What is frost heave and can it lift Oklahoma porches and steps?

Reviewed by Preston, Oklahoma foundation repair consultant · Updated 2026-10-14

In short: Frost heave is the upward push on shallow footings, steps, porches and slabs that happens when moist, fine-grained soil freezes and grows layers of ice called ice lenses. It needs three things at once: freezing temperatures, water and frost-susceptible soil. Shallow elements such as stoops, steps and flatwork are the most exposed.

How does frost heave work?

When the ground surface freezes, a freezing front moves downward through the soil. Water in the unfrozen soil below is drawn up toward that front by capillary action, the same wicking action that pulls water up a paper towel, and freezes into a distinct layer of ice called an ice lens ¹. Stacked ice lenses lift the soil and anything resting on it ¹.

The expansion of water as it turns to ice (about 9%) is not the main cause. Work by researcher Stephen Taber showed that the growth of ice lenses, fed by water drawn up from warmer soil below, drives the heave ². Ice lenses grow parallel to the ground surface and range from hair-thin to much thicker ².

Three conditions

1. Freezing temperatures with a freezing front moving down into the soil ¹.
2. Available water from unfrozen soil or groundwater below ¹.
3. Frost-susceptible soil, mainly fine-grained soil with small pores ¹.

Remove any one of the three and ice lenses do not form, which is why drainage, non-frost-susceptible fill and insulation are used to reduce heave ¹.

Which soils heave?

Differences in soil, moisture and exposure from one spot to the next cause differential heave, which is what does most of the damage to roads and structures ².

What happens when the ground thaws?

When thawing works down from the surface, meltwater can be trapped in the upper soil and weaken it ². Ground lifted by heave tends to subside back toward its original level after thaw, but frost jacking of isolated structures, such as posts and small footings, is usually permanent and can accumulate over several winters ².

How common is frost heave in Oklahoma?

Oklahoma's climate ranges from humid subtropical in the east to semi-arid in the west ⁵. During a January 2005 winter storm, Oklahoma Mesonet sensors at about 2 inches deep in northwestern Oklahoma read in the mid-30s to low-40s °F, showing that the soil just below the surface had not yet frozen even as the storm moved through ³. The Mesonet's network of about 120 automated stations records soil and air conditions across the state ⁴, which makes it a source for checking freeze periods at a given location. See Mesonet for foundation pros and freeze-thaw and frost depth.

Shallow elements are the most exposed. InterNACHI notes that shallow footings are especially vulnerable to frost heave ¹. Local frost depth rules for footings are covered on the permits, licensing and frost depth page.

What are the signs of frost heave?

• heaved or settled flatwork, such as sidewalks, porches and stoops that rise in winter
• a horizontal crack at the brick ledge or slab edge where a shallow element meets the house

A similar-looking lift at the edge of a slab can come from clay swelling after heavy rain rather than freezing; see perimeter wetting heave.

How is frost heave typically addressed?

• Reduce water. Drainage reduces the water available to form ice lenses ¹; see drainage solutions.
• Use non-frost-susceptible material. Non-frost-susceptible fill helps prevent ice lens formation ¹.
• Support below the frozen zone. Because shallow footings are the vulnerable ones ¹, supports that bear below the depth of freezing are used for elements that keep heaving; see helical piers.

Related

• Freeze-Thaw and Frost Depth
• Flatwork and Exterior Slabs
• Panhandle (High Plains)
• Slabjacking and Polyurethane
• Perimeter Wetting Heave (Edge Lift)