FHA foundation Inpection for Manufactured

[deekay]

:new_newbie: I am having a foundation inspection for a manufactured home, and I need to know the requirements for Washington State for FHA.

I have read that dry stacked piers are not allowed. Is this correct?

Any help or information that anyone can give would be appreciated.

Thank you... deekay

 

[Jerry Bone Jr]

Manufactured Homes:
Foundation Compliance

Chapter 1
Appraisal and Property Requirements
Page 1-09d

1.All foundation systems, new and existing, must meet the guidelines published in the Permanent Foundations Guide for Manufactured Housing, (HUD-7584), dated September 1996. A certification attesting to compliance with this handbook must be obtained from a licensed professional engineer and included in the insuring file. This procedure does not apply when the current FHA borrower refinances their loan. It is applicable for all re-sales.

2. HUD Handbook 4145.1, Rev-2, Section 3-4. C. "Criteria for Existing Properties", dated Feb. 1990 states: "The foundation design information in HUD Handbook 4930.3G, Permanent Foundations Guide for Manufactured Housing, Appendices A, B and C, may be used to verify the design of the existing system. Provide a licensed professional engineer's certification to verify compliance with the handbook guidelines and with the requirements set forth in paragraph 3-4.B." Note: HUD Handbook 4930.3G was replaced by as HUD-7584, Permanent Foundation Guide for Manufactured Housing.

3. Permanent Foundations Guide for Manufactured Housing (PFGMH). This guide as well as software can be ordered by calling (800) 245-2691 or from HUDuser.

http://www.HUD.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/ref/sfhp1-9d.cfm

 

[VolcanoLvr]

deekay........

Dry stack concrete blocks is the common foundation support system (at least in the areas I work in). Either concrete ribbons below the frames or a full slab of concrete under the dwelling is common.

Most installations have wire straps or wire rope attached to the I beam frames, down at an angle on either side to earth anchors. These are spaced at specific distances along the frame - about 10' and usually are at the same location as the pier blocks.

The local building inspection department at your city or county should have more specific info as to what they require.

Dave

 

[deekay]

Dave,
I have everything foundation wise up to County codes and manufacturer codes. We used dry stacked blocks. I even already have an engineer stamp on the property due to building additions. However, I am now entering the final stages of refinance with FHA and have been told I will need to have a foundation inspection. This worries me, as to whether the dry stacked bocks need to be bonded with the surface cement, or will my engineers wet stamp be accepted in 2004.

deekay

 

[VolcanoLvr]

deekay......

Was an FHA appraisal done by an FHA approved appraiser? Without discussing the resultant value conclusion with that person, you might ask them to review FHA requirements for manufactured home foundations.

If your home was already existing and has an occupancy permit issued by the county, my personal opinion is that the foundation issue should not be a problem for an FHA loan as long as the appraiser indicated on the 1004C form that the home is attached to a permanent foundation.

In my reports I have this statement in that part of the report form - "It complies with local building codes for a manufactured home foundation, and appears to comply with the definition of a "permanent foundation" per page 1.4 of the HUD Guide to Foundation and Support Systems for Manufactured Homes. As such it is designed to meet soil conditions of the site."

The addition to your home probably needs to be inspected the WA State Dept. of L&I, and they would issue a certificate of inspection, and probably apply a sticker to one of the HUD Tags on the exterior of the dwelling. The appraiser could include a copy of the L&I inspection form in the report.

One more thing...if you are connected to a well and septic system, the appraiser needs to include a site plan showing the location of those utilities in the report. FHA is persnickity about this and the distances between them.

PS....to continue discussing this use: dtowne (at) fidalgo [dot] net

 

[Ted Martin]

This is pointless.

The appraiser doesn't make the determination whether or not the foundation is adequate for an FHA / MFG loan. The engineer makes the determination that the foundation system meets FHA standards.

 

[Farm Gal]

Deekay:

Ted's entirely correct , just relax until/unless someone suggests that you panic.

Let the local expert make the determination of compliance, and don't worry about any of it, until/unless you are told the system IS non-compliant m: !

IF you run into that unhappy state, then come back to us with specifics of what you are told and we can perhaps get you with the correct source material . It is not terribly uncommon for compliance inspections to be tied to unnecessary repair requirements, and you would be wise to insure any changes are actual requirements instead of someones mis-interpretation of 'the rooles'... but lets cross that mudhole only after you fall into it!

Kind Regards,

Lee Ann

 

[bfriendly]

Ted's entirely correct , just relax until/unless someone suggests that you panic.

Let the local expert make the determination of compliance, and don't worry about any of it, until/unless you are told the system IS non-compliant m: !

IF you run into that unhappy state, then come back to us with specifics of what you are told and we can perhaps get you with the correct source material . It is not terribly uncommon for compliance inspections to be tied to unnecessary repair requirements, and you would be wise to insure any changes are actual requirements instead of someones mis-interpretation of 'the rooles'... but lets cross that mudhole only after you fall into it!

I AGREE. It has been a long time since I did a manufactured home, but you are NOT an engineer, are you? Now if the hitch is still connected, we have a problem.........

 

[VolcanoLvr]

Since this thread started, I have learned that the appraiser did a poor and non-existent job describing the MFH's permanent foundation in the report.

Only two of the foundation boxes were checked on the report form, and no commentary was offered to describe the 'typical' foundation in this area. The report was 'as-is', not 'subject to' a required foundation inspection.

Furthermore, no photos were included of the crawl space in the report so that the foundation system could be observed by the QC & U/W dept at the lender. Had photos and a clear description of the foundation been included, it may have caused the report to be accepted.

A couple of years ago I took Rich Heyn's Apraising Manufactured Housing class. He provided us some suggested 'foundation' language to include in our reports which basically says that the foundation is presumed to meet the HUD Manufactured Home Foundation Guide, since the home has an occupancy permit from the governmental agency in control. If they issue the permit, theoretically they know what the foundation requirements are, and are acting in a quasi-engineering capacity.

Since that class, I have included the language in my reports, and none have been challenged on this issue, probably also due to the crawl space photo also in the report.

Don't bother quoting 4150.2....I know what it says about an engineer's certificate.

The main point here is we appraisers need to make and do more effort to accurately report the foundation used under the appraised MFH.

I'll share the wording I use, if you will promise me you'll also include 1 or more photo of the crawl space in your reports.