4 Bedroom House Design Moble Homes

Building Codes & Standards for Mobile Homes
& Trailers, Multiwide & DoubleWides

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Codes & standards for manufactured homes, mobile homes, doublewides, multiwides, & trailers.

This article assists mobile home, trialer, or doublewide owners and inspectors of those homes who need to find the appicable codes and standards for manufactured homes, multiwides, trailers or mobile homes.

We also provide an ARTICLE INDEX for this topic, or you can try the page top or bottom SEARCH BOX as a quick way to find information you need.

Manufactured Housing & Mobile Home Codes & Standards

In the U.S. the HUD code (cited below) is a national preemptive building code that pertains to manufactured homes. As we explain at DEFINITIONS of MOBILE HOME, DOUBLEWIDE, MODULAR, PANELIZED CONSTRUCTION

Manufactured homes are those built entirely in a factory. They are then transported to a building site and installed.

A manufactured home is a single-family dwelling built according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards Act, which is a national, preemptive building code. - Washington State Government, http://www.lni.wa.gov/TradesLicensing/FAS/Mobile/ (2014)

A mobile home is a factory-built dwelling built prior to June 15, 1976, to standards other than the HUD Code, that were acceptable under applicable state codes in effect at the time of construction or introduction of the home into the state.

Manufactured Homes other countries such as Australia are regulated by different laws that we also provide here.

U.S. Manufactured Home Codes & Standards

• BUILDING CODES re DANGEROUS CONDITIONS - general code authority defining dangerous or unsafe conditions and code inspector authority to act for existing structures
• CHAMPION MANUFACTURED HOME HUD INSTALLATION MANUAL [PDF] as adopted by the Arizona housing authority, retrieved 2018/02/17, original source: https://housing.az.gov/sites/default/files/Champion-Homes-HUD-Installation-Manual.pdf
• Manufactured & mobile home Data Tags & Certifications - see MANUFACTURED / MOBILE HOME DATA TAGS
• DOUBLEWIDE HOME SETUP INSPECTION CHECKLIST (Rutherford North Carolina) [PDF]
• Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards Act, U.S. HUD, Code of Federal Regulations No. 24, PARTS 0-199, 5/1/2001, can be read at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2001-title24-vol1/content-detail.html
• HUD GUIDE TO FOUNDATION AND SUPPORT SYSTEMS FOR MANUFACTURED HOMES [PDF], (2002, initally marked "Draft not for distribution") Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R) U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, HUD USER P.O. Box 23268, Washington, DC 20026-3268 USA, Tel: 1-800-245-2691 TDD: 1-800-927-7589
  and
  PATH (Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing), 451 Seventh Street, SW Washington, D.C. 20410 UDA Tel: 202-708-4250 Email: pathnet@pathnet.org, PATH is managed and supported by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Retrieved 2017/06/07, original source: https://www.huduser.gov/portal/Publications/PDF/foundations_guide.pdf
• HUD PART 3285—MODEL MANUFACTURED HOME INSTALLATION STANDARDS (Complete text) [PDF] retrieved 2021/05/6 original source: https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=a2c5655a37054c584f7dd6a0ed240fb8&node=pt24.5.3285&rgn=div5%20-

  At

  INDEX to HUD PART 3285—MODEL MANUFACTURED HOME INSTALLATION STANDARDS (Index) we list the contents of this HUD manufactured home standard


• HUD 4905.1 Rev 1 CHAPTER 2 - GENERAL ACCEPTABILITY CRITERIA [PDF]
• HUD INSPECTION CHECKLIST, Housing Choice Voucher Program [PDF], US Department of Housing & Urban Development, Office of Public and Indian Housing, (2012), retrieved 2017/06/09, original source: https://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=DOC_11775.pdf
• PERMANENT FOUNDATIONS GUIDE FOR MANUFACTURED HOUSING Chapter 1-5 [PDF], U.S. D
• MANUFACTURED HOME CHARACTERISTICS (FEMA) [PDF]
• PART 3280—MANUFACTURED HOME CONSTRUCTION AND SAFETY STANDARDS [PDF] Complete text of 24 CFR Part 3280 - MANUFACTURED HOME CONSTRUCTION AND SAFETY STANDARDS contains 10 subparts pertaining to General (data plate and certification contents and locations), Plans (dimensions, exits, etc), Fire Safety, Body and Frame, Testing, Thermal Protection, Heating/Cooling and venting systems, Electrical, and Transportation (axles, springs, drawbar).

  Watch out: this is a uge document: It's about 90 pages of regulations.
  
  PART 3280—MANUFACTURED HOME CONSTRUCTION AND SAFETY STANDARDS [PDF] newer copy retrieved 2017/07/13 - faster-loading

  PART 3280—MANUFACTURED HOME CONSTRUCTION AND SAFETY STANDARDS [PDF] older copy retrieved 2017/06/09, original source: https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=a2c5655a37054c584f7dd6a0ed240fb8&node=pt24.5.3280&rgn=div5

  Part 3282 (subset of the document links just above) discusses pre-emption of state laws, among other things, and requires a new unit to be delivered with a "consumer manual" containing required information about the unit. - Thanks to NHFireBear for this update, April 2015. Retrieved 9 April 2015, original source: www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2001-title24-vol5/pdf/CFR-2001-title24-vol5-subtitleB.pdf [note this is a very large PDF that contains other sections. Our live link above has excerpted the Manufactured Home standards section from the HUD document - Ed.]

• MANUFACTURED HOME FOUNDATION GUIDE (HUD) [PDF]
• MANUFACTURED HOME INSTALLATION STANDARDS (HUD) [PDF]
• MANUFACTURED HOME SET-UP GUIDE (Okanogan Washington) [PDF]
• MANUFACTURED HOUSING INSTALLATION CODE 535-X-14 (Alabama) [PDF]
• MANUFACTURED HOUSING RULES (TEXAS), [PDF] Effective: November 23, 2014, Administrative Rules of the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs 10 Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 80, retrieved 2017/06/09, original source: https://www.tdhca.state.tx.us/mh/docs/Rules-141123-160514.pdf
• MOBILE HOME ELECTRICAL POLE SETUP (GLPS, Greenville TN) [PDF]
• MOBILE HOME SETUP CHECKLIST (Pickiens South Carolina), [PDF]
• MOBILE HOME TIE DOWN REQUIREMENTS
• MODEL MANUFACTURED HOME (ROOF) INSTALLATION STANDARDS PART 3285 [PDF] (HUD) discusses roof framing and loads and wind zone maps for vasrious roofing installation standards.
• epartment of Housing and Urban Development (1996), source: https://www.huduser.gov/portal/publications/destech/permfound.html
  This is the complete HUD foundation handbook in PDF format, compressed for faster downloading, no loss of data, no loss of image quality.

  Abstract quoted from HUD

  This handbook is a guide for those approving HUD-code manufactured homes on permanent foundations, including engineers, manufacturers, and site owners seeking approval. It provides current technical information, recommendations, and tables of analytical data, expanding and clarifying the definition of a permanent foundation. It updates 1989 loading requirements for snow, wind, and seismic forces.

  Because of the increased use of multi-section manufactured homes, the guide now includes consideration of large openings along the length of marriage walls in multi-section units.

  The construction recommendations assure that the home, foundation, and site are all compatible. In addition to the new technical recommendations, the guide has been expanded and reorganized for easy reference with more illustrations and clarifications. The handbook can greatly assist preparation of the worksheets needed to apply for an FHA mortgage

• PERMANENT FOUNDATIONS GUIDE FOR MANUFACTURED HOUSING Chapters 6-15 [PDF]
• PERMANENT FOUNDATIONS GUIDE FOR MANUFACTURED HOUSING Appendixes [PDF]
• FOUNDATION AND SUPPORT SYSTEMS FOR MANUFACTURED HOMES, GUIDE TO [PDF], (2002, initally marked "Draft not for distribution") Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R) U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, HUD USER P.O. Box 23268, Washington, DC 20026-3268 USA, Tel: 1-800-245-2691 TDD: 1-800-927-7589
  and
  PATH (Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing), 451 Seventh Street, SW Washington, D.C. 20410 UDA Tel: 202-708-4250 Email: pathnet@pathnet.org, PATH is managed and supported by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Retrieved 2017/06/07, original source: https://www.huduser.gov/portal/Publications/PDF/foundations_guide.pdf

  This document discusses factors to consider in manufactured home (& mobile home) foundation design, non-proprietary foundation and support systems, and proprietary foundation and support systems for mobile homes / manufactured homes.

  Note: The contents of this report are the view of the contractor and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development or the US government.

• Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards ACT, U.S. HUD, Code of Federal Regulations No. 24, Parts 0-199, [PDF] 5/1/2001, original source: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2001-title24-vol1/content-detail.html
• HUD-Manufactured Housing and Standards, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Website: http://portal.hud.gov, Retrieved 5/1/2014, original source: http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/housing/ramh/mhs/faq, Quoting:
  
  A manufactured home (formerly known as a mobile home) is built to the Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards (HUD Code) and displays a red certification label on the exterior of each transportable section. Manufactured homes are built in the controlled environment of a manufacturing plant and are transported in one or more sections on a permanent chassis.

  Homes built prior to June 15, 1976, even with modifications, do not meet the HUD standards and cannot be accepted as compliant with the HUD Code. As the homeowner, you may find a licensed engineer willing to inspect your home for compliance with your state's housing code.

  FHA does not insure mortgages on manufactured homes built prior to June 15, 1976. Most other mortgage insurance firms follow FHA's policy.

• HUD CHAPTER 9 - The BUILDING ENVELOPE [PDF] (1985)
• Ohio: Notice to Manufactured Home Buyers from the Ohio Dept. of Commerce, Ohio DOS, original source: www.com.ohio.gov/documents/mh_REPL-17-0029NoticeMHHomeBuyers.pdf
• Texas: MANUFACTURED HOUSING RULES (TEXAS), [PDF] Effective: November 23, 2014, Administrative Rules of the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs 10 Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 80, retrieved 2017/06/09, original source: https://www.tdhca.state.tx.us/mh/docs/Rules-141123-160514.pdf

However the term "manufactured home" is used by different authorities to include a variety of construction types as we list next. Manufactured homes include:

Modular Homes

Modules are transported to the site and installed. See MODULAR HOME CONSTRUCTION for a detailed look at modern modular home construction.

Panelized Homes

Panels—a whole wall with windows, doors, wiring and outside siding—are transported to the site and assembled. See Panelized Construction for a detailed look at a 1950's panelized construction home that was war surplus (Fishkill NY).

