Design Guidelines & Criteria

Chapter 15 (PDF) of the Town Municipal Code adopts the latest editions of the California codes. Included are the Town amendments to these adopted codes. Adopted codes include the following:

• 2025 California Building Code
• 2025 California Administrative Code
• 2025 California Residential Code
• 2025 California Electrical Code
• 2025 California Mechanical Code
• 2025 California Plumbing Code
• 2025 California Energy Code
• 2025 California Historic Building Code
• 2025 Fire Code, as amended by Truckee Fire Protection District.
• 2025 Existing Building Code
• 2025 California Green Building Standards Code (CalGreen)
• 2025 California Referenced Standards Code
• 1997 Uniform Housing Code
• 1997 Uniform Code for the Abatement of Dangerous Building
• 2024 International Swimming Pool and Spa
• 2018 International Property Maintenance Code
• 2021 International Solar Energy Provisions

A copy of these codes is available for review at the Building and Safety Division counter. Copies of codes may be purchased from the International Code Council and are also available online at:

• ICC Online Building Code
• Building Standards Commission

The 2025 California Codes became effective January 1, 2026. Any plan submittals on or after January 1, 2026 shall comply with these codes.

The entire Town of Truckee is declared a snow area. In accordance with CBC Section 1608.2, snow loads are based on the "Report of Snow Load Study of Truckee Quadrangle Portions of Nevada County, CA" (PDF) by John Webster Brown, dated June 1973, a copy of which is on file in the Building Department.

All structures require engineered plans, thereby eliminating building code references to conventional construction. See Town of Truckee Municipal Code Sections 15.03.110 (PDF) and 15.03.120 for specific snow load design criteria that modify the basic requirements of CBC Chapter 16 and ASCE 7-16.

Basic wind speed, V

Risk Category I =110 mph
Risk Category II = 120 mph
Risk Category III and IV=130 mph

There is no local historical data documenting structural damage to buildings due to topographic wind speed uplift effects.

See CBC Section 1613 and ASCE 7-16, Chapter 11. Use Google Maps or another source to determine site-specific longitude and latitude. Use the USGS website or NEHRP disk to determine S1 and Ss.

Buildings are normally designed to seismic design category D.

Truckee entered into the National Flood Insurance Program on May 17, 1995, with the adoption of an ordinance for the management of flood hazard areas.

The latest flood insurance study is dated February 3, 2010. It references the following panel numbers:

• 06057C0508E
• 06057C0509E 
• 06057C0528E 
• 06057C0529E 
• 06057C0532E
• 06057C0533E 
• 06057C0534E 
• 06057C0550E 
• 06057C0551E

The annual mean temperature from the National Climatic Data Center is 42.5° F.

The 100-year return period air freezing index (99%) from the National Climatic Data Center is 1187.

The lowest recorded temperature was -31° F in 1965. There are an average of six days annually with a low temperature of 0º F or lower. Depending upon the specific design application, the recommended winter design temperature should be taken somewhere within this range.

The Town of Truckee is located in Climate Zone 16.

Weathering may require a higher strength concrete or grade of masonry than necessary to satisfy the structural requirements of the code. The weathering index for concrete from the Weathering Probability Map (CRC Figure R301.2(4)) is SEVERE. The grade of masonry units shall be determined from ASTM C34, C55, C62, C73, C90, C129, C145, C216 or C652.

For protection against freezing, the minimum foundation depth is 18 inches below 7000 foot elevation, and 24 inches for foundations located above 7000 feet. See Municipal Code Section 15.03.110 (PDF) for further information.

Truckee has a potentially heavy probability for termite infestation (from CRC Figure R301.2(7)). For protection against subterranean termites, CRC Section R318.1 shall be followed.

In general, a soil or geotechnical engineering report is required for new construction. See our Local Soils Report Policy (PDF) for any exemptions.

A soil-bearing pressure of 2,000 pounds per square foot may normally be assumed for small projects when a geotechnical engineering report is not needed.