Manufactured Home Inspections
understand your manufactured home’s unique requirements, protect your investment
Level Home Inspections can handle both your comprehensive home inspection and Foundation Certification in one convenient visit.
Manufactured Home Inspections: Expert Assessment for Factory-Built Homes
When you need professional manufactured home inspection services in Southwest Virginia, Level Home Inspections brings specialized expertise to factory-built properties that many generalist inspectors overlook.
Our InterNACHI-certified manufactured home inspection approach addresses the unique construction methods, installation requirements, and system configurations that set manufactured homes apart from traditional site-built properties.
Why Manufactured Homes Need Specialized Attention
Manufactured homes built in factories follow strict HUD federal standards, offering quality construction and affordability.
However, these properties present specific inspection challenges that require specialized training and experience. Our manufactured home inspections examine both current conditions and the unique aspects of factory-built construction that over time could affect your property. Transportation from the factory to the final destination can create structural damage before installation, while improper setup can leave homes vulnerable to future problems.
Our systematic manufactured home inspection approach considers these factors alongside standard home systems evaluation.
Foundation Certification: Don’t Pay Twice
Manufactured homes rest on pier and beam systems rather than traditional concrete foundations.
When financing your manufactured home, lenders like FHA, VA, and USDA typically require engineered foundation certifications to verify compliance with HUD’s Permanent Foundations Guide for Manufactured Housing.
If your lender orders foundation certification separately from your home inspection, you will end up paying significantly more for two separate site visits.
You can avoid these extra costs as we partner with MFD Certifications to provide comprehensive foundation certification services during your regular inspection in one convenient appointment.
We handle the complete onsite evaluation, documenting all foundation elements, pier systems, anchoring, and tie-downs. Our findings go to licensed professional engineers, who review the information and provide the official certification your lender requires.
Most certifications take 1-2 business days to complete and cost significantly less than standalone certifications.
Completing foundation certifications at the same time as full manufactured home inspections will save homebuyers significant time and money.
It is important to contact your lender before scheduling your inspection to determine if foundation certification will be required. Make sure they understand that Level Home Inspections can coordinate this service. Otherwise, you could be responsible for duplicate costs from site visits and unnecessary delays in your loan process.
Unique Systems Require Specialized Knowledge
During our manufactured home inspections, we also focus on specific known construction and environment considerations to prevent potential additional costs for homebuyers.
Electrical Considerations: Manufactured homes often use aluminum wiring, particularly in older units, and GFCI protection is frequently missing. The electrical setup typically features sub-panels with main meters located away from the structure. We pay special attention to these issues and any DIY modifications, which are common but can create safety hazards when not done properly.
Plumbing Challenges: Water lines in manufactured homes are often located on the underside of the home where they’re exposed to freezing temperatures and potential damage from weather and pests. Our experts properly locate and inspect water heaters that may be behind wall panels or tucked into space-saving locations.
Structural Considerations: Manufactured homes typically use lighter 1x structural boards instead of 2x lumber, making them more vulnerable to damage. We check stress points like windows and doors for transportation damage and examine seals on exterior components for signs of compromise.
Additions and Modifications
Since manufactured homes have a flexible design, additions require their own foundations and cannot rely on the manufactured structure for support.
During our manufactured home inspections, we evaluate any porches, decks, or room additions to ensure they’re properly supported and aren’t creating stress that could lead to separation or water intrusion.
Advanced Technology Where It Matters
Our thermal imaging cameras are valuable during manufactured home inspections, to look for hidden moisture intrusion that can be difficult to detect through visual inspection alone.
Our Manufactured Home Certification
We are InterNACHI-certified for mobile and manufactured home inspections, giving us specialized expertise in the HUD standards that govern manufactured home construction.
We understand the unique considerations these homes require and apply specialized knowledge about factory-built housing, installation requirements, and the particular characteristics of manufactured home systems.
Your Investment Deserves Specialized Care
Whether you’re purchasing your first manufactured home or you’ve lived in manufactured housing for years, our goal is to give you clear, actionable information about your property.
We explain our findings in straightforward terms and help you understand which issues need immediate attention versus routine maintenance.
Ready to schedule your manufactured home inspection? Contact Level Home Inspections today to discuss your specific manufactured home needs, including foundation certification services when required by your lender.
Expert eyes, level approach. Specialized knowledge for every type of home.
Specialized Training
InterNACHI Certified Mobile and Manufactured Home Inspectors receive specialized training that goes far beyond standard home inspection practices. These inspectors complete rigorous coursework specifically focused on manufactured home construction, which differs significantly from site-built homes due to unique building methods, materials, and HUD compliance requirements
value preservation
Gain crucial knowledge about your home’s components. Manufactured homes have significant differences in materials and constuction methods. We identify materials or conditions that might lead to expensive future problems, like outdated plumbing or aging systems. This foresight allows you to plan upgrades before emergencies occur, maintaining or increasing your home’s value.
Save Time and money
Lenders often require a seperate foundation certification for manufactured homes, and even water sampling if the home has a private well. Level Home Inspections can bundle these extra requirements, saving you significant money, while eliminating the need for multiple appointments and potential scheduling conflicts
Frequently Asked Questions
In addition to a comprehensive home inspection, we can also provide a Manufactured Home Foundation Certification that verifies your foundation’s compliance with HUD standards. This is especially useful if you plan to refinance or secure new insurance in the future, ensuring your home’s foundation is solid and meets all necessary guidelines.
Manufactured homes follow HUD federal standards rather than local building codes, requiring specialized knowledge of factory construction methods, transportation considerations, and unique systems like chassis-to-floor connections. We’re InterNACHI-certified specifically for manufactured home inspections, understanding the distinct electrical configurations, plumbing arrangements, and structural considerations that generalist inspectors may miss. Our expertise covers everything from aluminum wiring assessments to proper pier and anchoring system evaluation.
If you’re financing through FHA, VA, or conventional lenders, you’ll likely need engineered foundation certification to verify HUD compliance. Rather than paying for two separate site visits, we coordinate foundation certification through our partnership with licensed engineers during your regular inspection. This saves you significant time and money while ensuring your lender requirements are met within 1-2 business days.
Homes built before June 15, 1976, don’t meet current HUD standards and require different evaluation approaches. While we can inspect these properties for general condition and safety concerns, they won’t qualify for standard manufactured home financing programs. We’ll provide a thorough assessment of the home’s current condition and help you understand any limitations or concerns.
Most manufactured home inspections take 3-5 hours depending on size, age, and complexity. Multi-section homes require additional time for marriage line connections and crossover system evaluation. If foundation certification is needed, we coordinate that simultaneously rather than requiring a separate appointment. You’re welcome to attend the inspection and ask questions throughout the process.
Our detailed same-day reports use clear language and visuals to explain any concerns without creating unnecessary alarm. We distinguish between items needing immediate attention versus routine maintenance, helping you make informed decisions. All of our home inspection include Repair Pricer free of charge. This powerful Ai driven service provides your realtor with real local price estimates for any defects identified during the inspection, giving you the information you need to negotiate with confidence.