Pre-Cut Homes

Building materials are factory-cut to design specifications, transported to the site, and then assembled. Pre-cut homes include kit, dome, and log homes.

LOG HOME GUIDE - provides an example of pre-cut homes, how to inspect, diagnose, and repair problems on log houses; how to identify and determine the age of different types of log homes: traditional log homes, manufactured log homes, slab-sided log homes, and alternative log homes using concrete logs and fiberglass logs.

SEARS KIT HOME IDENTIFICATION provides the most famous example of pre-cut home construction.

Mobile Homes

This is the term used for factory-built homes produced prior to when the HUD Code went into effect.

A mobile home is a factory-built dwelling built prior to June 15, 1976, to standards other than the HUD Code [cited above] that were acceptable under applicable U.S. State Codes (or equivalent in other countries) in effect at the time of construction or introduction of the home into the state. E.g. U.S. Washington State WAC 296-150-M. - Washington State Government, http://www.lni.wa.gov/TradesLicensing/FAS/Mobile/ (2014)

See MOBILE HOMES, DOUBLEWIDES, TRAILERS for a detailed look at the wide range of quality and condition of these homes.

See MOBILE HOME ELECTRICAL DEFECTS for examples of differences in building & electrical code requirements depending on the type of construction.

The following is the opinion of the author and has not had a technical review by other industry experts. Various trailer, mobile home, and modular housing manufacturers may disagree with some of these views. Corrections and content suggestions are welcome.

Manufactured & Mobile Home Definitions of Terms

Excerpts from U.S. HUD CFR › Title 24 › Subtitle B › Chapter XX › Part 3280 › Subpart A › Section 3280.2

§ 3280.2 Definitions.

Definitions in this subpart are those common to all subparts of the standard and are in addition to the definitions provided in individual parts. The definitions are as follows:

Approved, when used in connection with any material, appliance or construction, means complying with the requirements of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Bay window - a window assembly whose maximum horizontal projection is not more than two feet from the plane of an exterior wall and is elevated above the floor level of the home.

Certification label means the approved form of certification by the manufacturer that, under § 3280.8, is permanently affixed to each transportable section of each manufactured home manufactured for sale in the United States.

Dwelling unit means one or more habitable rooms which are designed to be occupied by one family with facilities for living, sleeping, cooking and eating.

Equipment includes materials, appliances, devices, fixtures, fittings or accessories both in the construction of, and in the fire safety, plumbing, heat-producing and electrical systems of manufactured homes.

Federal manufactured home construction and safety standard means a reasonable standard for the construction, design, and performance of a manufactured home which meets the needs of the public including the need for quality, durability, and safety.

Installations means all arrangements and methods of construction, as well as fire safety, plumbing, heat-producing and electrical systems used in manufactured homes.

Labeled means a label, symbol or other identifying mark of a nationally recognized testing laboratory, inspection agency, or other organization concerned with product evaluation that maintains periodic inspection of production of labeled equipment or materials, and by whose labeling is indicated compliance with nationally recognized standards or tests to determine suitable usage in a specified manner.

Length of a manufactured home means its largest overall length in the traveling mode, including cabinets and other projections which contain interior space. Length does not include bay windows, roof projections, overhangs, or eaves under which there is no interior space, nor does it include drawbars, couplings or hitches.

Listed or certified means included in a list published by a nationally recognized testing laboratory, inspection agency, or other organization concerned with product evaluation that maintains periodic inspection of production of listed equipment or materials, and whose listing states either that the equipment or material meets nationally recognized standards or has been tested and found suitable for use in a specified manner.

Manufacturer means any person engaged in manufacturing or assembling manufactured homes, including any person engaged in importing manufactured homes for resale.

Manufactured home means a structure, transportable in one or more sections, which in the traveling mode is 8 body feet or more in width or 40 body feet or more in length or which when erected on-site is 320 or more square feet, and which is built on a permanent chassis and designed to be used as a dwelling with or without a permanent foundation when connected to the required utilities, and includes the plumbing, heating, air-conditioning, and electrical systems contained in the structure.

This term includes all structures that meet the above requirements except the size requirements and with respect to which the manufacturer voluntarily files a certification pursuant to § 3282.13 of this chapter and complies with the construction and safety standards set forth in this part 3280.

The term does not include any self-propelled recreational vehicle. Calculations used to determine the number of square feet in a structure will include the total of square feet for each transportable section comprising the completed structure and will be based on the structure's exterior dimensions measured at the largest horizontal projections when erected on site.

These dimensions will include all expandable rooms, cabinets, and other projections containing interior space, but do not include bay windows. Nothing in this definition should be interpreted to mean that a manufactured home necessarily meets the requirements of HUD's Minimum Property Standards (HUD Handbook 4900.1) or that it is automatically eligible for financing under 12 U.S.C. 1709(b).

Manufactured home construction means all activities relating to the assembly and manufacture of a manufactured home including, but not limited to, those relating to durability, quality and safety.

Manufactured home safety means the performance of a manufactured home in such a manner that the public is protected against any unreasonable risk of the occurrence of accidents due to the design or construction of such manufactured home, or any unreasonable risk of death or injury to the user or to the public if such accidents do occur.

Registered Engineer or Architect means a person licensed to practice engineering or architecture in a state and subject to all laws and limitations imposed by the state's Board of Engineering and Architecture Examiners and who is engaged in the professional practice of rendering service or creative work requiring education, training and experience in engineering sciences and the application of special knowledge of the mathematical, physical and engineering sciences in such professional or creative work as consultation, investigation, evaluation, planning or design and supervision of construction for the purpose of securing compliance with specifications and design for any such work.

Secretary means the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, or an official of the Department delegated the authority of the Secretary with respect to title VI of Pub. L. 93-383.

State includes each of the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, the Canal Zone, and American Samoa.

Width of a manufactured home means its largest overall width in the traveling mode, including cabinets and other projections which contain interior space. Width does not include bay windows, roof projections, overhangs, or eaves under which there is no interior space.

Australian Manufactured Home Codes & Standards

• "National Construction Code (NCC) 2014 (Hard Copy & Online)" Building Code of Australia, Website: https://services.abcb.gov.au/abcbshop/
  Abstract:

  The NCC 2014 Hard Copy, Digital & Online contains all volumes for both commercial and residential construction as detailed below. The digital format utilises a Digital Rights Management (DRM) system which requires the use of the ABCB's NCC Viewer* to access the file.

  Please note that the DRM allows for the installation of the Digital format onto 2 computers/notebooks. Online archives for the included volumes extending back 5 years from the date of the current edition are also provided as part of this package, noting that the PCA archives only extend back to 2011 when it was introduced.

Other Useful Codes References & Standards for Manufactured Homes & Mobile Homes

• Baar, Kenneth K. "The Right To Sell The" Im" Mobile Manufactured Home In Its Rent Controlled Space In The" Im" Mobile Home Park: Valid Regulation Or Unconstitutional Taking?." The Urban Lawyer (1992): 157-221.
• Bair, Frederick Haigh. Local regulation of mobile home parks: travel trailer parks, and related facilities. Mobile Homes Research Foundation, 1965.
• Bartke, Richard W., and Hilda R. Gage. "Mobile Homes Zoning and Taxation." Cornell L. Rev. 55 (1969): 491.
• Brown, James Milton, and Molly A. Sellman. "Manufactured Housing: The Invalidity of the" Mobility" Standard." The Urban Lawyer (1987): 367-399.
• Budnick, Edward K., and David B. Klein. Mobile home fire studies: summary and recommendations. National Bureau of Standards, 1979.
• Budnick, Edward K. Mobile home living room fire studies: the role of interior finish. Division of Energy, Building Technology and Standards, Office of Policy Development and Research, US Department of Housing and Urban Development, 1978.
• Furman, Matthew, "Eradicating Substandard Manufactured Homes: Replacement Programs as a Strategy", [PDF], submitted to Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies and NeighborWorks America (2014), Harvard University, Joint Center for Housing Studies, retrieved 2017/02/14, original source: [lost link]
  Abstract:

  This paper aims to make recommendations for the design of nonprofit-based programs for the replacement of older, substandard manufactured housing. It begins with an introduction to manufactured housing and its promise as a source of affordable housing, followed by an overview of the theoretical case for a national effort to replace older, substandard manufactured housing.

  The paper elaborates on this effort's scope by using Census Bureau data to describe the relevant housing stock and its occupants. On the basis of qualitative research, it then describes and analyzes previous and existing efforts to replace manufactured housing.

  Finally, the paper concludes by synthesizing its findings into recommendations for the design of manufactured housing replacement programs and future research.

• Herndon, Thomas W. "Foundation system for manufactured homes." U.S. Patent 4,738,061, issued April 19, 1988.
• Kelly, Eric Damian. "Fair Housing, Good Housing ot Expensive Housing-Are Building Codes Part of the Problem or Part of the Solution." J. Marshall L. Rev. 29 (1995): 349.
• Kircher, Charles A., Aladdin A. Nassar, Onder Kustu, and William T. Holmes. "Development of building damage functions for earthquake loss estimation." Earthquake spectra 13, no. 4 (1997): 663-682.
• Marshall, Richard D. "Wind Load Provisions of the Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards: A Review and Recommendations for Improvement." (1993).
• Moore, Marvin M. "Mobile Home and the Law, The." Akron L. Rev. 6 (1973): 1.
• Nabinger, Steven, and Andrew Persily. "Impacts of airtightening retrofits on ventilation rates and energy consumption in a manufactured home." Energy and Buildings 43, no. 11 (2011): 3059-3067.
• National Fire Protection Association. NFPA 70: National electrical code. NationalFireProtectionAssoc, 2007.
• Persily, A. K., J. Crum, S. Nabinger, and M. Lubliner. "Ventilation characterization of a new manufactured house." In Air Filtration and Ventilation Centre Conference and Building Environment and Thermal Envelope Council Conference, Washington, DC. 2003.
• Runyan, Carol W., Shrikant I. Bangdiwala, Mary A. Linzer, Jeffrey J. Sacks, and John Butts. "Risk factors for fatal residential fires." New England journal of medicine 327, no. 12 (1992): 859-863.
• Simmons, Kevin M., and Daniel Sutter. "Manufactured home building regulations and the February 2, 2007 Florida tornadoes." Natural Hazards 46, no. 3 (2008): 415-425.
• Spengler, John D., and Ken Sexton. "Indoor air pollution: a public health perspective." Science 221, no. 4605 (1983): 9-17. [Discusses IAQ in mobile homes & manufactured homes]

HUD PART 3285—MODEL MANUFACTURED HOME INSTALLATION STANDARDS

Here is the complete document as a PDF download

HUD PART 3285—MODEL MANUFACTURED HOME INSTALLATION STANDARDS (Complete text) [PDF] retrieved 2021/05/6 original source: https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=a2c5655a37054c584f7dd6a0ed240fb8&node=pt24.5.3285&rgn=div5%20-

Above on this page you'll find also PDF forms of some of the individual sections listed below.

