The MobileHomeMovers.com GuideBook

"Mobile Home Movers" Transportation Guidebook Learn: Mobile Home Moving, Preparation, Cost, Finding Movers, Mover Validation, Insurance, Inspection, All-Around Transportation, and More...

Author: Mobile Home Movers, LLC

Wel

To

Mobile Home Movers Marketplace

Mobile home transportation has been around for a long time.

For as long as mobile homes were invented, which is over 75 years ago. They’ve been a cheap alternative to a real home for many reasons such as being cost-efficient, easy to move, and always in the right place. The one thing they don’t tell you about mobile homes is how to actually move them!

This is where MobileHomeMovers.com helps out. We make the idea of moving a mobile home an open and shut case. Easy to learn, easy to practice, and all in one place - that's MobileHomeMovers.com. Where you can learn, use, and actually MOVE a mobile home. Let MobileHomeMovers .com lead the way into your new mobile home park or private land.

Who is Mobile Home Movers LLC? MobileHomeMovers.com is a team of logistics professionals who’ve mastered the craft of moving mobile homes. We‘ve been moving mobile homes for many years but with time, we were unable to keep up with the demand for mobile home transportation. We’ve chosen to create a tool to help all shippers find the mobile home moving company they've been looking for at an affordable cost and confidence - this tool is called the Mobile Home Movers Marketplace. Our goal being, to help Americans all around the country find reliable and top-rated movers right above their alley. Our platform is very straightforward and very easy to use all at your comfort. By simply posting your mobile home on our marketplace, you’re able to get bids from professional companies near you.

From there, you choose your mover and your home will be moved by the best of the best movers.

Contacting MobileHomeMovers.com Personnel.

Mobile Home Movers Marketplace is intended to be a fully interactive customer/mover interface which allows all users and movers to place requests, bid, communicate and connect to do business with one another regarding your mobile home transport, break down, setup, and more.

However, you can also feel free to reach out to the Mobile Home Movers LLC team if you need additional assistance in helping you move your mobile home.

This will require a special assistance fee. We have a form for you to reach this specialist team located at https://mobilehomemovers.com/assistance/. Our specialists will communicate with drivers as well as enhance your listing posting as well as attract and contact drivers directly on your behalf. In addition to that, they will verify their insurance and facilitate the move themselves. This should save you the time of choosing a mover yourself, as well as make sure you’re doing everything right when it comes to choosing and securing a safe mobile home transport.

Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENT Welcome To Mobile Home Movers……………………………..................................................................................... 1.

Who is MobileHomeMovers.com………………………………………............................................................. 2.

Contacting Mobile Home Movers LLC Personnel.................................................................................. 2.

Table of Contents ……………………………………….…………………......................................................................... 3-4.

SECTION 1 8 factors to consider before moving a mobile home……...………………………………............. 6-11.

The condition of the mobile home The distance of your move The homes foundation

- Permanent foundation - Temporary foundation Purchased vs shopping Mobile home zoning

Age of the mobile home

Cost of the mobile home transport

The risk of moving your mobile home Is moving your mobile home worth it?........................................................................................ 11.

Mobile home installation process.................................................................................................. 12.

Finding the mobile home installation company….……………………………………….................... 13.

Setting Up The Mobile Home on it's New Foundation....................................................... 13.

Cost of Installing a Mobile Home.................................................................................................... 14.

Site Preperation, Foundations Installation, Types of Foundations.................... 15-16.

Mobile Home Appraisals....................................................................................................................... 17.

Radon gas testing and other safety/health issues........................................................... 18.

SECTION 2 Rules and regulations of new park or private land.................................................................

Prepare and disconnect the homes utilities........................................................

Temporary housing plans.....................................................................................

Inspect your mobile home chassis, hitch, axles and tires………...………………....................

Contract a repair service ahead of time…….………………………………….........................................

Remove the porch deck and steps…………………………………………..........................................................................

Use MobileHomeMovers Service Providers………………………...............................................

Organize the moving day with all parties……….............................................................................

Rider insurance……………………………..……………………………………………...........................................................

