OPINON: in general, there is NO building code requirement for periodic or "Move-in" safety or electrical inspections of an existing home, mobile home or otherwise. When there is new work that requires a building permit, and some repair work that may require a permit such as extensive remodeling then permits and inspections and approvals by local building officials are often required.
But mobile homes often fall through the cracks in that procedure, largely because the local building officials figure that the home's manufacturer, building the home under controlled conditions, puts it together specifically to comply with the codes where the home will be sold. On an older mobile home where there may have been many modifications to it over its life, many of those if not all may have been done without permits nor inspections.
Maggie, adding: For a case like this surely there has been a fire investigation. If you can send us any of that data I would much like to review it. If you prefer tp lee[ tjat [rovate. On by Maggie - Who is in charge of inspecting a mobile home and making sure if it safe for habitation?
Who is in charge of inspecting a mobile home and making sure if it safe for habitation? I am asking because my daughter was told by the park that her trailer was inspected and deemed safe. She had two fires in it and TONS of electrical problems. The second fire took her life. On by mod - Inspector wants to see the doublewide marriage wall. Jay, I think you are asking about the marriage wall which is the common walls the form an interior partition in a home when two sections are placed together.
Inspector wants to look at the marriage wall to see if the sections were correctly placed, for example sufficiently close together. Sometimes there are other useful things to note that might not be obvious such as an unwanted draft up through the center of the home or missing fire blocking. Why does inspecter want to see marriage [wall].
On by mod - Is it legal for a landlord to rent a double wide home that is not properly assembled? Kersonya Padgett, As I'm not an authority, "Legal? Let's distinguish between a cosmetic problem - that can include ugly or sloppy assembly of a doublewide, from a functional problem that could also lead to a safety concern: If the building is settling, leaning, moving about, then it's likely that there will be ongoing damage and that might be dangerous - for example if a gas line is broken or an electrical wire pulled loose.
Generally that requires a bit of movement more than just showing up an ugly seam. Separate from the safety and code question, there will be a construction quality standard for your home, written in the form of instructions from the home's manufacturer.
If your home is quite old, say from the early s, we will probably not find that such a standard exists. If your'e in the U. Above on this page we list nearly all of the manufactured home standards that might apply - I know it can be overwhelming.
You might want to take a look at HUD However, prior to completion of the exterior close-up, gaps that do not exceed one inch are permitted between structural elements provided: 1 The gaps are closed before completion of close-up; 2 The home sections are in contact with each other; and 3 The mating gasket is providing a proper seal. All such gaps must be shimmed with dimensional lumber, and fastener lengths used to make connections between the structural elements must be increased to provide adequate penetration into the receiving member.
On by Kersonya Padgett Is it legal for a landlord to rent a double wide home that is not together completely? Like I can feel the seam in my living room floor and the ceiling looks like they covered it with a thicker piece of wood to cover the top. I don't know what i can do?? I don't know what to do!!!? I think that my siding covers the cracks outside!! Kersonya Padgett, If I could get a reply at kjb. Donald Edward jamieson, Your local Building Code Compliance inspector is the final legal Authority on this point except that the mobile home park may have its own rules that extend the building code and would be legal provided they don't cause the building inspector to consider that they are a violation or unsafe.
What that means in a practical sense is that if you are mobile home park will not allow you to install permanent concrete footings for the posts for your deck you will need to rely on a simple ground-level concrete pad under your posts and then adequate diagonal or cross-bracing between them to assure that your deck structure is safe. On by Donald Edward jamieson Installation of a deck to my mobile home do it need footings.
The park manager said there are not allowed they have to be mobile. On by mod - Florida single-wide renovated: trouble with building inspector. Linda, Although the Florida Statutes may be derived from the HUD rules the state statutes May impose additional restrictions, particularly on the topic of storm protection or tie-downs or winds damage resistance. One thing to keep in mind is that the local Building Code Compliance inspector is always the final legal Authority.
On by Linda Question--I am rennovating a vintage single-wide mobile home--Florida--and belueve I an running into city over-reach re: inspections re construction and trying to figure out which rules apply--HUD, Florisa statues, or local building code which I believe actually points to Fliruda statues.
Anyway, love to know if anyone has knowkedge of such. On by danjoefriedman mod - code compliance for mobile homes Gary Lipka, My opinion and it's nothing more than that it's not on a home that old you wouldn't assume that I hadn't been modified over its life and you can't assume that it's code compliant. I think more fundamentally the issue will be that for mobile homes of that age there are limitations on what HUD financing would be available to a buyer.
