In addition to manufactured home inspections, we also offer FHA inspection and VA inspection services for manufactured homes. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has prescriptive requirements all manufactured homes must comply with to qualify for an FHA or VA loan. HUD stipulates that the foundations of manufactured homes be inspected by a licensed professional engineer (PE) to ensure compliance with the prescriptive requirements.
The following improvements beyond the minimum requirements of the manufactured home regulations are necessary to meet the more stringent requirements of HUD Handbooks 4930.3 and 007487, entitled “Permanent Foundations Guide for Manufactured Housing” and subsequent clarifications posted in HUD Mortgagee Letter 2009-16, entitled “Manufactured Housing Policy Guidance – Property and Underwriting Eligibility”.
Manufactured Home Inspection Improvements
- Provide engineered footings below support piers that directly support the steel chassis.
- Lay block pier in Portland cement mortar. Alternatively, the blocks may be laid dry and coated with fiber-reinforced surface bonding cement.
- Anchor the superstructure of the home to the foundation by means of welds, bolts and various light gage metal plates (Screw-in earth anchors are prohibited). Below is a sample system that is approved for use:
- Enclose the foundation with approved skirting (masonry, vinyl or metal siding).
- Provide adequate screened vents (1 sqft of net free area per 150 square feet of crawl space floor area) around the entire perimeter of the building.
- Cover the entire dirt floor of the crawl space with 6-mil polyethylene plastic sheeting.
- Remove the tongue, axles and wheels from the site.
- Permanently install all utilities.
The information is provided as a courtesy to help illustrate some of the applicable HUD Permanent Foundation requirements. This list does not purport to be a complete manual of accepted good practice. Other building code and engineering considerations may apply to various situations. Meeting the requirements noted above does not assure that all installations can be certified. However, the installation will not be approved unless all the above details are provided.