Subpart A—General

§3285.1 Administration.
§3285.2 Manufacturer installation instructions.
§3285.3 Alterations during initial installation.
§3285.4 Incorporation by reference (IBR).
§3285.5 Definitions.
§3285.6 Final leveling of manufactured home.

Subpart B—Pre-Installation Considerations

§3285.101 Fire separation.
§3285.102 Installation of manufactured homes in flood hazard areas.
§3285.103 Site suitability with design zone maps.
§3285.104 Moving manufactured home to location.
§3285.105 Permits, other alterations, and on-site structures.

Subpart C—Site Preparation

§3285.201 Soil conditions.
§3285.202 Soil classifications and bearing capacity.
§3285.203 Site Drainage.
§3285.204 Ground moisture control.

Subpart D—Foundations

§3285.301 General.
§3285.302 Flood hazard areas.
§3285.303 Piers.
§3285.304 Pier configuration.
§3285.305 Clearance under homes.
§3285.306 Design procedures for concrete block piers.
§3285.307 Perimeter support piers.
§3285.308 Manufactured piers.
§3285.309 [Reserved]
§3285.310 Pier location and spacing.
§3285.311 Required perimeter supports.
§3285.312 Footings.
§3285.313 Combination systems.
§3285.314 [Reserved]
§3285.315 Special snow load conditions.

Subpart E—Anchorage Against Wind

§3285.401 Anchoring instructions.
§3285.402 Ground anchor installations.
§3285.403 Sidewall, over-the-roof, mate-line, and shear wall straps.
§3285.404 Severe climatic conditions.
§3285.405 Severe wind zones.
§3285.406 Flood hazard areas.

Subpart F—Optional Features

§3285.501 Home installation manual supplements.
§3285.502 Expanding rooms.
§3285.503 Optional appliances.
§3285.504 Skirting.
§3285.505 Crawlspace ventilation.

Subpart G—Ductwork and Plumbing and Fuel Supply Systems

§3285.601 Field assembly.
§3285.602 Utility connections.
§3285.603 Water supply.
§3285.604 Drainage system.
§3285.605 Fuel supply system.
§3285.606 Ductwork connections.

Subpart H—Electrical Systems and Equipment

§3285.701 Electrical crossovers.
§3285.702 Miscellaneous lights and fixtures.
§3285.703 Smoke alarms.
§3285.704 Telephone and cable TV.

Subpart I—Exterior and Interior Close-Up

§3285.801 Exterior close-up.
§3285.802 Structural interconnection of multi-section homes.
§3285.803 Interior close-up.
§3285.804 Bottom board repair.

Subpart J—Optional Information for Manufacturer's Installation Instructions

§3285.901 General.
§3285.902 Moving manufactured home to location.
§3285.903 Permits, alterations, and on-site structures.
§3285.904 Utility system connections.
§3285.905 Heating oil systems.
§3285.906 Telephone and cable TV.
§3285.907 Manufacturer additions to installation instructions.

Authority: 42 U.S.C. 3535(d), 5403, 5404, and 5424.

Source: 72 FR 59362, Oct. 19, 2007, unless otherwise noted.

Reader Comments & Q&A

Sorry. Those details are at MOBILE HOME SKIRTING

Thank you for that, but I am referring specifically to some new code that relates to the skirting only and how it must be installed with something other than those spikes they normally use in the bottom runner.

Bill,

Tie downs for mobile homes are detailed

at MOBILE HOME STABILIZING SYSTEMS

In regard to Florida mobile homes. I have been told there is a new code for tying down the skirting. Does anyone have information on this?

@Cierna,

Sorry if I was not clear before when I addressed this; you will not find electrical code that addresses every possible mistake an installer might commit in electrical wiring.

So, for example, the code won't say "don't put an electrical box under a water heater" nor will it say "don't put an electical box where it might get wet"

Instead it might say that when wiring is run or boxes placed in damp or wet locations, the appropriate water-resistant materials must be used.

From your text we still have no idea what sort of "electrical box" was placed under your heater; a fuse box, breaker box, switch, receptacle, junction boc or what

406.9(B)(1) Receptacles of 15 and 20 Amperes in a Wet Location.

Receptacles of 15 and 20 amperes, 125 and 250 volts installed in a wet location shall have an enclosure that is weatherproof whether or not the attachment plug cap is inserted. An outlet box hood installed for this purpose shall be listed and shall be identified as "extra duty." All 15- and 20-ampere, 125- and 250-volt nonlocking-type receptacles shall be listed weather-resistant type.

@inspectapedia.com.moderator, What I need to know is which specific code states electrical boxes and wiring should not be placed in a position where they may get wet when a building, in this case a manufactured home, is being put together/installed. If you know which section of code regarding electrical issues covers this it would really help me…

@Cierna,

I may still be missing something but basically if you have an electrical junction box or fuse box or circuit breaker box that is stopped off, that is it's got power to it but it is not delivering power to anything and there is not a shred of a reason why you wouldn't simply remove it and take that circuit back to an earlier junction box where is why Richard terminated with twist on connectors or otherwise removed completely.

None of this involves more than trivial cost and shouldn't be a topic of dispute.

@inspectapedia.com.moderator, thanks for your fast reply. I guess I wasn't clear in my question, as I was trying to be economical with words, that it was a gas water heater and it was unclear even to the company doing the repairs what the electrical box was actually for/designed to power.

I have already reached out to the code enforcement people for manufactured homes in SoCal but they aren't returning my calls/being responsive so I doubt I can get a letter out of them.

It does seem like a common sense type of thing, but the insurance company, who has already paid out quite a bit for the repairs, is insisting on having the actual code before even considering additional payment…

@Cierna,

More on electric water heater wiring:

The California electrical code is of course modeled on the U.S. National Electrical code that has similar paragraphs:

California Electrical Code

Part III Disconnecting Means

422.30 General

A means shall be provided to simultaneously disconnect each appliance from all ungrounded conductors in accordance with the following sections of Part III. If an appliance is supplied by more than one branch circuit or feeder, these disconnecting means shall be grouped and identified as being the multiple disconnecting means for the appliance. Each disconnecting means shall simultaneously disconnect all ungrounded conductors that it controls.

422.31 Disconnection of Permanently Connected Appliances

and excerpting from

422.11

(3) Water Heaters and Steam Boilers

Resistance-type immersion electric heating elements shall be permitted to be subdivided into circuits not exceeding 120 amperes and protected at not more than 150 amperes as follows:
Where contained in ASME-rated and stamped vessels
Where included in listed instantaneous water heaters
Where installed in low-pressure water heater tanks or open-outlet water heater vessels
Informational Note: Low-pressure and open-outlet heaters are atmospheric pressure water heaters as defined in IEC 60335-2-21, Household and similar electrical appliances — Safety — Particular requirements for storage water heaters.
(A) Rated at Not over 300 Volt-Amperes or 1/8 Horsepower

For permanently connected appliances rated at not over 300 volt-amperes or 1/8 hp, the branch-circuit overcurrent device shall be permitted to serve as the disconnecting means where the switch or circuit breaker is within sight from the appliance or is lockable in accordance with 110.25.

(B) Appliances Rated Over 300 Volt-Amperes

For permanently connected appliances rated over 300 volt-amperes, the branch-circuit switch or circuit breaker shall be permitted to serve as the disconnecting means where the switch or circuit breaker is within sight from the appliance or is lockable in accordance with 110.25.
Informational Note: For appliances employing unit switches, see 422.34.

and

422.13 Storage-Type Water Heaters

A fixed storage-type water heater that has a capacity of 450 L (120 gal) or less shall be considered a continuous load for the purposes of sizing branch circuits.
Informational Note: For branch-circuit rating, see 422.10.

@Cierna,

This is a troubling problem Cierna, in that the model or adopted building codes can not anticipate every crazy thing that an installer or electrician, or plumber, or DIY-homeowner might do with water heaters and electrical wiring.

So the codes will be more-general and the local building code compliance inspector is expected to interpret and judge what she encounters in the real world. The local code compliance official's word is the final legal authority.

Electrical Wiring Code for Water Heaters

The California Electrical Code 2010 CEC 422.30 and 422.31B require that an electric water heater must have a shut-off switch that is in view of the water heater.

Your installation, placing the heater's electrical fuse or breaker box underneath the floor below the heater is not likely to be able to meet that requirement.

Other sources of authority on water heater electrical wiring for strange wiring errors:

So easiest would be a letter from your local inspector citing the electrical box location as a violation that must be corrected. A helpful letter would point out that it's not only unsafe but is a fire risk should water from a failing heater leak into and short the wiring.

Second-easiest is a copy of the manufacturer's installation instructions that describe wiring and wiring placement, as building codes also require that appliances be installed according to the manufacturer's instructions. Failing to do so is also a "code" violation.

If you don't have the manual for your water heater see WATER HEATER AGE & Manuals - home

If you find the manual for your water heater there will be a manufacturer's telephone-help number; you might also give them a call to ask for a statement or reference document.

I own a manufactured home that's about 20 years old and the water heater recently failed. In making the repairs, it was discovered that an electrical box had been installed directly under the water heater in the subfloor. I was told this was not up to code and paid for the box to be relocated. I'm trying to get reimbursed through insurance and they are asking for the specific code for a manufactured home in CA that prohibits an electrical box from being installed under a water heater. Can anyone tell me this? Thanks for your help!

Richard kennedy (no email)

COMMENT: We have purchased live oak mobile home
The vinyl siding on each end has only osb inside of it

@Cheryl,

Yes the homeowner is responsible for all of the electrical components from the point at which the electrical power is brought to the home into the electrical panel and of course the electrical panel itself.

And yes outdoor electrical components are intended to be weather resistant. I can't tell from your text if the situation in your case is that the wrong type of equipment was installed or if it is simply the effect of weather exposure and normal wear and tear.

