# Exterior Concrete Stair Footing Below Frost Line?



## fj80 (Aug 9, 2017)

2012 IRC.   When you have a concrete pad and steps outside an exterior door of a house, at the bottom step do you need to extend the concrete down below the frost line? I'm guessing that
you do, so you don't get upheaval from soil expansion during freezing, but am not totally sure.


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## JBI (Aug 9, 2017)

Short answer is yes. See R403.1.4.1 Frost protection.


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## JBI (Aug 9, 2017)




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## fatboy (Aug 9, 2017)

We don't require it here.


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## steveray (Aug 9, 2017)

Nor here..Call it #3 of JBI's code section....just don't "attach" it to the house....


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## fj80 (Aug 9, 2017)

steveray said:


> Nor here..Call it #3 of JBI's code section....just don't "attach" it to the house....


It has to be attached to the house for our situation. It's a landing outside the mudroom exterior door, then a couple steps down to grade.


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## Francis Vineyard (Aug 9, 2017)

Now that the code permits exterior landings to be free standing  (Ref. R311.5.1) we permit the #3 exception.


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