PURSUANT TO MONTANA LAW THE MINIMUM DESIGN ROOF SNOW LOAD AFTER ALLOWED REDUCTIONS SHALL BE 30 PSF.
Snow loads shall be determined by the building official. In areas of the state outside of certified city, county and town jurisdictions, the design snow load shall be based on the utilization of the ASCE 7 Hazard Tool.
For areas inside a certified city, county, or town jurisdiction, snow load information shall be obtained from the building official of the certified jurisdiction. Please check theCertified Cities, Counties, and Towns Listto determine if your location is within that jurisdiction.
For areas outside of certified city, county and town jurisdiction, ground snow load information can be obtained in the following ways:
- Using the ASCE 7 Hazard Tool or
- Contacting the State Building Codes for ground snow loads
The ASCE 7 Hazard Tool can be used to determine snow loads, wind loads, and seismic design category. The "ASCE 7 Hazard Tool" is a quick, reliable, and free way to look up key design parameters specified in ASCE standards.
The Montana Natural Geographic Information System provides several topographic mapping applications. Google Maps provides tools which can assist in locating the correct latitude and longitude of a specific site. Enter an address or point to a location on the map and right click for coordinates.
For areas not listed, not of the same elevation as listed, or locations having some other variable, ground snow loads should be determined by calling the State Building Codes Bureau at (406) 841-2056.
