The State of Utah and Ogden City have adopted model design codes published by the International Code Council (ICC). The current editions of the International Codes adopted by the State of Utah and Ogden City may be found in Section 16-2-2 of the Ogden City municipal code. The 2002 APWA Standards are also used as general guidelines for design.
Plans for the following types of commercial construction and all submittals for new residential construction require engineered calculations with the stamp or seal of a Utah-licensed professional.
- All plans for new commercial structures, additions to or structural remodels of commercial buildings
- Non-structural remodels over 3,000 square feet in area
Utah State Construction Codes 
have been adopted and became effective July 1, 2010. All construction plans submitted after June 30th, 2010 will be required to meet these standards.
Special Design Considerations
Below are some design criteria specific to the Ogden area.
- The weathering condition applicable to Ogden is considered severe and the winter design temperature is 5 degrees.
- Basic wind speed is 90 mph (three-second gust) exposure C.
- Ground snow load varies from 43-50 pounds in areas up to 5,000 feet in elevation. Elevations above 5,000 feet require an engineered design.
- Footing frost depth is a minimum of 30 inches.
- Seismic design depends upon the soil type, proximity to the Wasatch fault, and the seismic design category. Typically the site class is either D or E. A geotechnical soil investigation is required for all new commercial buildings in order to determine the soil type.
- The Manual J & Manual D design criteria for Ogden, Utah is recommended for use in meeting all residential HVAC design requirements.