On 0 by Gary Lipka, placing value on a manufactured hoe Thank you. Nothing judicial. I'm a real estate appraiser completing an appraisal on this home. Looking for more information on it is all.
I do like to fish though! On - by mod -. Gary Lipka, I'm embarrassed to only be able to offer a vague answer but I don't think we're going to have much success finding out what a long-gone company used their standards in The most reasonable claim would be that the company building a mobile home or manufactured home would have built to the standards that would be accepted in all of the states to which they expected to ship or sell their product.
That's why they usually use the model codes like the Boca code that you site. And code-compliance, even back in , will not have much to say about the current condition of the home and thus its value. Perhaps it would be useful for you to say something about why you are caring about compliance with a code that's so old. In appraising or assessing the condition of a mobile home, IMO more important than the codes is a thorough visual inspection that would show The current physical condition of the home Any life safety concerns Any significant repairs needed to make the home safe and habitaable If it's a litigation issue I think you're fishing in a pond that has no fish.
The only information that I can locate on this home are the construction standards above. I'm trying to find out what Construction standards Guerdons built their homes to back in the day.
Was it boca code of the day or a code that predated hud code. Any information would help. Here is what HUD says about the problem of needing an IBC sticker for an older mobile home that doesn't have one: Regardless of the upgrades made to your park model, it is not possible to obtain a HUD label on any structure that was not produced and inspected as a manufactured home in accordance with HUD's Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards and Regulations during its original construction.
Does anyone have any idea how I might be able to get one from someone other than Markline? Any information will be helpful. Thank you. On by mod - realtor selling home objects to adding drip edge. Angela: Thank you for the question: is roof drip edge required by building codes? Prior to drip edge was recommended by the roofing manufacturers and so indirectly, as I'll explain below, required to comply with strict code interpretation. Since and your home was made in the model codes require drip edge on roofing - see excerpt below from iccsafe.
Even if this were an older home, the home inspector probably recognizes that in a more-careful interpretation of building codes, the phrase commonly present for most features " Where drip edge may not be strictly or explicitly required by local codes check with the local building code official as she is the final legal authority it is nevertheless a good and recommended practice found in the illustrations and instructions for installing most roofing products.
You don't give the location of the home, nor local code citations, but a model code authority shows the home inspector's absolutely-right position is the ICC model code from which I excerpt: A drip edge shall be provided at eaves and gables of shingle roofs. Adjacent pieces of drip edge shall be overlapped a minimum of 2 inches 51 mm.
Drip edges shall extend a minimum of 0. Finally and perhaps more important: why are we wasting a second arguing about such a trivial and inexpensive defect to remedy. Frankly if I were selling a home and the only stumbling block were roof shingle drip-edge I'd be doing cartwheels of joy and offering to pay for the cost out of my commission. On by Angela Adams I am a real estate agent and currently representing the seller regarding a brand new double-wide home, which he purchased from a distributer and installed per HUD guidelines.
Potential buyers are being told by their home inspector that drip edge flashing is missing and needs to be installed per current building code. If this is current building code, why would the manufacturer not be installing it? If is it not current building code, where can I find this documentation to present back to the buyer's agent? Thank you in advance. Lacey: I'm sorry that your dad's home had to suffer such terrible water and mold damage and contamination; however a drip pan alone would not be likely to have prevented the damage you show - unless it also provided a direct drain to the exterior, which many do not.
Rather, it was the prolonged leakage of a water heater in an area that nobody inspected, perhaps because nobody knew that they should check on the heater and because the area was not readily accessible.
By the way, it sounds odd to say that a brand new home was outfitted with a water heater that was already 20 years old and that the damage was not discovered for another 20 years, making the heater 40 years old. Perhaps you can show me a sharp photo of the water heater's data tag and another of the heater itself and third of the leak point.
On by Lacey Hernandez My dad happened to be out of state undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatment when this happened. And due to the marriage line. After a week of drying out the home, with water supply shut off to prevent any further leaking. Has anyone else had a problem with your manufactured home being bought brand new from the retailer, and installed on your property, but no drain pan was put underneath the 20 YEAR OLD water heater in the water closet, hidden behind 2 interior doors plus a screwed on access panel?
Because we did! And it destroyed our home after 20 years when tje bottom rusted out it was 20 years old when installed!
