Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/469624
MARCH 2015 20 THE JOURNAL BY GEORGE PORTER SERVICE & SET-UP How Much Does It Cost To Install A Home? Recently someone asked me "How much does it cost to install a home?" Guess I was a little taken back by the question at first because the question cannot really be ac- curately answered. The question needs to be "How much does it cost to install THAT home on THAT lot." This is a question that a person could answer..... or so I thought. This is the problem with knowing too much about some- thing. Everyone wants a simple sound bite; just a few words and then they are content with the answer. Problem is the answer they get is not a good one. There are so many exceptions to the simplest answer that it will be wrong 95% of the time. So... the person said that they just wanted an average cost across the nation. OK... Look I don't want to give this person a hard time or try to make them think I am being evasive with them. But I don't want them to get the wrong answer from me either. It was not a casual ques- tion, it was important to them and I felt that to do the question justice required some discussion. That discussion took over an hour on the phone. Near the end we arrived at a very good ques- tion. What is installation? Before you start to think this is a bunch of nonsense because you sure as heck know what installation is.... consider these choices. Possible installation definitions 1. Taking whatever the factory sent and com- plete it to the point where it is weather tight, properly supported and anchored. If it is a multi- section then the marriage line is finished off as prescribed by the factory manual. 2. Everything in #1 plus all utilities as well as foundation enclosure. I.e. blocks or vinyl 3. Everything from #1 and #2 plus site prepa- ration before delivery and grading after the job is done. 4. All the above plus delivery to the lot...... and I hope you get the picture by now? Installation means different things to different people. There are many types of "normal." It is not that anyone is wrong, it is that we simply don't have a clear definition of what is an instal- lation. Or do we? As you know we have a national installation regulation now and I looked up what it said. 24 CFR 3285 and 3286 both have definitions of in- stallation....sort of. The closest in 3285 is the term" installation standards" It basically says that the standards will insure the proper siting at the place of occupancy; the joining of all sections and the installation of stabilization and support systems or anchor sys- tems. The term installation is defined in 3286 as doing what is specified in 3286.505 as well as doing what it says in 3285 above. So... we go to 3286.505 and we finally get a list of what will be inspected. Now if it is to be inspected then I guess you are expected to do it when you install a home. It says that you must see to it that the fol- lowing things comply with Part 3285. 1. Site location with respect to home design and construction (wind zone, thermal zone, etc.) 2. Consideration of site-specific conditions. (flood zone, earthquake area, etc.) 3. Site Preparation and grading for drainage (the water goes away from the house) 4. Foundation construction (Suitable for the loads and soil conditions as well as placement under the home) 5. Anchorage (screwed in ground or other- wise stabilized) 6. Installation of optional features (Washer and dryer, AC, porch, etc.) 7. Completion of ductwork, plumbing and fuel supply systems. 8. Electrical systems 9. Exterior and interior close-up (marriage lines, siding and shingles) 10. Skirting, if installed. (proper venting and attachment) 11. Completion of operational checks and ad- justments (every system from smoke detectors to hot on the left and cold on the right, plus GFCI) So I guess from this search of the regs we may be able to describe what HUD thinks installation is and of course a lot of it depends on whether or not you need all those parts to complete your home. You may need more or you may need less. A singlewide will not have marriage walls to trim out of course, but if it is in wind zone 3 it will have a bunch of anchors. One more thing I want to make very clear be- fore we move on. These are Government regs and I am not a lawyer. OK? If the Supreme Court Justices don't all agree on laws then who am I to be telling you what this means? I am sure that what I have told you is exactly what I read. So let's get back to that original question. What does it cost to set-up a home? Not too sure we are any closer to answering that question than we were a few minutes ago but at least you now have some information and background to formulate a better question. That question should probably be something like," What does it cost to pick up that home over there and move it to this lot over here after you have properly pre- pared the site and foundation. Then put it to- gether, support and anchor it the way the factory manual said to do it; then hook up and check out all necessary utilities. When you finish that then skirt it and build some steps for both doors and finish grade the lot. I want a family to be able to live in it when you are done." Oh ... and I need it done by this weekend! Now you can put a price on it. George Porter is a consultant to the manufactured housing indus- try. His Company is Manufactured Housing Resources, P.O. Box 863, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971 (302) 645 5552, Web: www.george-porter.com Some of his services are both in person and On-line training for certification in many states plus expert witness and investigation for the industry. T J