Once known as “mobile homes”, manufactured homes are mobile no longer.
They are affixed permanently to a foundation, providing an affordable option for many home buyers. Manufactured homes were also once known – and derided – for shoddy construction. But that, too, has changed. They must now meet extensive state and federal requirements for structural soundness, safety, and construction quality. Primary among these:
- The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has established an array of technical and design standards for manufactured home foundations. A licensed professional engineer must certify that the foundation meets those requirements in order for a manufactured home to qualify for a federally insured (FHA) mortgage.
- Many states have established their own unique and varied requirements for the design and construction standards manufactured homes must meet.
Criterium-Twin Cities Engineers is one of the few engineering firms with extensive experience with manufactured housing. Our licensed professional engineers have inspected thousands of manufactured homes all over the country. They understand HUD’s foundation requirements and can provide the inspections and documentation required for an FHA loan. Additionally, our national network of affiliated engineers includes many who understand the state-specific requirements in their markets and can verify compliance with them. This is no small thing. Some states have minimal standards, but others have standards hundreds of pages long.
Our knowledge of manufactured homes isn’t limited to the homes themselves. At the request of state and federal regulators, we also inspect the factories that manufacture the homes, to verify that the materials and construction protocols they are using meet design and quality standards.
At Criterium-Twin Cities Engineers, we are building experts and we are experts in manufactured homes. That’s a claim few engineering firms can make, and it is the reason you should contact us if you are buying a manufactured home. We can provide the foundation analysis and documentation you need to qualify for a federally-insured mortgage. We can also provide the assurance you want that the home you are buying is structurally sound, durable, and safe.