On - by mod - What a pain, Dudley. What is the load bearing capacity of mobile home exterior walls? What is the weight increase when converting a mobile home to use a pitched roof? Someone is spending your money to reduce their risk - and a trivial risk at that, considering the point you make about relative weight- but let's get this clear: the weight of the roof on the walls of your mobile home is the sum of - whatever original roof materials were left in place - the new roof structure trusses, rafters, whatever - the new roof covering metal I agree that a metal roof is lighter than a shingle roof, but you'd want to argue that the weight of all of the roof materials is still safe for the home.
It's an ugly problem that means you'll need a design professional, like an architect or engineer who, for a fee, will look at your structure and write an "it's ok" letter - so I suspect at the very least you're looking at a fee to do that. See if you can find an RA or structural or civil engineer nearby who's familiar with mobile home construction and who is willing to look, or ask your building department in the county if they can recommend a design professional whose opinion they'll accept.
Basic mobile home roof weight bearing data: A typical mobile home roof is built to carry a 30 pounds per square foot load, possibly varying by the snow zone where the home is sold. In an area of average ft deep snow loads, the mobile home roof will be built to carry 50 pounds per square foot.
In an area of deep snow, ft, the roof would be built to carry up to 90 pounds per square foot. Typically a sloped roof on a new mobile home will have a roof slope of at least Pitches range from up to about for some models. Take a look at the framing for your mobile home's walls. If, for example, the walls are framed with 2x4s 16" on center, then their strength, assuming the framing components are fastened properly, will be similar to that of a stick-built house and your building department ought to be happy.
But some older mobile homes may use smaller framing materials and their spacing may be different. On by Dudley We recently purchased a Liberty Mobile home and put a peaked metal roof on it. Now the county wants us to provide them weight bearing information for this mobile home. The weight of this metal roof is a lot less than a shingle roof would have been. Since Liberty is no longer in business, where can I go to get this information or who can I contact to sign off that this mobile home can handle the weight.
You may need to clear or refresh your browser cache to see the updated page. We welcome your further photos, comments, questions. On by Dean In new construction homes are required to be air tight to specific air change per hour. Is there a specified amount of air changes per hour of outside air infiltration for double wide manufactured homes? I have heard that Lancer mobile homes are one of the better brands but do you know if the models were built to higher standards overall?
On - by mod - Charles That's an excellent question, but not one I can answer; your local building department is the final legal authority. What did they tell you? If you stay in side the city limits and want to move your mobile home out of a park and it is hud certified can the city stop you from putting it on your own property just because its in the city and they use the international building code?
On - by mod - Carolyn I'll b glad to try to help out but you need to ask a specific question. On - by mod - MB With the apology that I am flying blind with respect to the conditions of your mobile home, from what you've described it's a certainty that the home is unsafe. It sounds as if there has been amateur electrical work as well as inadequate or no proper repairs or maintenance to leaks, plumbing, and electrical systems.
You might see if there is a legal aid attorney near you who can help you sort out your rights in this situation. My OPINON I am NOT a lawyer is that unfortunately, once the deal is done and paid, you have very little recourse to get a seller to do anything unless you can prove fraud or some other similar crime. Just consider that those are the people responsible for the previous improper work that could have killed you by electrocution. Instead you need a completely-independent electrician and plumber and perhaps other repair people to inspect the home, list what is unsafe and list what other repairs are needed to prevent both dangerous conditions or rapid costly damage to the home.
Then, IF you have any recourse with the seller, you should want to recover the cost of those repairs done by someone other than the seller, someone with competence, whom you trust, and whom you can call back to the job if necessary.
On by Mbourn We live in champion that was bought from another individual. That person did not have a pad put down underneath the trailer, there is no inspection tag to be found. And we just discovered what had electrocuted me one evening while turning the water on to the shower and lighting my feet up when I sat down on the toilet. The washer inlet valves had been leaking behind the wall for quite some time we didnt know because it was a small slow leak until it got real cold and froze pipes this past winter.
When we ripped the wall out to get to the pipes there is an electrical wire that is in front of these pipes. They had been leaking on that wire. Who said that was ok to leave it there?! This trailer is a fire and health hazard and water damage with mold damage that he will not fix. This place is actually uninhabitual. Ive tried to tackle a few small things myself but im no where near skilled enough to do the work needed done here.
Is there anything I can do to make a believer out of him and fix the damage? In addition to those specifications for safe steps and railings, most states require safe and securely-attached entry and exit stairs at both the primary entry to the home and also to a secondary safety or fire exit pathway from the home.