Watch out: the most important thing for you to recognize first is that water or rust and corrosion in electrical box cyst is dangerous. The risks are of electric shock, or if circuit breakers are in that location in the event of an overcurrent a rusted corroded circuit breaker may fail to trip off when it should. The result is a risk of a building fire. So you need to have an electrician look at this installation and to tell you what work and what Replacements are needed.

I appreciate your comment that you can't afford to replace the electrical parts. However the cost of a building fire, injury, or death would be much much greater. Also depending on where you live it's possible that there may be a financial aid society and help you. In any case don't avoid this situation as it is dangerous.

Our outside metal box for our power is on a post. The bottom has rusted out. Our power company holds us responsible for replacing. Was it to be waterproof. Are we responsible for power connections. We cannot afford to replace.

@Maggie,

I am so sorry that your daughter lost her life.

It's both sad and maddening, moreso because from your very brief description there was a prior fire and, as you put it, many electrical problems, so everybody involved had to have known that there were unsafe conditions in the home.

Did she have working smoke detectors, alarms, CO detectors?

Were the home's fire exits in good working order?

I would need to know quite a bit more to have a useful opinion about this tragic case; you might start however by finding out who told your daughter what, and who was responsible for maintenance and repairs of her home.

For example if she bought it, she's responsible. She should have had an inspection of the whole property by an independent home inspector (one with no conflicting interests) before the purchase was completed. A normal result of that inspection is a home inspection report that notes safety hazards (such as aluminum electrical wiring or other unsafe conditions) and also notes the important or expensive repairs that are needed.

If your daughter was renting, the landlord, in most cases, is responsible for property inspection and maintenance.

OPINION: it is far too easy for a landlord to say "it was inspected and found to be safe" without actually having a shred of actual inspection nor even information.

But you can bet that once there is a fire much less a loss of life, everybody concerned is going to be ducking for cover.

OPINON: in general, there is NO building code requirement for periodic or "Move-in" safety or electrical inspections of an existing home, mobile home or otherwise.

When there is new work that requires a building permit, and some repair work (that may require a permit such as extensive remodeling) then permits and inspections and approvals by local building officials are often required. But mobile homes often fall through the cracks in that procedure, largely because the local building officials figure that the home's manufacturer, building the home under controlled conditions, puts it together specifically to comply with the codes where the home will be sold.

On an older mobile home where there may have been many modifications to it over its life, many of those if not all may have been done without permits nor inspections.

@Maggie,

adding:

For a case like this surely there has been a fire investigation. If you can send us any of that data I would much like to review it. If you prefer tp lee[ tjat [rovate. you can use the page top or bottom CONTACT link to send us email with attachements.

Who is in charge of inspecting a mobile home and making sure if it safe for habitation? I am asking because my daughter was told by the park that her trailer was inspected and deemed safe. She had two fires in it and TONS of electrical problems. The second fire took her life. There is NO WAY her trailer was safe!

@Jay,

I think you are asking about the marriage wall which is the common walls the form an interior partition in a home when two sections are placed together. Inspector wants to look at the marriage wall to see if the sections were correctly placed, for example sufficiently close together. Sometimes there are other useful things to note that might not be obvious such as an unwanted draft up through the center of the home or missing fire blocking.

Why does inspecter

want to see marriage [wall]

@Kersonya Padgett,

As I'm not an authority, "Legal? " is a question that a lawyer would have to answer, though in my OPINION, if the home is safe and meets current building code requirements then the landlord is probably meeting her requirements.

Let's distinguish between a cosmetic problem - that can include ugly or sloppy assembly of a doublewide, from a functional problem that could also lead to a safety concern:

If the building is settling, leaning, moving about, then it's likely that there will be ongoing damage and that might be dangerous - for example if a gas line is broken or an electrical wire pulled loose. (Generally that requires a bit of movement more than just showing up an ugly seam).

Separate from the safety and code question, there will be a construction quality standard for your home, written in the form of instructions from the home's manufacturer. If your home is quite old, say from the early 1970s, we will probably not find that such a standard exists.

HUD provides Manufactured Housing Model Installation Standards that may apply, depending on where you live. (If your'e in the U.S. and if your state has not adopted their own Manufactured Housing Standard then the HUD standard should apply.)

Above on this page we list nearly all of the manufactured home standards that might apply - I know it can be overwhelming.

You might want to take a look at HUD 4905.1 Rev 1 CHAPTER 2 - GENERAL ACCEPTABILITY CRITERIA [PDF]

You might also want to post photos of what you're seeing - you can post one photo per comment but as many comments as you need.

Adding a bit more detail that speaks to your complaint about seams and cracks inside: in the HUD standards (links above on this page as well)

excerpt

§3285.802 Structural interconnection of multi-section homes.

(a) For multi-section homes, structural interconnections along the interior and exterior at the mate-line are necessary to join all sections of the home.

(b) Structural interconnection must be designed in accordance with the requirements located in §3280.305 of this chapter to ensure a completely integrated structure.

(c) Upon completion of the exterior close-up, no gaps are permitted between the structural elements being interconnected along the mate-line of multi-section homes. However, prior to completion of the exterior close-up, gaps that do not exceed one inch are permitted between structural elements provided:

(1) The gaps are closed before completion of close-up;

(2) The home sections are in contact with each other; and

(3) The mating gasket is providing a proper seal. All such gaps must be shimmed with dimensional lumber, and fastener lengths used to make connections between the structural elements must be increased to provide adequate penetration into the receiving member.

Is it legal for a landlord to rent a double wide home that is not together completely? Like
I can feel the seam in my living room floor and the ceiling looks like they covered it with a thicker piece of wood to cover the top. I don't know what i can do?? I don't know what to do!!!? I think that my siding covers the cracks outside!!

@Kersonya Padgett, If I could get a reply at kjb.glp1112@gmail.com

@Donald Edward jamieson,

Your local Building Code Compliance inspector is the final legal Authority on this point except that the mobile home park may have its own rules that extend the building code and would be legal provided they don't cause the building inspector to consider that they are a violation or unsafe.

What that means in a practical sense is that if you are mobile home park will not allow you to install permanent concrete footings for the posts for your deck you will need to rely on a simple ground-level concrete pad under your posts and then adequate diagonal or cross-bracing between them to assure that your deck structure is safe.

Installation of a deck to my mobile home do it need footings. The park manager said there are not allowed they have to be mobile.

@Linda,

Although the Florida Statutes may be derived from the HUD rules the state statutes May impose additional restrictions, particularly on the topic of storm protection or tie-downs or winds damage resistance.

One thing to keep in mind is that the local Building Code Compliance inspector is always the final legal Authority.

Question--I am rennovating a vintage single-wide mobile home--Florida--and belueve I an running into city over-reach re: inspections re construction and trying to figure out which rules apply--HUD, Florisa statues, or local building code ( which I believe actually points to Fliruda statues.

Anyway, love to know if anyone has knowkedge of such.

@Gary Lipka, My opinion and it's nothing more than that it's not on a home that old you wouldn't assume that I hadn't been modified over its life and you can't assume that it's code compliant.

I think more fundamentally the issue will be that for mobile homes of that age there are limitations on what HUD financing would be available to a buyer.

Thank you. Nothing judicial. I'm a real estate appraiser completing an appraisal on this home.

Looking for more information on it is all. I do like to fish though!

data certificate

@Gary Lipka,

I'm embarrassed to only be able to offer a vague answer but I don't think we're going to have much success finding out what a long-gone company used their standards in 1974.

The most reasonable claim would be that the company building a mobile home or manufactured home would have built to the standards that would be accepted in all of the states to which they expected to ship or sell their product.

That's why they usually use the model codes like the Boca code that you site.

And code-compliance, even back in 1974, will not have much to say about the current condition of the home and thus its value.

Perhaps it would be useful for you to say something about why you are caring about compliance with a code that's so old.

In appraising or assessing the condition of a 1974 mobile home, IMO more important than the 1974 codes is a thorough visual inspection that would show

• The current physical condition of the home
• Any life safety concerns
• Any significant repairs needed to make the home safe and habitaable

If it's a litigation issue I think you're fishing in a pond that has no fish.

1974 Guerdon Industries Inc., Marlette, MI. The only information that I can locate on this home are the construction standards above.

I'm trying to find out what Construction standards Guerdons built their homes to back in the day.

Was it boca code of the day or a code that predated hud code. Any information would help. Thank you

@Jim Aumack,

Thanks for a helpful question.

Here is what HUD says about the problem of needing an IBC sticker for an older mobile home that doesn't have one:

Regardless of the upgrades made to your park model, it is not possible to obtain a HUD label on any structure that was not produced and inspected as a manufactured home in accordance with HUD's Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards and Regulations during its original construction

. You may contact the

• Recreational Park Trailer Industry Association https://www.rvia.org/ for additional information and resources regarding park model homes.
  - source: U.S. HUD, FAQs, original source: https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/housing/rmra/mhs/faqs
  

All,

I live in New Jersey and am in possession of an office trailer made by Markline. They've gone out of business and I need an IBC sticker for this unit in order to use it in NJ.
Does anyone have any idea how I might be able to get one from someone other than Markline?
Any information will be helpful.
Thank you.

Angela:

Thank you for the question: is roof drip edge required by building codes?

[Click to enlarte any image]

I agree that typically manufactured-home manufacturers typically build to comply with codes in the states or provinces to which their homes will be shipped and sold.

Prior to 2012 drip edge was recommended by the roofing manufacturers and so indirectly, as I'll explain below, required to comply with strict code interpretation.

Since 2012 (and your home was made in 2020) the model codes require drip edge on roofing - see excerpt below from iccsafe.

Even if this were an older home, the home inspector probably recognizes that in a more-careful interpretation of building codes, the phrase commonly present for most features "... shall be installed according to the manufacturer's instructions ..." is included specifically because the code writers know perfectly well that they cannot possibly anticipate and keep up with every single proper construction detail for all products on the home building market, but the code writers, too, want buildings to be safe and durable.

Where drip edge may not be strictly or explicitly required by local codes (check with the local building code official as she is the final legal authority) it is nevertheless a good and recommended practice found in the illustrations and instructions for installing most roofing products.

You don't give the location of the home, nor local code citations, but a model code authority shows the home inspector's absolutely-right position is the ICC model code from which I excerpt:

A drip edge shall be provided at eaves and gables of shingle roofs. Adjacent pieces of drip edge shall be overlapped a minimum of 2 inches (51 mm). Drip edges shall extend a minimum of 0.25 inch (6.4 mm) below the roof sheathing and extend up the roof deck a minimum of 2 inches (51 mm).

