# Frost Lines



## Ron

Ok lets hear what you are required to set your lines at below grade.

Water Lines....... 24"

Waste...... What ever there at passing though or under the foundation.


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## uaplumber

We do 8'


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## brass plumbing

*frost depth*

s.e. michigan has 4'


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## Plumber Jim

we do 6' here

PLumber JIm


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## WestCoastPlumber

12" :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:


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## Hyper Piper

Bldg sewer - 42'', 60" if snow will be removed


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## Ron

Those that have to set there water lines over 5' deep, how do you do this, I mean surely you need shoring each and every time right?


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## user4

Ron The Plumber said:


> Those that have to set there water lines over 5' deep, how do you do this, I mean surely you need shoring each and every time right?


Yes you do, generally they just use ditch boxes and backfill as they go.


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## Ron

What a pain, I guess if your used to it, it's very easy I guess, here our frost line it 12" but we have to be 1' below that, puts us at 24" and that's to the top of the pipe, we fail inspection if your not at that depth. What gets me water meters are never that deep, there the depth of the water meter box, but once we exit that box and there after the PRV valve if needed, we have to drop the line right then and there. They are now having us insulate that drop into the ground until we hit then point.


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## Marlin

Our frost line here in NY is about a foot. We are required to be 4' down on our services, usually we end up around 5'. Shoring, what's that? We can't back fill as we go. The inspection takes place upon completion and requires the entire trench to be open.


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## U&I Plumber

30" on the water and 12" on the waste on this side of the Cascades.

While I was in Wisconsin we were at 60" on the water, shoring ppffffft we don't need no stinking shoring, the shops I was in had the equipment to do the installs from dropping the pumps and setting the pat tanks to plumbing the house, same with the waste, everything from designing and installing the drain field to digging for and setting the septic tanks.


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## M5Plumb

In PDX and SW WA, like Ron mentioned, 24". pothole at the meter and pop up in the crawl or the bottom of the garage floor right next to a wall for valve and PRV if necessary. Mostly Bored through.


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## gladerunner

36" in philadelphia. Shoring required 5' or more, by OSHA. so I'm pretty sure thats everywhere, we mostly use a hydrolic jack system and reinforced plywood panels. "Trench-Tec" not sure if thats the manufaturer or distributer, but it's pretty easy to move along with you. Had one sewer years ago 24' deep, It don't matter how good your ditch is shored, 24' is scary.


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## trick1

We are at 4'-6" for water service and 18" for sanitary/storm.


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## Plasticman

Here in North Florida its minimum 12" for water. Frost line is 6". Never had em say anything about drains.


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## Dr Steevil

The only frost you ever see here is on the side of a beer mug!


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## Airgap

Ron The Plumber said:


> Those that have to set there water lines over 5' deep, how do you do this, I mean surely you need shoring each and every time right?


 If you do a step back on the trench at 4' you can keep from having to use shoring. This only works for depths less than 8', because then you would have to step back again. This works well when the ditch has to stay open for inspection.


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## gusty60

What is frost?:laughing:


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## plumb4fun

12 inches here, less if the dirts too hard! lol:laughing:


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## Protech

12" is code. I see many lines buried 2" deep. I've broken water mains with my shovel and I didn't even get my foot on the shovel yet.


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## Camolia0

We do 3' in Toronto area.


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## user823

Code in Mn. is below the frost line. Most are set below 8'. This year the frost level is down to around 7'. It's not a pain or even a big deal, we just don't do the digging. There are excavation companies here that do that sort of work, we do the hook ups.


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## M5Plumb

That can be pretty tough on you guys the Plumbing company there in MN. I'd imagine a company that also does the trenching stands to make a buck easier. I say that because the work I've been outbid generally have their own equipment and bid low enough to capture the job where I don't have a choice but to bid higher to cover cost etc....





ironranger said:


> Code in Mn. is below the frost line. Most are set below 8'. This year the frost level is down to around 7'. It's not a pain or even a big deal, we just don't do the digging. There are excavation companies here that do that sort of work, we do the hook ups.


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## user823

M5Plumb said:


> That can be pretty tough on you guys the Plumbing company there in MN. I'd imagine a company that also does the trenching stands to make a buck easier. I say that because the work I've been outbid generally have their own equipment and bid low enough to capture the job where I don't have a choice but to bid higher to cover cost etc....



Not really, they can trench all they want, I don't want it. They can't lay any pipe without a plumbing license, that's where I come in. I have yet to see a excavating company around here with a masters license.


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## M5Plumb

ironranger said:


> Not really, they can trench all they want, I don't want it. They can't lay any pipe without a plumbing license, that's where I come in. I have yet to see a excavating company around here with a masters license.



That sounds like a good deal....I imagine the other plumbers are doing the same then from the sounds of it. That certainly lends to the idea of keeping more people employed, kinda creating your own "Stimulus Package". :thumbup:


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## bob young

*Frost Line*

N.Y.C. 42 " TO be on safe side we usually go four foot. in canarsie figure in an extra day to remove rocks & cars & baby carriages.


Ron The Plumber said:


> Ok lets hear what you are required to set your lines at below grade.
> 
> Water Lines....... 24"
> 
> Waste...... What ever there at passing though or under the foundation.


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## rogeru

Camolia0 said:


> We do 3' in Toronto area.


 I work in the Toronto area and would put drains no less than 4'deep and water lines/water services at 5'-6". I know our weather is fairly moderate but every once in a while we get a deep freeze for extended periods.
Roger


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## plumbob1234

on the fip side here Gusty, it's been said "summer here is just two months of bad skating". It's not true though, today we hit 28 deg. celcus. Back on topic, I unthawed a frozen drain on an oilfield camp once with a welder. The heat trace gave out, and froze the cast iron pipe. I got one of the welders staying in camp to park by the lift station, hooked the ground to one end and ran the stinger in to the farthest closit flange and completed the citcuit on low amperage and waited for the water to flow. Not the most professional, I know but when the nearest town is a 7 hour drive, you do what you have to.


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## plumbob1234

sorry for the bad english, I thawed, not unthawed, the drain.


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## cincy plumber

48" water service.24"gas


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## Bollinger plumber

24 to 36 inches here depending on what city's jurisdiction you are working under. 1 ft on the waste lines.


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## thirdspirit

By code "12 but if cost allows I like to go ''18 not cause I'm worried about frost just for protection from other events:whistling2:


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