Manufactured Home
Foundation Certifications
Clear. Accurate. On Time.

Three things — and only three things. Federal guidelines require verification that: (1) the home is permanently tied down, (2) it will not float off its piers or foundation in a flood event, and (3) the drainage around the home will not allow water to flood the crawlspace or basement. That's the scope. Our registered field inspector visits the property, documents everything relevant to those three requirements, and our certification partner reviews the findings and issues the signed compliance letter.

Manufactured home: Any factory-built home constructed on or after June 15, 1976 in compliance with HUD Title 6 standards (the "HUD code"). These homes carry a red HUD Certification Label on the exterior of each section and a Data Plate inside. This is the home type we certify.

Mobile home: A factory-built home constructed before June 15, 1976 — before the HUD code existed. These do not qualify for HUD foundation certification and cannot be financed with FHA, VA, or USDA loans.

Modular home: A factory-built home constructed to local or state building codes (not HUD code). Modular homes do not have a red HUD label. They are treated the same as site-built homes for financing purposes and do not require a HUD foundation certification.

If you're unsure which type the property is, the HUD label is the definitive test. No red label — no HUD certification needed (or possible).

Yes. A valid HUD Certification Label on the exterior of each section — and a corresponding Data Plate inside the home — are required as part of the certification process. Our inspector verifies and documents both during the on-site visit. If labels are missing or unreadable, the homeowner can apply to IBTS (the Institute for Building Technology and Safety) to obtain label verification directly from HUD records. We can walk you through that process if it comes up.

Not necessarily — and this is one of the most common misconceptions we encounter. The HUD construction standards (CFR 3280) govern how the home is built at the factory: walls, windows, electrical, HVAC, roofing, and so on. They say nothing about the foundation. The foundation is governed by a completely separate document: HUD's Permanent Foundation Guide for Manufactured Housing (PFGMH), dated 1996.

A home can be fully HUD code-compliant as a structure and still be sitting on a non-permanent foundation that won't pass certification. That's exactly why the certification exists.

No. Every certification requires an on-site inspection. Foundation components, anchorage systems, and drainage conditions have to be physically observed and documented — there's no way to certify compliance from photos, plans, or prior inspection reports alone. Each foundation is also unique due to local geography, soil conditions, and installation method, which makes remote assessment unreliable. The on-site visit is not optional — it's the foundation of the certification (no pun intended).

Additions are increasingly a requirement — even on conventional loans — and for good reason. HUD guidelines are clear: manufactured homes are not structurally engineered to absorb additional dead and live loads from attached structures. Any addition that transfers its load to the manufactured home is non-compliant, regardless of whether a local building permit was issued for it.

Common problem additions include: porch roofs attached directly to the home's exterior, decks with ledger boards secured to the home's walls, and room additions whose floor or roof structure bears on the manufactured home. If your appraisal or underwriting flags an addition, order our Foundation + Additions certification. If you're not sure, contact us before ordering and we'll help you scope it correctly.

Yes — the in-place certification is included with every order at no extra charge. This documents that the home has not been moved from its original installed location, which is a separate requirement from the foundation compliance certification and is often requested by lenders and underwriters alongside it. You don't need to ask for it specifically; it comes with every certification we issue.

The issues we encounter most often are:

• Missing or insufficient tie-downs and anchorage — the most common finding by far
• Broken load path: steel support columns whose top or bottom plates are not mechanically secured
• Improperly attached additions transferring structural loads to the manufactured home
• Significant negative grading combined with evidence of past standing water in the crawlspace
• Piers that are inordinately tall and unstacked perpendicular to the steel floor beams

Some of these are straightforward fixes. Others require more involved remediation. Either way, we'll tell you exactly what's needed — in plain language.

The process doesn't end there. If our inspector finds non-compliant conditions, we issue a detailed findings report identifying exactly what needs to be corrected. The homeowner or seller then arranges for a licensed contractor of their choice to complete the required work. Once the work is done, we conduct a re-inspection to verify the corrections. If everything checks out, we issue the certification. The re-inspection does carry a separate fee, but the path to certification stays open as long as the corrections are made correctly.

For a straightforward, compliant foundation, most certifications are completed within 3–5 business days from the time of inspection. Turnaround depends on inspector scheduling, property access, and whether any follow-up is needed. We'll give you a realistic timeline when we confirm your order — and we don't pad it. If you have a tight closing deadline, let us know upfront and we'll do everything possible to accommodate it.

The completed certification is delivered by email as a PDF — directly to the loan officer or whoever is specified on the order. It's ready to upload to your loan file as-is. If your process requires a hard copy, just let us know when you place the order and we'll arrange it.

Just four things to get started: the full property address, the loan type (FHA, VA, USDA, or conventional), whether there are any additions attached to the home (porch, deck, room addition, etc.), and your contact information for delivery of the report. You can submit all of this through the order form on this page. We'll follow up to confirm scope, turnaround, and pricing before any work begins.

Give us a call at (817) 601-5257 or submit your first order and let us know you'd like to set up an account. For lenders who order frequently, we make the process even simpler — streamlined ordering, consistent turnaround, and a direct line to reach us when something is time-sensitive. We built our business on being the kind of partner you can actually rely on, and that starts from the first order.