Finally and perhaps more important: why are we wasting a second arguing about such a trivial and inexpensive defect to remedy. We're talking about less than $100. in materials and probably an hour of labor to retrofit missing drip edge on a manufactured home.

Frankly if I were selling a home and the only stumbling block were roof shingle drip-edge I'd be doing cartwheels of joy and offering to pay for the cost out of my commission.

I am a real estate agent and currently representing the seller regarding a brand new 2020 double-wide home, which he purchased from a distributer and installed per HUD guidelines.

Potential buyers are being told by their home inspector that drip edge flashing is missing and needs to be installed per current building code.

If this is current building code, why would the manufacturer not be installing it? If is it not current building code, where can I find this documentation to present back to the buyer's agent? Thank you in advance.

Lacey:

I'm sorry that your dad's home had to suffer such terrible water and mold damage and contamination; however a drip pan alone would not be likely to have prevented the damage you show - unless it also provided a direct drain to the exterior, which many do not.

Rather, it was the prolonged leakage of a water heater in an area that nobody inspected, perhaps because nobody knew that they should check on the heater and because the area was not readily accessible.

By the way, it sounds odd to say that a brand new home was outfitted with a water heater that was already 20 years old and that the damage was not discovered for another 20 years, making the heater 40 years old. Perhaps you can show me a sharp photo of the water heater's data tag and another of the heater itself and third of the leak point.

My dad happened to be out of state undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatment when this happened. And due to the marriage line.not being properly joined, i found as i was doing the demolition work, mold had already been present in the interior of the drywall and insulation.

After a week of drying out the home, with water supply shut off to prevent any further leaking

...

Has anyone else had a problem with your manufactured home being bought brand new from the retailer, and installed on your property, but no drain pan was put underneath the 20 YEAR OLD water heater in the water closet, hidden behind 2 interior doors plus a screwed on access panel?

Because we did! And it destroyed our home after 20 years when tje bottom rusted out (it was 20 years old when installed!)which our insurance won't cover.

What a pain, Dudley.

What is the load bearing capacity of mobile home exterior walls?

What is the weight increase when converting a mobile home to use a pitched roof?

Someone is spending your money to reduce their risk - and a trivial risk at that, considering the point you make about relative weight- but let's get this clear: the weight of the roof on the walls of your mobile home is the sum of

- whatever original roof materials were left in place

- the new roof structure (trusses, rafters, whatever)

- the new roof covering (metal)

I agree that a metal roof is lighter than a shingle roof, but you'd want to argue that the weight of all of the roof materials is still safe for the home.

It's an ugly problem that means you'll need a design professional, like an architect or engineer who, for a fee, will look at your structure and write an "it's ok" letter - so I suspect at the very least you're looking at a fee to do that.

See if you can find an RA or structural or civil engineer nearby who's familiar with mobile home construction and who is willing to look, or ask your building department in the county if they can recommend a design professional whose opinion they'll accept.

Basic mobile home roof weight bearing data:

A typical mobile home roof is built to carry a 30 pounds per square foot load, possibly varying by the snow zone where the home is sold.

In an area of average 2-3 ft deep snow loads, the mobile home roof will be built to carry 50 pounds per square foot.

In an area of deep snow, 5-6 ft, the roof would be built to carry up to 90 pounds per square foot.

The total weight of the roof includes both live and dead loads (live = snow, for example and dead = weight of the roof structure and covering) and that's what the home's walls will be designed to carry.

Typically a sloped roof on a new mobile home will have a roof slope of at least 4:12. Pitches range from 3:12 up to about 12:12 for some models.

Take a look at the framing for your mobile home's walls. If, for example, the walls are framed with 2x4s 16" on center, then their strength, assuming the framing components are fastened properly, will be similar to that of a stick-built house and your building department ought to be happy. But some older mobile homes may use smaller framing materials and their spacing may be different.

We recently purchased a 1995 Liberty Mobile home and put a peaked metal roof on it. Now the county wants us to provide them weight bearing information for this mobile home. The weight of this metal roof is a lot less than a shingle roof would have been.

Since Liberty is no longer in business, where can I go to get this information or who can I contact to sign off that this mobile home can handle the weight.

Dean

Please find your question and my detailed reply now at the Reader Q&A section near the bottom of the article above on this page. You may need to clear or refresh your browser cache to see the updated page. We welcome your further photos, comments, questions.

In new construction homes are required to be air tight to specific air change per hour. Is there a specified amount of air changes per hour of outside air infiltration for double wide manufactured homes?

I have heard that Lancer mobile homes are one of the better brands but do you know if the 1973 models were built to higher standards overall?

Relocation if toilets

Building code Single wide mobile home
Exterior wall

Code exterior wall

Charles

That's an excellent question, but not one I can answer; your local building department is the final legal authority. What did they tell you?

If you stay in side the city limits and want to move your mobile home out of a park and it is hud certified can the city stop you from putting it on your own property just because its in the city and they use the 2018 international building code?

Carolyn I'll b glad to try to help out but you need to ask a specific question.

Need help

would any-one know the interior wall height of a 1994 Flee park model mobile home?

MB

With the apology that I am flying blind with respect to the conditions of your mobile home, from what you've described it's a certainty that the home is unsafe. It sounds as if there has been amateur electrical work as well as inadequate (or no) proper repairs or maintenance to leaks, plumbing, and electrical systems.

You might see if there is a legal aid attorney near you who can help you sort out your rights in this situation.

My OPINON (I am NOT a lawyer) is that unfortunately, once the deal is done and paid, you have very little recourse to get a seller to do anything unless you can prove fraud or some other similar crime.

Also in my OPINION, you should not have repairs done by the seller or his agent or employee. Just consider that those are the people responsible for the previous improper work that could have killed you by electrocution.

Instead you need a completely-independent electrician and plumber and perhaps other repair people to inspect the home, list what is unsafe and list what other repairs are needed to prevent both dangerous conditions or rapid costly damage to the home.

Then, IF you have any recourse with the seller, you should want to recover the cost of those repairs done by someone other than the seller, someone with competence, whom you trust, and whom you can call back to the job if necessary.

We live in 2001 champion that was bought from another individual. That person did not have a pad put down underneath the trailer, there is no inspection tag to be found. And we just discovered what had electrocuted me one evening while turning the water on to the shower and lighting my feet up when I sat down on the toilet. The washer inlet valves had been leaking behind the wall for quite some time we didnt know because it was a small slow leak until it got real cold and froze pipes this past winter.

When we ripped the wall out to get to the pipes there is an electrical wire that is in front of these pipes. They had been leaking on that wire. Who said that was ok to leave it there?! This trailer is a fire and health hazard and water damage with mold damage that he will not fix. This place is actually uninhabitual. Seriously.

Ive tried to tackle a few small things myself but im no where near skilled enough to do the work needed done here. Is there anything I can do to make a believer out of him and fix the damage?

Sure, Sally, in the ARTICLE INDEX found above see MOBILE HOME EXTERIORS

and sbove on this page see the live links in caps the articles i cit6d in CAPS

Because there are many trip and fall hazards that maybe present at stairs and railings, see our separate articles

STAIRS, RAILINGS, LANDINGS, RAMPS and

CODES for STAIRS & RAILINGS.

In addition to those specifications for safe steps and railings, most states require safe and securely-attached entry and exit stairs at both the primary entry to the home and also to a secondary safety or fire exit pathway from the home.

Can you direct me to information on entrance steps? Thank you.

Donnie,

A ridge vent would make sense on the sloped or gable roof ("A" shaped" on a mobile home only if there is a "ventable" attic, meaning there is soffit or eaves or roof overhang intake venting as well as then a ridge vent for outlet.

Can you install a Ridge Vent on a Mobile Home ?

my mobile home I rent trailor #37 and the sewer smell makes me my son sick everyday I wash clothes it backs up in my tub I go outside the smell is horriable please help us fix this problem the rent man will not

Yes but I think we need to be more specific and details to be sure we're talking about the same thing. You're talking about the wall structure including the interior wall surface not just the exterior siding

Do exterior walls on mobile homes have a fire rating?

Yes but I think we need to be more specific and details to be sure we're talking about the same thing. You're talking about the wall structure including the interior wall surface not just the exterior siding

Do exterior walls on mobile homes have a fire rating?

HIRE AN EXPERT perhaps from https://inspectapedia.com/Expert-Consultants-Directory.php

HUD Mobile home inspection appraisal

Brenda

We give such codes in the article above on this page, but the first place to start is with the manufacturer's instructions for your specific brand and model water heater as along with the final inspection by your plumbing official, those are the final authority on proper safe water heater installation.

I need to review the plumbing code for manufactured homes for a hot water heater installation.

Lynne

You can see and download the California roofing code at

CALIFORNIA ROOFING CODE, CHAPTER 15, (2007) [PDF] Roof Assemblies and Rooftop Structures Section 1500

https://inspectapedia.com/roof/California_Code_Ch15_2007.pdf

In that document see section 1510.3 Recovering versus replacement

And you'll see that the existing roofing shall be removed if there are two or more layers already present.

Suzane

The location of the electrical meter and main switch on a post outside the home is site-dependent, not year nor modular vs stick-built - dependent, so it's certainly possible that a 1980's modular home used such a system. Typically from the post there is an underground feeder to the home's main electrical panel.

Did modular homes of the 1980's have electrical on a post outside of house?

Question: How many roofs can I have on my mobile home in California? Moved recently from Oregon where we could have 3 layers before it had to all be removed and redone. Might need to do it here in the Palm Springs area...currently have two. Thanks for your input...got buried trying to search the California Code...yipes!

Lynne

What were the standard snow load requirements for mobile homes in Idaho in 1983?

James

In Mobile Homes the water heater is often installed into a closet or utility space whose access door is on the exterior of the home. I don't think the issues here in your note are focused on the location of the heater but rather that the entire installation sounds unsafe.

If the landlord does not respond to written notice of unsafe conditions then the options are to move or to obtain help from the local Building Department. When I hear about very poor conditions such as you describe I suspect that there may be other poorly maintained or incorrectly installed features or equipment in the home and thus you should be alert for other safety hazards as well.

What is the law when it comes to the room a water heater is in.

My daughter is in a double wide and the whole water heater closet is rotted. Water heater was reinforced by 4×4 underneath but brace is rusted hanging off door frame on outside of mobile home. No straps secure it and it rocks dangerously.

The structural soundness looks very unprofessional. And I believe a vent that's old and hanging should be connected. Very unsafe

Thanks for a great question, Tony: how many air vents are needed on a hot water heating system and where should they be placed.