On - by mod - Donnie, A ridge vent would make sense on the sloped or gable roof "A" shaped" on a mobile home only if there is a "ventable" attic, meaning there is soffit or eaves or roof overhang intake venting as well as then a ridge vent for outlet. On - by mod - Yes but I think we need to be more specific and details to be sure we're talking about the same thing. You're talking about the wall structure including the interior wall surface not just the exterior siding.
On by Lacey Do exterior walls on mobile homes have a fire rating? On - by mod - Brenda We give such codes in the article above on this page, but the first place to start is with the manufacturer's instructions for your specific brand and model water heater as along with the final inspection by your plumbing official, those are the final authority on proper safe water heater installation.
On by Brenda I need to review the plumbing code for manufactured homes for a hot water heater installation. On 1 - by mod - location of the electrical meter and main switch on a post outside the home Suzane The location of the electrical meter and main switch on a post outside the home is site-dependent, not year nor modular vs stick-built - dependent, so it's certainly possible that a 's modular home used such a system. Typically from the post there is an underground feeder to the home's main electrical panel.
On by Suzanne Thiele-Thornton Did modular homes of the 's have electrical on a post outside of house? Moved recently from Oregon where we could have 3 layers before it had to all be removed and redone. Might need to do it here in the Palm Springs area Thanks for your input On by James Svoboda What were the standard snow load requirements for mobile homes in Idaho in ?
On - by mod - James In Mobile Homes the water heater is often installed into a closet or utility space whose access door is on the exterior of the home. I don't think the issues here in your note are focused on the location of the heater but rather that the entire installation sounds unsafe. If the landlord does not respond to written notice of unsafe conditions then the options are to move or to obtain help from the local Building Department. When I hear about very poor conditions such as you describe I suspect that there may be other poorly maintained or incorrectly installed features or equipment in the home and thus you should be alert for other safety hazards as well.
My daughter is in a double wide and the whole water heater closet is rotted. No straps secure it and it rocks dangerously. The structural soundness looks very unprofessional.
And I believe a vent that's old and hanging should be connected. Very unsafe. The MPS includes minimum standards for these, and other items, to ensure that the value of an FHA-insured home is not reduced by the deterioration of these components.
HUD requires that each property insured with an FHA mortgage meet one of the nationally recognized building codes or a State or local building code based on a nationally recognized building code. In areas where such State or local codes are used, HUD determines if the State or local code is comparable to the model building code. There are also areas of the United States that do not have building codes. If no State or local building code has been adopted, the appropriate HUD Field Office will specify a building code that is comparable to one of the nationally recognized model building codes.
The telephone number is ; FAX number InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website. This page provides free access to model building codes, specific provincial, state, city or other building codes and various building standards.
Some of these permit free online access to building codes in non-printable or non-downloadable versions and all of the code agencies permit purchase of copies of the codes they maintain. Because various states or provinces also have adopted versions of the model codes, often a copy of these is available from the state or province at no charge.
Shown here, an excerpt from NFPA 90A covering the construction, installation, operation, and maintenance of air conditioning and ventilation systems, including filters, ducts, and related equipment, [in order] to protect life and property from fire, smoke, and gases resulting from fire or conditions that have manifestations similar to fire.
These codes play a critical role in protecting the health and safety of Canadians when their homes, their places of work and other buildings are built or renovated. If there is a historical code resource that anyone knows of that would be great. Thanks you! Reply: where to buy historical editions of Canadian building codes, Daniel See.
Earlier Canadian building code adoptions are dated as follows: The first National Building Code of Canada NBC was published in ; subsequent editions were published in , , , , , , , , and You can probably buy a copy of the earlier code by contacting Email: codes nrc-cnrc.
Or you can order if available these earlier Canadian building code editions directly, online, in one volume at. The first National Building Code of Canada NBC was published in ; subsequent editions were published in , , , , , , , , and The first National Fire Code of Canada was published in ; subsequent editions were published in , , , , and Plumbing requirements were included in all editions of the NBC up until when they were published as a separate Code.
Subsequent editions were published in , , , , , , and Or the complete collectaion can be purchased as a set. The oil tank piping installation and testing standards cited below are the most-widely adopted throughout states and cities in the U.
Anonymous, As you posted on a building code page we are guessing you're asking where to find codes for building flashing. The answer is, it depends. Roof flashing is discussed in roofing codes; Window or door flashing in building exterior or siding codes, etc. Use the Search Box at the top and bottom of any of our pages to look for your specific type of flashing. If you do not find what you need, please let us know.
On by inspectapedia.
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