Do you want to buy a manufactured “mobile” house and finance it with an FHA loan? Do you want to refinance your current loan with an FHA loan? If yes, then the foundation of your home must be checked by a licensed civil engineer to ensure that it complies with the HUD requirements dictated by the HUD Handbook 4930.3, entitled “Guide to Permanent Basics for Housing Production” and updated on the Housing and 2008 Economic Recovery Act (adopted July 30, 2008). New homes must comply with the HUD Handbook 4145.1, REV-2, CHG-1, entitled “Architectural Processing and Inspections for Home Mortgage Insurance”, and reported using the HUD-92051 form entitled “Compliance Inspection Report”.
Foundation requirements placed by HUD are often more stringent than local building code requirements. The purpose of these requirements is to make your home safe by increasing its ability to withstand strong winds and earthquakes, which are more resistant to moisture problems and increased load bearing capacity, so as to reduce the possibility of calculating the foundation.
The following is a list of the main requirements of the HUD foundation:
• Pour concrete piers or approved engineering companies must support berths.
• When using concrete blocks (CMU) as moorings, the moorings must either be laid in a Portland cement mortar or in a dry condition and covered with fiber-reinforced surface binder cement. Steel jack stands are an approved pier support provided they are designed and sealed by a licensed engineer.
• The chassis must be fixed to supports (screw-type grounding anchors are not allowed).
• Cover the foundation with solid baseboard. As of May 21, 2009, vinyl or metal baseboards are allowed.
• Ensure adequate ventilation in the scanning area. 1 square foot of net square per 150 square feet of crawling space is required around the perimeter of the house.
• The ground under the house should be covered with a polyethylene vapor barrier with a minimum thickness of 6 mm.
• All equipment used to transport the house (tongues, axles and wheels) must be removed from the site.
• All utilities must be permanently installed.
As you can see, the requirements are more stringent than the requirements of most building codes. I recommend contacting your local licensing officer who can help you determine the suitability of your home and what steps, if any, are needed to update the foundation of your home.