Regrettably there's no single absolutely-right answer, because each home may vary in the routing of hot water heating piping as well as other details like type of heat radiating devices and their location that make air bound heating pipes more or less-likely.

But I'd say we want at least two air vents:

1. a float type air vent located at a high point above the heating boiler where hot water exits the boiler and enters the heating zone loop(s). The usual place for that is atop the air separator or air scoop found above the boiler on the heating outlet pipes.

2. a manually-operated air vent at the far end and highest point of each heating zone loop.

In addition we might need to add

3. a manually operated air vent at the end or high point of any heating piping loops that loop up, across, then back down through the floor, as we may find air trapped in such "upside down "U" shaped runs.

Please see details at AIR BLEED VALVE INSTALLATION

where I will repeat your question so as to invite comment from other readers or experts.

How many air vent do i need for 14x70 mobile, and where do you need to place them

Jack:

Footings for mobile home piers:

Depending on soil conditions and climate a simple solid concrete pier is permitted in many local jurisdictions as the supporting base for a mobile home pier.

Local ordinances may vary but the basics of pier construction for mobile homes are at

MOBILE HOME PIERS inspectapedia.com/Manufactured_Homes/Mobile_Home_Support_Piers.php

Also see pier defects cited at

MOBILE HOME FOUNDATIONS

When a used mobile home single wide is set up in Kentucky what type of footers need to be under the blocks

No, Pugh but typically once we have to cut an access opening it makes sense to restore the wall or ceiling later with a removable panel so that future repairs will be easier and less costly.

Does plumbing code require ease of access to replace a bathtub faucet? I have one enclosed behind cabinets and the air handling unit? Will cost tear out cabinets, cut access in wall, replace faucet, cover access hole and reinstall cabinets. Mississippi

Afri

You would be smart to have an actual home inspection by someone who is familiar with mobile homes and mobile home inspections; it would be unusual if there were NOT multiple repair or safety improvements needed, among which the condition of the electrical service, panel, and wiring are included.

Typically the switch-over of electrical billing from one owner to another is done at the utility company office, not by an onsite field inspector.

However if the utility company's meter-reader employee sees something obviously improper or unsafe when she comes to check the meter reading in person (as may occur), then the company could leave power to your home shut down until that condition is corrected.

In my OPINION you are flying very dangerously to make your offer on the home contingent only on the condition of the electrical hookup. That is not likely to be the only repair needed and it may not be the most-expensive one nor even the most dangerous one. Have an inspection. The cost of the inspection will be trivial compared with the cost of surprises that otherwise may be in store for you.

I am looking into buying a piece of property in GA that has a 1968 mobile home on it.

The mobile home is currently connected to an electrical service that is active. Do you know of any problems I may have in converting the account into my name based on the age of the mobile home?

Will it require an inspection and can I be turned down for service? The answer to this question will determine my offer on said property.

"No electrical" probably is not code compliant.

Have you asked your local building department?

Does a mobile home require a permit to construct an interior wall with no electrical or plumbing encased?

Question: building codes for manufactured home steps

What are the florida codes for a Manufactured Home steps. Can they be steal attached or wooded removable - Melissa 7/18/2012

Reply:

Melissa,

Specific examples of unsafe steps and railings at mobile homes and manufactured homes can be found "

STAIRS, STEPS & RAILING SAFETY HAZARDS AT CARAVANS, DOUBLEWIDES, MOBILE HOMES, TRAILERS found in our article

on MOBILE HOME EXTERIOR DEFECTS.

Because there are many trip and fall hazards that maybe present at stairs and railings, see our separate articles
S

TAIRS, RAILINGS, LANDINGS, RAMPS
and

CODES for STAIRS & RAILINGS. In addition to those specifications for safe steps and railings, most states require safe and securely-attached entry and exit stairs at both the primary entry to the home and also to a secondary safety or fire exit pathway from the home.

Some later model manufactured homes are provided with emergency egress windows (push out or pop out) but there should be at least two exit doors at opposite ends of the structure.

Question: Step height from ground level to first built-in step of a 5th Wheel travel trailer

(July 29, 2016) Jimmy said:

When my 5th. wheel is parked and not leveled out by the jacks, the step height is 14.6" from the concrete pad to the top of the first step. I know there are codes for residential, but I was hoping there was something on 5th. wheels.

Reply: make your steps safe, regardless

If your home is being uses as a residence, depending on where you live, residential stair codes would still apply;

Even if "codes don't apply" to your situation, safety applies as does the cost of injury or lawsuit;

Make your stairs safe by providing secure steps with reasaonable riser height - say in the 17.3" each range to make up the steps from the stair landing pad to the step that is attached to your 5th wheel home.

See STAIR RISER SPECIFICATIONS for details.

You may need handrails and guardrailings too, depending on the situation and the users of the steps.

(Aug 1, 2016) Jimmy said:
So what I think you are saying is, here s no code for any 5th wheel manufacturer on step rise, right ?

(Aug 1 2016) Mod said:

Not quite, Jimmy

There are certainly manufacturing standards for campers and trailers. But those are not building codes.

See NAICS Code 336214 Travel Trailer and Camper Manufacturing
Excerpt of description from SICCODE

this u.s. industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in one or more of the following:

(1) manufacturing travel trailers and campers designed to attach to motor vehicles

(2) manufacturing pickup coaches (i.e., campers) and caps (i.e., covers) for mounting on pickup trucks; and

(3) manufacturing automobile, utility and light-truck trailers. travel trailers do not have their own motor but are designed to be towed by a motor unit, such as an automobile or a light truck.

I do not know this code and did not find a downloadable copy; I'd be surprised if it addresses stair and handrail safety to the extent that you will find in buildign codes.

Are you working on litigation? It sounds that way.

Do the same building codes regulate the construction of modular homes and caravans, trailers, doublewides, mobile homes?

Reply:

In order to sort out the question of what are common construction practices and what is usually included or not with a manufactured home, we first need to get a couple of confusing terms straightened out.

You originally posted question about double-wide mobile home construction in our article on modular construction

See MODULAR HOME CONSTRUCTION) .

In a separate article we define modulars, factory built homes, comparing them with caravans, trailers, mobile homes, doublewides:

see DEFINITIONS of Mobile Home, Doublewide, Modular, Panelized Construction, where we give details about the differences in these types of construction.

Double-wides and mobile homes are not built using the same structural materials, codes, standards as modular homes. Details about double-wide homes and mobile homes are discussed separately beginning in the article starting at the top of this page:

See MOBILE HOMES, DOUBLEWIDES, TRAILERS.

So What' the Difference Between a Manufactured Home, Mobile Home, & do the same building codes apply?

Yes and no: some codes contain provisions for manufactured or mobile homes, while in other cases and locations those structures are governed by specific building codes.

A modular home is built using conventional 2x4 or 2x6 wood framing much like a stick built house, but it is constructed in several sections that are then trailered to a building site, set upon a conventional building foundation or slab, and fastened together there.

The floor of each section is built strong enough to be placed on a temporary trailer for transport to the building site where the trailer chassis is removed prior to assembly of each section.

Building codes and standards for modulars are essentially the same as for a stick-built residential home. Even when the modular home is built in a different state from which it is to be assembled, the home must comply with state building codes.

Also see MOBILE HOME ELECTRICAL DEFECTS

What building codes regulate mobile homes & doublewide homes?

A double-wide or mobile home or trailer (also called house trailers or "static caravans") is typically built to different building standards than a conventional stick-built house or modular built house. These homes are completely assembled in a factory and trailered to a site where they are parked.

The structure includes a permanently-attached trailer chassis, axle, wheels, trailer hitch that are used to deliver the home and can (in concept) be used to move it later.

Unlike modular homes whose constructions are regulated by state and local building codes, mobile homes, double-wides and trailers, are regulated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), via the Federal National Mfd. Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act of 1974.

This national regulation has allowed many manufacturers to distribute nationwide because they are immune to the jurisdiction of local building authorities. There are, however, windzones adopted by HUD that home builders must follow.

Depending on where a mobile home is located, these wind zone regulations can require special anchoring or tie downs to reduce the chances of the home being overturned in a storm.

Based on the description in your posted comment/question and your email, you are describing a double-wide mobile home.

Question: where can I find the HUD Section 184 Red Tag on my Home?

Where would the section 184 Red Tag be located on a 1983-West single wide? - Suzanne

(Apr 16, 2014) Sharon said: how do I find the mobile home manufacturer information?

How can I find the name of the manufacturer and model, and possibly a serial number of a 1971 manufactured home? The title says Make: MALB, Body: HS. The home now has vinyl siding so any label is concealed.

Reply:

Sharon, in this article at MOBILE / MANUFACTURED HOME LABELS we list some locations where you might find the data tag on your mobile home - that's where the manufacturer should be identified. On a home as old as yours there may be no tag. At that point I'd start asking my neighbors who have similar-aged homes.

Reply: See if your home qualifies under HUD Section 184 financing rules

Suzanne,

Section 184 refers to manufactured home financing assistance available in the United States from HUD. A red tag indicating that the home qualifies for financing under Section 184 is installed on homes that are eligible.

If the Section 184 red tag is missing, the house is not eligible for Section 184 financing. Only manufactured homes built after June 15, 1976 qualify. The tag is mounted outside on the rear of the unit.

This HUD financing pertains to manufactured homes sometimes referred to as "doublewides". So even though your 1983 single wide is newer than the 1976 cutoff year, it may not qualify as qualifying housing by the HUD rules, and it won't bear the RED TAG you are asking about.

Other HUD Section 184 Indian Home Loan Guarantee Program rules that determine if a home qualifies for 184 financing (and thus will bear a red tag) include: [1]

• The manufactured home bears a red tag certifying that its construction complies with the Federal Manufactured Home Construction & Safety Standards
• The home mortgage term is for 30 years or less, covers the unit and its building site or an appropriate site lease document was executed
• The home was built after 15 June 1976
• One- to four-family principal residences that qualify as standard housing under Section 184 (including units in condominiums, planned unit developments, and manufactured housing that is permanently affixed to the property, but not including cooperatives), fee simple properties located on Indian trust land or land located in an "Indian area"
• The home is classified and taxed as "real estate" - this will exclude
  • single-wides
  • homes lacking a suitable skirt and adequate insulation (in freezing climates) to protect the mechanicals
  • homes that are not new and/or that were moved from another site and homes not mounted on a permanently-attached foundation system with their transportation axles and tongue removed (i.e. the home can't easily be simply towed to another site)
  • homes located in a 100 year flood plain (including the level of ground below the home or its basement or crawl space

Examples of mobile home labels are found

at MOBILE / MANUFACTURED HOME LABELS.

