Manufactured Housing – PA Department of Community & Economic Development
DCED works in cooperation with the US Dept. of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) and municipal code officials to assure all manufactured homes installed in Pennsylvania comply with all applicable requirements. HUD establishes the construction standards and enforcement regulations for new manufactured homes, as the State Administrative Agency, DCED enforces these requirements in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
DCED handles all consumer complaints for new manufactured homes and establishes habitability and installation standards for relocated manufactured homes.
For more information about factory built structures in Pennsylvania, please email us.
What is a Manufactured Home?
Manufactured homes, commonly known as mobile or trailer homes, are constructed under the federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards, otherwise known as the “HUD Code”. This code establishes performance-based requirements and ensures these homes are to be affordable, high quality, durable, and safe and may be installed on piers, blocked crawl spaces, or full basements. The codes which manufactured homes are constructed to are preempt from state and local codes.
Manufactured homes are constructed as single-section or multi-section units and are assembled and installed on site by licensed installers and must be installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s approved installation instructions.
The manufactured housing industry may apply other terminology for new categories of manufactured homes. This may create confusion, but no matter what terminology used, if the manufacturers certification label is located on the outside of each transportable section of the home, it is a manufactured home and not a modular home.
Manufacturer’s Certification Label
Manufactured Housing Installation
Under the HUD installation program, Pennsylvania requires a HUD Manufactured Home Installers License to certify every manufactured home installation. The licensed installer certifies that every manufactured home installed in Pennsylvania complies with the manufacturer’s approved installation instructions or the Pennsylvania Guide for Relocated Manufactured Homes.
After finishing the installation of a new manufactured home, the HUD licensed installer must provide a completed HUD Form 309 to the purchaser, the retailer, maintain a copy for themselves, and a copy to the local code official in order to receive the certificate of occupancy.
Visit our Manufactured Home Installer Frequently Asked Questions webpage to find more answers to your questions.
HUD Licensed Installer Resources
HUD has changed to a new monitoring contractor for the Manufactured Housing Installation Program. Please see memorandum from the Office of Manufactured Housing Programs; SEBA Professional Service is no longer accepting the Form HUD 309. Please forward all Form HUD 309’s to: [email protected]
Inspector Verification
As a requirement for new manufactured home installations under the HUD Form 309, the federal installation program requires an inspector to verify the installer has installed the home in accordance with the installation manual. This must be performed by a HUD qualified inspector. Please refer to the Manufactured Home Installation Program website for inspector responsibilities.
Important Aspects of Manufactured Home Installation
Installation is perhaps the single most important consideration to assure safety, durability and long term satisfaction from your home. Listed below are some of the key elements of installation that can have an impact on the performance of your home. Listed below and in our Manufactured Home Installation Brochure are some of the key elements of installation that can have an impact on the performance of your home.
Site Preparation – Proper grading of the site around your home to provide groundwater runoff is critical. Make sure the ground under your home is free from depressions or areas where water can collect and has a properly installed ground vapor barrier.
Support – Your installer must ensure that the ground where your home is sited has the proper soil conditions and bearing capacity to properly support your home. The pier footings must be protected from the effects of frost heave, which generally requires the pier footings to extend below grade to the maximum frost penetration in your area. Check with your local code official to determine the frost depth in your area. Improper support of your home may lead to bowed floors and walls, cracked walls or ceilings, doors and windows that do not operate properly, and other structural defects that can lead to permanent damage to your home.
Assembly– Most manufactured homes, especially multi-section designs, require assembly to be completed onsite. Until a home is assembled properly, it cannot perform as designed. The ability of the home to resist wind, rain, and snow and the functioning of the plumbing, electrical, heating/cooling systems, among other issues, are only assured by proper assembly onsite.
Stabilization/Anchoring– To ensure that your home can withstand the forces of windstorms, which can cause sliding and overturning of the home, it is imperative that your home is properly anchored with suitable anchoring devices that are properly installed.
Installation Shortcuts To Save Money– There are none. There may be several methods approved by the manufacturer for properly installing your home. One method is explained with the instructions that come with each home. Alternative methods of installation require the manufacturer’s approval before they are used. Proper installation is a wise investment – insist on it!
Retailer Responsibilities (New Manufactured Homes Only)
Retailers of new manufactured home sales to have specific regulatory requirements to follow, please see the Retailer Responsibilities Brochure.
HUD has changed to a new monitoring contractor for the Manufactured Housing Installation Program. Please see memorandum from the Office of Manufactured Housing Programs; SEBA Professional Service is no longer accepting the Form HUD 309. Please forward all Form HUD 309’s to: [email protected]
Retailers of new manufactured home sales to follow certain requirements in what information is provided to consumers and HUD. Please forward the Form HUD 305 and 306 to:
[email protected]
Relocating a Pre-owned Manufactured Home
Habitability – The person applying for the building permit to relocate a pre-owned manufactured home should first determine if the manufactured home still meets the Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards that were in effect when the home was first produced. To do that, the Habitability Guidelines for Relocated Manufactured Homes must be utilized. When utilized, this guideline will help provide a level of assurance that the home will be free from possible health and safety hazards. The checklist provided in the guideline must be completed and provided to a municipal code official as a part of the building permit process.
Installation– There are 3 installation options available when installing pre-owned manufactured homes:
- Install the home in accordance to the original installation manual that was provided with the home.
- The Pennsylvania Installation Guide for Relocated Manufactured Homes.
- The PHRC Pennsylvania Field Guide Foundation Systems for Relocated Manufactured Housing (2007). (Option C-Reinforced slab on grade, is acceptable only in leased land situations).
Certification of Installation for Relocated Manufactured Homes: A licensed installer must complete the PA Certificate of Compliance Form and forward to the purchaser and local code official in order to receive the certificate of occupancy.
link
