Section 1: Basics

This section gets straight to the point with a checklist for what is typically needed to install a home from start to finish.

• Building permits
• Septic and well permits
• Land clearing
• Inspections
• Foundation (dirt pad, concrete slab, crawl space, or basement)
• Block, level, and tie (install)
• Exterior vinyl and ridge cap close up
• Interior trim out
• Electric pole, meter, and hook up
• A/C unit and hook up
• Skirting
• Steps
• Well/City water
• Septic/Sewer
• Driveway
• Landscaping

Section 2: Details

Want to know more about what each checklist item includes? Read below. If you still have questions, call us and we can put you in touch with someone from our Construction Consulting team!

Building, Septic, and Well Permits

• Contact your local building department to verify your property’s zoning will allow for the type of home you want to put on it.
• Ask about required setbacks, foundation requirements, and other land-use restrictions.
• Ask about inspections, impact fees, permit fees, and other costs associated with mobile home placement.
• Boundary Survey – Often required to verify home placement and property lines.
• Mobile Home Setup Permit – For putting a home on your property.
• Electrical Permit – For connecting electric from your pole to your home.
• Plumbing Permit – For connecting plumbing from your home to your septic or sewer.
• AC Permit - For installing a new AC unit and connecting it to your home.
• Septic - If applicable, a new septic system will be installed that your home’s plumbing will connect to.
• Well Permit – If applicable, a contractor will dig a well and plumb a water line to your home.
• Driveway Permit – For constructing a new driveway for your home.

Land Clearing

• Remove trees, stumps, rocks, and debris from the site.
• Grade the land to prevent water pooling under or around your home.
• Compact the soil to provide a stable foundation for your home.
• When your home is being delivered, the delivery trucks will need a clear path to pull onto your property. Ensure you have at least 14 feet of vertical clearance and 12 feet of road width.
• Remove low-hanging tree branches or obstructions.
• Verify that bridges and driveways can support the weight of delivery trucks.

Inspections

• Foundation Inspection – Before mobile home delivery.
• Installation Inspection - After the home is blocked, leveled, and tied.
• Utility Inspections – After electric, AC, and plumbing connections are done.
• Final Home Inspection – The last inspection before your Certificate of Occupancy.

Foundation (Dirt Pad, Concrete Slab, Crawl Space, or Basement)

• Build your foundation on compacted soil to ensure it doesn’t shift from the weight of your home.
• Build your foundation according to the load requirements in your installation manual; this will ensure the weight of your home is transferred to the piers, and those piers are resting on a foundation that’s strong enough to hold the weight of your home.
• If using piers, make sure they’re poured to frost depth.
• If soil, make sure the dirt pad passes a compaction test.

Block, Level, and Tie (Install)

• Your installer will place your home onto your foundation using various equipment.
• Once on the foundation, your home will be set on blocks, leveled, and tied down with steel straps attached to augers placed in the ground.
• If you have a home with two sections, your installer will bolt those two sections together so they’re seamlessly connected.

Exterior Vinyl and Ridge Cap Close Up

• This section only applies to homes with two sections, meaning double wides or modular homes. If you have a single wide, this section won’t apply.
• Homes with two sections are delivered without vinyl siding on the gable ends; this siding will need to be installed at this point.
• The ridge cap and marriage line gasket will be installed to ensure your home is water tight.

Interior Trim Out

• This section only applies to homes with two sections, meaning double wides or modular homes. If you have a single wide, this section won’t apply.
• Your marriage line will need to be trimmed out. This may include installing doors, trim around the doors, ceiling trim, floor trim, installing flooring, and drywalling the marriage line.

Electric Pole, Meter, and Hook Up

• Contact your electrical provider to request a new service connection.
• Determine whether you need an overhead or underground connection.
• Contact a local electrician to install a pole and meter box on your property.
• Schedule for your electrical provider to run a power line to your pole and install a meter inside your meter box.
• Schedule your local electrician to run electric from your pole to your home.

A/C Unit and Hook Up

• If your home comes with a furnace, your local AC contractor will provide and install a split system unit for outside your home and an evaporator coil that’s compatible with your furnace.
• If your home requires a package unit, your local AC contractor will provide and install the package unit and ductwork that connects to the home.

Skirting

• White vinyl skirting is the typical choice for a mobile home. It’s affordable and easy to remove if you need to get under your home.

Steps

• White fiberglass steps are the typical choice for a mobile home. They’re affordable, readily available for purchase, and easy to install.
• Wooden steps built on site are also an affordable and sturdy alternative to fiberglass steps.

Well/City Water

• If using city water, apply for a connection and pay any associated fees.
• If installing a well, hire a contractor for drilling and water quality testing.

Septic/Sewer

• If using a septic system, hire a contractor for installation.
• A percolation test may be done to determine the type of system required.
• If you have an existing septic system, you may be able to pump out your system to see if it will pass an inspection, which will allow you to continue using it with your new home.
• If you’re on sewer, contact your sewer provider to determine any tap fees.

Driveway

• Your building department may not require a driveway. If a driveway is required, you may need to put down dirt, gravel, or even concrete.
• In some cases a driveway isn’t required, but a concrete apron is. This concrete apron allows a safe and sturdy transition from the road onto your property in the event any heavy emergency vehicles need to gain access.

Landscaping

• Some building departments will require grass or sod to be put down in order to stabilize the soil that was inevitably disturbed through the process of installing your home.
• In some cases, plants or trees will also be required to replace any plants or trees that were removed.

Cost Estimates (Varies by Location)

Section 3: Glossary

Glossary of Terms

• Setbacks
  The minimum distance required between your home and property lines.
• Tie-Downs
  Straps or anchors used to secure the mobile home to the foundation.
• Skirting
  The material used to enclose the space underneath the mobile home.
• Easement
  A legal right to use another person’s land for a specific purpose, such as utilities or roads.
• Impact Fees
  Fees charged by local governments for new developments to cover infrastructure costs.
• Foundation Types
  • Concrete Pad – A solid foundation made of concrete.
  • Piers & Blocks – Concrete blocks placed under the home for support.
  • Runners – Strips of concrete or compacted gravel used to support the home.