Reader comment: NHFireBear offers manufactured homes regulation citations for the U.S. & for individual states

More about relevant mobile home codes, as we expand our local inspection policies:

Where not preempted by the federal code (i.e., things outside of the manufactured home or in mobile homes manufactured prior o 1976), you might want to consult the NFPA 501 Standard on Manufactured Housing, 2013 edition, and NFPA 501A, Standard for Fire Safety Criteria for Manufactured Home Installations, Sites, and Communities, 2013 edition, are both referenced in NFPA 1 (2015). Of course, not all jurisdictions use NFPA 1, preferring International Fire Code or their own home brew of codes.

Furthermore, for those enacting NFPA 1: "New manufactured housing shall comply with Section 20.11 and NFPA 501, Standard on Manufactured Housing." NFPA 1 (2015) National Fire Code, section 20.11.5: Occupancy Fire Safety; One- and Two-Family Dwellings and Manufactured Housing.

"Manufactured Home Sites. The fire safety requirements for the installation of manufactured homes and manufactured home sites, including accessory buildings, structures, and communities,
shall comply with NFPA 501A, Standard for Fire Safety Criteria for Manufactured Home Installations, Sites, and Communities." Ibid., 27.2.

Where the code says "shall comply" it means everyone has to do it, unless they get a proper waiver from the fire marshal, i.e., show that their alternative provides adequate or equivalent safety as would an installation in strict compliance with the code.

FWIW, NFPA 501 has its own labeling requirement showing certification of compliance with NFPA 501 on a permanent plate mounted on the taillight end of each transportable (mobile) unit, located one foot up from the bottom and one foot in from the "road" side. - NHFireBear is a fire inspector and a frequent contributor to InspectApedia.com - Ed.

This article references "Codes and Standards Act" for manufactured homes at 24 CFR Parts 0-199, 5/1/2001.

This manufactured-home standard contains 10 subparts (listed below) pertaining to General (data plate and certification contents and locations), Plans (dimensions, exits, etc), Fire Safety, Body and Frame, Testing, Thermal Protection, Heating/Cooling and venting systems, Electrical, and Transportation (axles, springs, drawbar).

It's about 90 pages of regulations. Part 3282 discusses pre-emption of state laws, among other things, and requires a new unit to be delivered with a "consumer manual" containing required information about the unit. NH FireBear

Safety Standards for Manufactured or Mobile Homes

The actual Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards begin in Subtitle B - REGULATIONS Relating to Housing and Urban Development (Continued) [PDF] at Part 3280, in Vol.5, [That is on page 107 of the PDF given above - Ed.] - original source www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2001-title24-vol5/pdf/CFR-2001-title24-vol5-subtitleB.pdf.

There (on start on p. 107 or use your PDF reader to search for "3280") you will find

• Subtitle B Part 3280 Manufactured home construction and safety standards (p. 107) that includes the following sections
  • 3280 Subpart A - General
  • 3280.101 Subpart B - Planning Considerations
  • 3280.201 Subpart C - Fire Safety
  • 3280.301 Subpart D - Body and Frame Construction Requirements
  • 3280.401 Subpart E - Testing [Structural load, roof trusses, windows, sliding glass doors, egress windows, exterior passage doors, air chamber testing for formaldehyde]
  • 3280.501 Subpart F - Thermal Protection [Insulation, air leakage, heat loss, heat gain, comfort, certification
  • 3280.601 Subpart G - Plumbing Systems
  • 3280.701 Subpart H - Heating, Cooling and Fuel Burning Systems
  • 3280.801 Subpart I - Electrical Systems
  • 3280.901 Subpart J - Transportation
• Part 3282 Manufactured home procedure and enforcement regulations (p. 197)
• Note: see ARTICLE INDEX to MANUFACTURED & MOBILE HOMES for articles about each component or topic for manufactured & mobile homes

Reply:

Thank you once again NHFireBear. For the convenience of readers I have excerpted the portions of the HUD document pertaining to manufactured housing and have included a live link to the document in the article above.

(Apr 9, 2015) NHFireBear said:

You guys are AWESOME! Thanks for cheerfully accepting my suggestions! I know many readers couldn't care less where the rules came from, but others may be curious about the source materials. I came across these materials while trying to help an owner dealing with an inspection triggered by a "housing assistance" application by a renter.

... the article [above] does mention "local building codes" (pertaining to MODULAR home, for some reason not relevant to this article), but leaves questions about what other codes may apply, under a section on questions, such as "what Florida codes apply to manufactured home steps" and "What building codes regulate mobile homes & doublewide homes?"

However, it has recently come to my attention the the ICC's International Residential Code (IRC), which is adopted as part of the building code in many states, includes a specific appendix (E) for "Manufactured Homes Used as Dwellings".

The IRC lays out LOCAL CODE applicability to permits and inspections for "Construction, alteration and repair of any foundation system... building services equipment which is necessary for connecting manufactured homes to water, fuel or power supplies and sewage systems, as well as alterations, additions or repairs to existing manufactured homes..."

It also mentions that any "auxiliary structures" associated with a mobile/mfd home installation are covered by "applicable local codes", and not preempted by the federal code on the construction of the dwelling itself.

In other words, the state/county/municipality may have their own codes (e.g., the IRC or local equivalents), which do apply to everything OUTSIDE of the manufactured home (which is pre-empted by federal code), as well as installation and any later modifications.

Similarly, it is quite possible that state/local FIRE CODES (including life-safety codes) will apply to inherently unsafe installations, such as pre-1976 mobile homes that lack adequate escape windows or smoke detectors, among other things, especially under any specific programs requiring fire inspections/compliance.

- by private email from NHFirebear 2016/08/01

Full Text of IRC Building Codes 2006, 2012

• INTERNATIONAL RESIDENTIAL CODE® FOR ONE- AND TWO- FAMILY DWELLINGS 2006, [PDF] [51MB] Retrieved 2016/09/17 original source: online ref for ICC_IRC (2006) https://law.resource.org/pub/us/code/ibr/icc.irc.2006.pdf (appendix E)
• INTERNATIONAL RESIDENTIAL CODE® FOR ONE- AND TWO- FAMILY DWELLINGS, 2012 [PDF] [17 MB] Retrieved 2016/09/17 original source: online ref for IRC 2012 version https://learnframing.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/IRC.pdf (the 2012 version)

The ICC has free, limited, live, online access to some of the latest codes, but I couldn't find the free link for IRC immediately.

• Also see Subtitle B - REGULATIONS Relating to Housing and Urban Development (Continued) [PDF] - original source www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2001-title24-vol5/pdf/CFR-2001-title24-vol5-subtitleB.pdf.

Moderator reply:

Thanks NH Firebear,

It's a serious problem that shows up at InspectApedia as some reader questions about code compliance, particularly because there is a high correlation between people who place mobile homes on sites AND people who put up modulars and real ignorance of good construction practices, codes, and standards.

Factory built housing is particularly appealing to that class of builders who are not really builders but rather desk-men (and women) who order homes and get them put-up.

Often, perhaps usually, because the builder is relying on the assured-code-compliance of the principal structure, and because they are not themselves educated builders but more they are financial people and order-takers or promoters, there is nobody on-site making sure that other site work and features are correct and safe.

I have seen in modular construction foundation catastrophes, incoming electrical fiascos, incoming water and outgoing sewage snafus, house-to-foundation shape mis-match, and even a house roll-over and another foundation collapse.

Even when the factory insists on sending their own trained site crew to install a home the surrounding work may be incompetent.

Similarly in mobile home set-up, complete failure to install proper support, piers, tie-downs. Mobile homes are in some situations more egregious as the buyers tend to be lower-income with less resources to make things right or even to check that the siting and site infrastructure are safe.

SEPTIC & CESSPOOL SAFETY has an example with my friend Steve Vermilye showing a collapsing DIY concrete block access to an open septic tank at a large mobile home facility for farm workers at a famous and expensive NY Pate production facility that we inspected for the farm workers union and for lawyers.

This was just one of many dangerous situations. Electrical was similar.
…

References to Mobile Home Codes, Defects, Standards

• ARTICLE INDEX to MANUFACTURED & MOBILE HOMES lists information for each major topic of mobile home, manufactured home, trailer, doublewide etc.
• Because there are many trip and fall hazards that maybe present at stairs and railings, see our separate articles

  STAIRS, RAILINGS, LANDINGS, RAMPS

  and

  CODES for STAIRS & RAILINGS

  .

  In addition to those specifications for safe steps and railings, most states require safe and securely-attached entry and exit stairs at both the primary entry to the home and also to a secondary safety or fire exit pathway from the home.

• Defects and Deterioration in Buildings: A Practical Guide to the Science and Technology of Material Failure, Barry Richardson, Spon Press; 2d Ed (2001), ISBN-10: 041925210X, ISBN-13: 978-0419252108. Quoting:

  A professional reference designed to assist surveyors, engineers, architects and contractors in diagnosing existing problems and avoiding them in new buildings. Fully revised and updated, this edition, in new clearer format, covers developments in building defects, and problems such as sick building syndrome.

  Well liked for its mixture of theory and practice the new edition will complement Hinks and Cook's student textbook on defects at the practitioner level.

• NFPA, FIRE SAFETY in MANUFACTURED HOMES [PDF] (2016) NFPA Public Education Division, 1 Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02169 USA Website: https://www.nfpa.org/education retrieved 2019/05/20, original source: https://www.nfpa.org/images/fpw/resources/pdfs/ManufacturedHomesSafetyTips.pdf
• Hall Jr, John R. MANUFACTURED HOME FIRES [PDF] (2013) Quincy, MA: National Fire Protection Association (2005 - 2013), retrieved 2019/05/20, original source: https://www.manufacturedhomelivingnews.com/ wp-content/uploads/2014/12/ National-Fire-Protection-Association-NFPA-Manufactured-Homes-Fires-Reportcredit-posted-manufacturedhomelivingnews-com-.pdf
  
  Manufactured home (i.e., mobile home) fire experience, patterns, and trends are analyzed in this report, which also examines the impact of the 1976 federal standards and fire risks relative to other types of dwellings.

