Questions About Manufactured Home

Engineer's Certification - HUD Guidelines

Part 4

One of the requirements of all FHA-insured loans and some VA loans is that an engineer certify that the manufactured home's foundation comply with THE PERMANENT FOUNDATION GUIDE FOR MANUFACTURED HOMES (PFGMH), dated September 1996 with a written site-specific letter, stamped with his/her Seal.   

The Engineer's Certification generally identifies the home by its HUD Label numbers and states the type of foundation system that is supporting the home as well as addresses ventilation, dead loads, snow loads, wind loads, seismic loads and the impact of any modifications, alterations and additions to the home such as attached porches, decks, garages, new roof or other additions.

PLEASE NOTE:  If the foundation does not meet the HUD guidelines specified in the PERMANENT FOUNDATION GUIDE FOR MANUFACTURED HOMES (PFGMG), dated September 1996, the engineer can recommend repairs.

Fortunately, there are a variety of proprietary or approved engineered foundation systems that can be retrofitted or added to the existing structural components instead of reworking the entire foundation. Generally these can be paid for through the closing the loan, though the work must be completed as a prior to funding condition.