bottom.

Water & irrigation lines

Bury supply lines below the frost depth. Your water utility or plumbing code sets the minimum cover; freezing is rare, but exposed pipes still need insulation.

Slabs & frost-protected foundations

Frost-protected shallow foundations (IRC R403.3) use the 100-year air freezing index — 4 °F-days here — to size perimeter insulation, letting footings sit shallower than the frost line.

Weather stations used

NOAA weather stationDistance100-yr AFI
Pasadena, CA8 mi0
San Gabriel Fire Dept, CA9 mi0
Culver City, CA9 mi0
Burbank Valley Pmp Plt, CA9 mi0

Nearby counties

Common questions

What is the frost line depth in Los Angeles County?

About 2 inches in typical soil, based on NOAA's 100-year air freezing index. Across the county's ZIP codes the estimate runs from 0 to 7 inches.

How deep should footings be in Los Angeles County, California?

Codes in climates like this commonly require 12 inches (code minimum). The Los Angeles County building department publishes the required frost depth in its adopted code (IRC Table R301.2).

Does frost depth vary within Los Angeles County?

Yes. Estimates differ by 7 inches between the coldest and mildest ZIP codes, mostly from latitude and elevation. Check your own ZIP below.