  Executive summary During the five-year period of 2007-2011, U.S. fire departments responded to an average of 11,400 structure fires in manufactured homes per year, with annual losses of 206 civilian deaths, 434 civilian injuries and $179 million in direct property damage. In 2011, 10,800 structure fires were reported in manufactured homes in the U.S. These fires had associated losses of 161 civilian deaths, 490 civilian injuries, and $151 million in direct property damage.

  Civilian fire deaths and direct damage, the two loss measures least affected by estimation problems have declined by about 60% since 1980. Civilian injuries, which are probably under-estimated, have declined by less than half. Fires, which are also probably under-estimated, have declined by nearly two-thirds.

  Manufactured homes built after the introduction of the HUD standards have lower rates of civilian deaths per hundred reported fires than those built before the HUD standards were introduced. The 2007-2011 death rate was 57% lower for post-standard manufactured home than for pre-standard manufactured homes.

  There are so few deaths in fires with year of manufacture reported among 2007-2011 fires that these estimates should be regarded with caution.

  Looking at manufactured home fires by year of manufacture, the 2007-2011 average fire rate per 100,000 manufactured homes drops around the time when the HUD standards were introduced, but there is no statistical evidence that any change since then has produced enough risk reduction in enough units to produce a noticeable additional drop in the rate of fires per 100,000 units for recently manufactured units.

  Manufactured homes had a 2007-2011 fire death rate per 100,000 housing units that was roughly the same as the rate for other one- or two-family homes, relative to occupied year-round units.

  Excerpt:
  Estimates of manufactured home fires and associated civilian injuries are underestimated in 1999 and later years.

Layers of Roofing Permitted on Mobile Homes or Manufactured Homes

While 2 or even 3 layers of asphalt shingles may be permitted on conventional site-built or "stick built" (and probably modular) homes, manufactured homes - assuming we're using the euphamism for mobile home, doublewide, trailer - may be permitted only one layer of shingles at a time on the roof.

Where does this one-layer of shingles on mobile home roofs originate?

Where this one-layer rule is true and appropriate is probably on older mobile / manufactured homes or even new ones if the home was not framed using framing members of the same dimension and strength as a conventional stick built or modular home (typically 2x6, 2x8 or larger rafter or truss roofs of sufficient strength to carry the weight that can, spread over the roof surface, be a ton or more).

For conventional-framed homes regulated by model codes like the IRC figure that two layers is commonly permitted and in some jurisdictions up to 3 layers of asphalt shingle roofing on those structures.

Most experts we consulted and several insurance companies all insist that only one layer of asphalt roof shingles is permitted on manufactured homes, mobile homes, doublewides, trailers, presuming that those structures were built with original framing not intended for the added weight of additional layers of asphalt shingle roofing that can weigh about 100 lbs / square or an additional ton or more of dead load on the structure.

It's interesting that some HUD and FHA documents imply that up to 3 layers of roofing may be permitted, while not always making clear just which building types are being discussed:

• Chapter 9. Building Envelope, at HUD (1985) -

  (3) Reroofing.

  Depending on local codes, a maximum of three (original and two reroofs or original and one reroof in heavy snow load areas) roofs may be installed before tear-off is mandatory.

  However, the decision to reroof shall depend on the structural integrity of the supporting roof structure and the condition of the existing shingled roof. Substrate for reroofing shall be firm. If not available, ventilation shall be provided concurrently with the reroofing. Ridge and soffit ventilation is recommended.

  
  portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=74852c9PIHH.doc



• FHA 203K financing: FHA Single Family Housing Policy Handbook II. Title II Insured Housing Programs Forward Mortgages A. Origination through Post-Closing/Endorsement 8. Products b. 203(k) Consultant - https://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=SFH_POLI_203k_CSL.PDF

  4. Roof. Describe roof work to be performed, such as: installation of a new built-up 10 roof, with new metal gravel stops; installation of 240 Sealtab asphalt shingles on 11 all roofs with a 3:12 pitch or greater; etc. Roofs that already have two layers of 12 shingles should not be roofed again. Remove the existing shingles, then roof with 13 new shingles. Most estimates must be based on square footage projections.

• HUD 4905.1 REV-1 Chapter 2 - GENERAL ACCEPTABILITY CRITERIA is quoted:

  2-12 ROOF COVERING must prevent entrance of moisture and provide reasonable future utility, durability and economy of maintenance. When reroofing is needed for a defective roof, already consisting of three layers of shingles, all old shingles must be removed prior to re-roofing. - https://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/hudclips/handbooks/hsgh/4905.1/49051c2HSGH.pdf

• HUD HOC Reference Guide, Roofs & Attics - at https://archives.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/ref/sfhp1-24.cfm
• C. Re-Roofing: FHA will accept a maximum of 3 layers of existing roofing. If more than 2 layers exist and repair is necessary, then all old roofing must be removed as part of the re-roofing. (4905.1 REV-1, 2-12)

These references, not focused on manufactured housing but published by U.S. agencies HUD & FHA, are perhaps a source of the roof layer confusion we've come across, as those documents refer to HUD appraisals and not specifically to manufactured homes

Reader Q&A - also see the FAQs series linked-to below

Interesting, Michael, who said that mobile homes and doublewides are built exactly to the same standards as a stick built or modular home? I doubt that that's accurate.

If that were the case this web article would not exist, as there would not be separate mobile home and manufactured home codes and standards in most countries, states, cities.

Find the identification tag for your home and give the country and city and you will see which codes pertain and thus can find the exact code.

I bought a 2015 cavalier whitmore double wide. I'm looking for information on construction codes for roof and interior walls. We were told the house was built to same standard as a regular home but have found that the roof and ceiling are supported by 2x2 and interior walls are staggered with 2x2

Daniel Jeffersom

The HUD CODE or more properly, the 1974 Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act that came into effect on 5 June 1976 led to a general statement that homes built before that code do not comply and are likely to be ineligible for HUD or other financing. A host of details changed such as types of emergency exits, windows, doors, wiring, insulation, plumbing and structural details.

So your 1974 house trailer, built before the HUD code is likely to vary from the present standards across multiple topics. I cannot tell you exactly which; you'd need to sit with a copy of the present code in hand and look at each of those components on your specific home. I wish I could help more but I just can't see much from sitting here on the other side of the "wall"

You can download copies of the code from links given in the article above.

Here are a couple of pertinent statements directly from HUD.gov

Question: My home was built before June 15, 1976. I've made some modifications to my home and believe it meets the HUD Standards. Can someone come inspect my home to make sure it's in compliance with the Standards?

Answer: HUD does not inspect homes. Homes built prior to June 15, 1976, even with modifications, do not meet the HUD standards and cannot be accepted as compliant with the HUD Code.

As the homeowner, you may find a licensed engineer willing to inspect your home for compliance with your state's housing code. FHA does not insure mortgages on manufactured homes built prior to June 15, 1976. Most other mortgage insurance firms follow FHA's policy.

Question: Will HUD issue certification labels (HUD tags) if my home was built before 1976?

Answer: No. The Department will not issue tags for a manufactured (mobile) home constructed prior to the enforcement of the Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards, effective June 15, 1976.

Question: What if HUD does not consider my home to meet its requirements for Title I or Title II insured loans? Are there still financing options available to me?

Answer: You may wish to consult with private lending institutions such as Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae to see if financial assistance is available to you.

I own a New Moon house trailer built in 1973. What changed in the HUD code to qualify this home as not meeting the standards?

Anon and Gigi - please see the window and skirt regulation articles for mobile homes found in the ARTICLE INDEX

Don't hestitate to ask specific follow-up questions once you've seen that information - it's more complete than I can type over again anew here.

What is the specs on bedroom window? Hud regulations

What is the skirt regulations

Dave, perhaps to a buyer who is not obtaining financing and who doesn't care about unsafe conditions, but in my opinion, even SHOWING a home that has obvious safety hazards is a bad idea - a prospective buyer steps back to admire the home and falls off of the deck!

The cost of a deck rail is such a tiny percentage of the sale price of any home that in my view it makes sense to just go ahead and do what's proper. Safer for everyone.

Can you sell a Moble Home with out a Deck railing

The minimum required ADA hallway width is 36 inches.

What is the width of your hallway?

Also see the resources at

ACCESSIBLE DESIGN

The minimum required ADA hallway width is 36 inches.

What is the width of your hallway?

2019 Mid Country manufactured home. What is the minimum hallway opening in width.

I am handicapped and paid to have this house built with all 36 inch door opening throughout. Grab bars, tzll toilets, walk in shower with built in seat, etc. Hall width approved by Hud should be ?

...

Continue reading at MOBILE HOME DEMOLITION / REMOVAL or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see MOBILE HOME CODES & STANDARDS FAQs - questions & answers posted originally on this page

Or see these

Manufactured / Mobile Home Articles

• MOBILE HOMES, DOUBLEWIDES, TRAILERS - home
• DEFINE MOBILE HOME, DOUBLEWIDE, MODULAR, PANELIZED
• MANUFACTURED / MOBILE HOME DATA TAGS
• MOBILE HOME BUYERS ADVICE
• MOBILE HOME BUYERS GUIDE to SEPTIC SYSTEMS
• MOBILE HOME CODES & STANDARDS
• MOBILE HOME CONNECTIONS, MULTI-WIDE
• MOBILE HOME COOLING SYSTEMS
• MOBILE HOME CRAWL SPACES
• MOBILE HOME DEMOLITION / REMOVAL
• MOBILE HOME ELECTRICAL DEFECTS
• MOBILE HOME ENERGY ZONES
• MOBILE HOME EXTERIOR DEFECTS
• MOBILE HOME FOUNDATIONS
• MOBILE HOME HEATING SYSTEMS
• MOBILE HOME INSPECTIONS
• MOBILE HOME FIRE SAFETY
• MOBILE HOME INSULATION & VENTILATION
• MOBILE HOME INTERIOR DEFECTS
• MOBILE / MANUFACTURED HOME LABELS
• MOBILE HOME PIERS
• MOBILE HOME PLUMBING
• MOBILE HOME ROOF LEAKS, DEFECTS
• MOBILE HOME ROOF ZONES
• MOBILE HOME SAFETY DEFECTS
• MOBILE HOME SKIRTING
• MOBILE HOME STABILIZING SYSTEMS
• MOBILE HOME STRUCTURAL DEFECTS
• MOBILE HOME WALL DEFECTS
• MOBILE HOME WIND RATINGS
• MODULAR HOME CONSTRUCTION
• SHIPPING CONTAINER HOUSING

Suggested citation for this web page

MOBILE HOME CODES & STANDARDS at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to MANUFACTURED & MOBILE HOMES

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