Further potential costs to moving a mobile home......................................

SECTION 3 - How to Effectively Find a Mobile Home Mover.

Take photos, the more the merrier.............................................................................................

Discuss your shipment with potential carriers/bidders….......................................

Successful Mobile Home Movers Marketplace posting example........................................

How to choose the best mobile home movers…………........................................................

Common questions to ask bidders and potential movers............................................................

Discuss your move with bidders on the marketplace.................................................................

Communication is Key……............................................................……....................................................................

Finding your own mobile home mover.…………..................................................................

SECTION 4 Verifying movers operating status….….…………………………………………...............................................................

How to effectively verify movers cargo insurance………........................................................................

Verifying movers insurance history………………………................................................................................

Insurance backup plan: Rider insurance…………….…….....................................................................................

Mobile Home Moving Permit..…………………………………….............................................................................

How to get a mobile home moving permit………….........................................................................................

Remove your furniture and personal items……………............................................................……...

Securing and fastening fixtures……………..…………………………………………................................................................

Confirm Your moving date to avoid unnecessary fees....................................................

Preparing your mobile home for breakdown and setup.......................................................

Mobile Home conversion/installation service provider inspection End your lease and disconnect your utilities...................................................................................

Written contracts, when to sign and whats included.......................................................

Bill of Lading (BOL) - Obtain the Inspection Report.....................

Conclusion............................

..........................................................................................................................

Section 1 What to Know Before Looking For a Mobile Home Mover

(8) Factors to consider before moving your mobile home, including your mobile homes condition, distance, foundations, zoning, age, cost, risks involved and more...

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Factors To Consider Before Moving a Mobile Home (8) Many factors play a role when it comes to moving a mobile home. It’s after you consider the following factors, you can decide whether to move, or sell and rebuy a mobile home.

1. The Condition of The Mobile Home How ever much you would want to move your mobile home, if it’s in poor condition it may hold you back. Moving a mobile home requires a home that is still in good shape to withstand the movement. Some mobile homes are too weak to withstand the weather while in transit. This makes them exposed to problems such as torn roofs, cracked frames, and flat out split homes on the highway. When your mobile home is not in good condition, it also refrains movers from bidding on it on the Mobile Home Movers Marketplace. This is because it’s too easy to get ruined while in transit. Some homes like double wides have to be taken apart before moving and reattached upon arrival and If your home is too old or not stable, it might get completely ruined before even moving it while detaching the sides or reattaching. When acquiring a moving permit, you get a clarification of whether your mobile home is qualified to be moved based on the age, condition and other factors you can read about in section 4 of the guidebook which speaks about obtaining permits for your home.

Our movers at MobileHomeMovers.com should confirm if it’s possible to move your mobile home based on the photos you post on your listing at the Marketplace. This explains why we continuously insist on posting photos that are clear enough for movers to make a judgment on the condition of the home and important elements.

For a mobile home to be moved, it has to have been well maintained and stable.

Showing the condition very thoroughly on your listing will help movers know they will be safe when bidding on it, and importantly encouraging more bids 2. The Distance Of Your Move When you decide to move your mobile home or when looking to buy one, it’s important to consider the distance. When moving far from your current park or private land, the farther it goes, the more the expensive it’s going to be, even if it’s just an extra one hundred miles. Usually, a mobile home should not be moved too far from its current park or land because it is delicate and can be ruined along the way. Not unless new and strong, but even then, the more you move it, the more wear and tear it receives just like anything else.

Many times, you find the money used to move within a certain distance would have been enough to get you a new mobile home when combined with the amount you sell your current mobile home. Also, most mobile home movers are only licensed to transport a mobile home within the state and nearing states as they have what's called a DOT license which allows the drivers to deliver in the state or directly surrounding states, but not the other way around. If you want to move across multiple states, you will have to find movers with what’s called an “MC license”, or a “Motor Carrier License”, and when it comes to mobile home movers, it’s only a small fraction of them. If not, you will be forced to have a mover transport your mobile home up to the border of the furthest point, and another licensed mover in that state takes over. This calls for a lot of manpower and effective measures to ensure that your mobile home stays intact while being transferred from one mover to the other. The entire process is stressful to both you as the shipper as well as the mobile home itself and racks up the price for multiple movers or long distance movers as the drivers will have to sleep in hotels and rest stops, the cost of food, time not only driving there but for the way back too, toter trucks (the common mobile home moving truck) usually do not have the common “Sleeper Cabs” that long-distance drivers use to sleep in when around the country.

