How to Tell If a Mobile Home Is HUD Approved?

A red plate bolted to a mobile home's exterior identifies the home as meeting HUD standards.

"Manufactured home" is the preferred term for homes formerly called "mobile." The U.S. Congress adopted the verbiage in 1980 to more accurately describe factory-built homes that comply with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development standards. Although technically mobile because of their construction on a chassis, more than 95 percent of manufactured homes remain on the owner's original site, according to the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors. Not all manufactured homes are HUD approved. A close examination will tell you whether a particular home meets HUD standards.

Instructions

1. Find the date plate label inside a kitchen cabinet, electrical panel or bedroom closet.

2. Verify the date the home was manufactured. Look for the notice that states the home was built according to Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards. A home built on or after June 15, 1976, according to the Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards, meets HUD standards.

3. Find the certification label, also known as the HUD tag, on the outside of the mobile home. The HUD tag is a 2-by-4-inch red metal plate affixed to the exterior of the home with four screws or rivets.

4. Verify that the HUD tag has the information HUD requires. Find the label number stamped or etched into the tag. It should be a six-digit number with a three-letter prefix. The prefix identifies the agency that inspected your home.

Tips & Warnings

• If you believe the mobile home was manufactured on or after June 15, 1976 but you're unable to locate the date plate or HUD tag, HUD recommends that you contact the home's In-Plant Primary Inspection Agency and the manufacturer. The inspection agency or the manufacturer may be able to issue a replacement.

• If you're planning to purchase a mobile home with a mortgage loan insured by the Federal Housing Administration, in addition to meeting HUD manufacturing standards, the home must be located on a permanent foundation. Permanent foundations include basements, crawl spaces and concrete slabs.

References

• HUD: Labels (Tags)
• HUD: Manufactured Housing and Standards General Program Information
• National Association of Certified Home Inspectors: Manufactured Housing and Standards

Resources

• HUD: Inspection Agencies