How to Move a Manufactured Home to a Vacant Lot

Moving a manufactured home requires investigation of state, county and municipality restrictions

Single-wide, double- or triple-wide manufactured homes can take to the road and move to vacant lots across town or cross-country. Before moving, it is important that research be done to determine state, county and municipal restrictions, permits and other pre-installation requirements. A prospective move can be determined by knowing the dimensions of a manufactured home, and information such as the roof load and wind ratio and the zoning restrictions of the vacant lot.

Things You'll Need

• Data zone plate
• HUD certification
• Physical road survey
• Road permit
• Zoning restrictions of vacant lot
• Building permits on variety of pre-installation work such as foundation installation (dependent on individual location)
• Manufactured home's weight, size and width

Instructions

1. Determine the manufactured home's weight, size and width. It can be found on the deed, loan papers or new purchase receipt from the manufacturer.

2. Go online to the official state or states' website(s), often the Department of Transportation pages, and locate restrictions on transporting manufactured homes on state highways and roads, in addition to any trip permits that might be required. Many states, such as Minnesota, require that a physical road survey occur before the manufactured home can be moved. The object of the road survey is to ascertain any physical obstructions such as low-hanging wires and streetlights. Take the road survey no less than 14 days prior to the actual move. In addition, find the states' requirements on the number of escort vehicles on the DOT websites.

3. Locate the document called the data information plate. It can be found near the electrical panel or perhaps inside a kitchen cabinet or the closet of the master bedroom. This document details the geographic conditions such as the roof load and wind ratio that the manufactured home was originally constructed for. Never move a manufactured home to a region where the geographic conditions consisting of snow fall and high winds do not match its original design.

4. Locate the HUD certification label, made of red metal and attached to the rear exterior of the manufactured home. The number of HUD certification labels is dependent on the number of sections on the manufactured home. A double-wide will have two, and a triple-wide will have three. The label identifies the manufactured home as having been built under HUD Standards and Procedures for manufactured homes and has a serial number. This information is required by some local tax collectors and building inspectors.

5. Go online and research the official website of the vacant lot's county and/or municipality for manufactured home requirements. Determine if, under the zoning laws or deed restrictions, a manufactured home can be installed on the vacant lot and if a building permit is required. In addition, determine what, if any, pre-installation conditions need to be met. Conditions include:

   Foundation construction

   Parking and zoning conditions

   Tax appraisal

   Building Inspections

   Some counties, municipalities, townships and other local roads require trip permits be affixed to each section of the manufactured home. Failure to have a trip permit could result in a ticket or fine and additional operation costs from the tranportation hauler.

6. Contract with a reputable hauler. Supplied with all the information regarding routing and restrictions, a hauler will quote the cost of transport, including escort vehicles and any site work such as foundation laying if required. Quotes might require a payment of a nominal fee.

References

• Austin City: Manufactured Home Standards
• Institute for Building Technology and Safety: Data Plate Information
• New York Department of Transportation: Escort Vehicles
• Minnesota Department of Transportation: Physical Road Survey