Engineer Review of Foundation

[larryhaskell]

I have always required that the foundation of a manufactured home be approved by an engineer per HUD guidelines. I have a lender that says if the manufactured home has a certificate from the county showing a conversion to real property that should be good enough. What do others require?

 

[Pamela Crowley (Florida)]

HUD/FHA requires their own 'compliance' inspector to approve the foundation that was drawn by an engineer to meet FHAs guidelines.

I think.... :roll:

 

[Blue1]

Straight from the HUD handbook:

For Proposed or newly constructed manufactured homes:

"All proposed or newly constructed manufactured homes must meet the standards set fort in the Permanent Foundation Guide. A licensed professional engineer's seal and signature (certification) is required to indicate compliance with the Foundation Guide."

For existing manufactured homes:

"Existing manufactured homes in place over one year are to be inspected by the appraiser for evidence of permanent concretre footings with tie-downs anchored to the footings."

"The appraiser must inspect the crawl space for the following: poured in place concrete footings placed below the frost line supporting the manufactured home carraiage frame, tie-downs anchored to the footings, protection from the elements and enclosed with material imperious to rot and infestation and perimeter foundation-type construction with footings extended below the frost line."

However if there are any structural defects, the appraiser must require and engineering inspection.

 

[Jo Ann Meyer Stratton]

National HOC Reference Guide that updates the 4150.2 changed that in Chapter 1 Appraisal & property requirements manufactured homes: foundation compliance page 1-09d

1. All foundation systems, new AND EXISTING, must meet the guidelines published in the Permanent Foundations Guide for manufactured Housing. A certification attesting to compliance with this handbook MUST BE OBTAINED FROM A LICENSED PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER and included in the insuring file.

2. Provide a licensed professional engineer's certification to verify compliance with the handbook guidelines and with the requirements set form in paragraph 3-4B.

Blue 1: You are in the Santa Ana HOC, and they abide by the Reference Guide and will require an inspection by a professional engineer.

Pamela: The Atlanta HOC appears to be ignoring the National Reference Guide and accepting inspections from a compliance inspector--but that ain't what the Reference Guide says!

The structural engineer for the manufacturer designs several foundations for that model, which hopefully is followed by the installer. The only way a professional engineer would be able to verify that the foundation is in compliance with the PFGMH is to crawl around under the home inspecting it after construction is complete, so I am upset with the Atlanta HOC!!

Actually, I was very glad to see that in the Reference Guide that came out in August, 2000--it takes the responsibility off the shoulders of the appraisers--and puts it with a licensed individual that does have the expertise and training to make the determination. So that is an automatice requirement for me on a VC sheet--a professional engineer to provide verification that the existing or foundation that is constructed does meet the PFGMH requirements--and then I am done with the report!

 

[Pamela Crowley (Florida)]

Thanks, Jo Ann.

Part of why I added 'I think' is because I rarely ever do a FHA manufactured home anymore. I just checked and I've done 1 in the past couple of years and since it was a Streamline Refi - I forgot to put the foundation inspection requirement on the VC!

The new land/home ones I did a few years ago all had that inspection requirement on them and all I knew at that time was that the local compliance inspector did them. The lender didn't like that I wouldn't use other new land/home packages added up by the dealer for comps so I didn't do very many before they found someone who would. I go get the MHV designation and after that none of the MH dealers or lenders would have anything to do with me!

 

[larryhaskell]

Thanks to you all. Why did I know Jo Ann would nail it down.

 

[Wally Jones]

Just a side note. I've done quite a few manufactured home reports this past year for FHA loans and the Atlanta HOC confirmed a licensed engineer was required to certify the foundation. I had a couple of lenders contradict that, but I just gave them the number for the HOC and requested they forward any change to the regulations to me in writing. Haven't heard from any of them yet!

 

[Jo Ann Meyer Stratton]

Very glad to hear that! Now I can quit muttering under my breath about the Atlantic HOC! I had gotten my information from a memo from the Atlantic HOC that someone faxed me, maybe it was an outdated memo.

 

[Wally Jones]

You're still allowed to mutter. We're talking about a government organization (oxymoron?) and it probably depends on who you talk to on any given day as to the "official" position! :roll:

 

[Ted Martin]

For HUD / FHA, Rural Development an engineer inspection is required in my part of the word.

We don't certify foundations for conventional either, I lost my xray vision years ago which is one of the reasons I use larger and larger monitors, so we make a recommendation that if the client has a foundation question they retain the services of an engineer. For the conventional lender it is at there discression since it was a recommendation not a requirement.

Around here the county conversion from PP to RE, can be done at the propery owners request or by the county appraiser for taxing and billing purposes and has nothing to do with the adequacy of the construction. About the only requirement is that the land owner also owns the home.