3. The Homes Foundation You must consider the type of foundation your mobile is currently on or plan to be on before planning to move it. Depending on the foundation type it’s currently on, permanent or temporary, you will have to find a full-service mobile home mover that can remove it from its permanent foundation and either be lifted on to wheels and potentially new axles. Here's a bit more about the 2 common foundation types and what they each mean to your transport; Permanent Foundations As the name suggests, a permanent foundation for a mobile home means that the owner fixes his mobile home to the foundation permanently. This type of foundation is common to people who own land and want to turn their mobile home into real property. And as the name suggests, you usually don’t move these.

However, if you plan to move and own a mobile home with a permanent foundation, you will have to find a full-service mover or a conversion company that can lift the home off the foundation and convert it onto wheels, chassis, and tongue. But the foundation itself cannot be transported.

Permanent foundations include runner foundation, pit foundations, footer foundations, pier and beam foundation, crawl space foundation, basement foundations, slab foundation, and more.

Temporary Foundation Temporary foundations allow you to move your mobile home when you like. The mobile home is not permanently attached to the foundation. In most cases, wheels, axles, and tongue are never removed. They are left on the mobile home and can still be used in your next move if they’re still in good condition.

There are foundations such as runner foundation, pit foundations, footer foundations, pier and beam foundation, crawl space foundation, slab foundation, and more.

4. When Purchasing or Shopping When purchasing a mobile home, make a point of opting for the ones that are easy and less expensive to move due to already being on its axles and wheels, and in the right condition. This will give you an easy time during transport as well as save you money.

On the other hand, while shopping for a mobile home, talk to the dealer/seller to see if they could move it for you or find out if they already have someone who can do it who may be able to give you an estimate. Also, it’s important to ensure that you’re shopping for a mobile home that is near its final destination. This will save you money for transport. In case your dealer cannot move it for you, you can always find a mover near you on the Mobile Home Movers Marketplace.

4. Mobile Home Zoning HUD (Department of Housing and Urban Development) has grouped states based one wind zones, roof load zones, and thermal zones. Mobile homes are limited to areas they can be moved to by their ability to withstand the wind. This means that prior to deciding where you want to move, you should know your mobile home’s wind zone. It’s after this that you decide where you can move to. A mobile home can only be moved to an area with the same wind zone or lower. If moved to a place with an incompatibly high wind zone, it will be ruined by the wind because it is not manufactured to withstand the wind intensity in that area. It’s very important to know your mobile home’s wind zone because you cannot get a moving permit without one. To know your home’s wind zone, you can find it in your data plate. If you do not have one, you can obtain it by ordering another one using the instructions found on the www.hud.gov website here: https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/housing/rmra/mhs/mhslabels.

6. Year of Manufacture/Age A variety of states have an age limit that restricts the number of mobile homes that can be moved based on their manufactured date. In most states, your mobile home should not be older than 10 or 15 years. To confirm the age of your mobile home, you should take a look at the property’s title to know when it was manufactured. When acquiring a moving permit, you’ll find out if it’s even possible to move your mobile home or not due to its age. It is important to note that any mobile home that was constructed before June 15th, 1976 cannot be transported.

This is when the HUD rules were implemented. This is due to the Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act of 1974. You can read more about this HERE. 7. Cost of Moving of Mobile Home When it comes to the cost of moving a mobile home, you must consider every little amount to be spent we discuss each potential spending in section 2 of the guidebook, but to start, the cost JUST to move a mobile home within 60 miles, without foundation, setup, or breakdown, conversion, or other costs would be somewhere around the following prices depending your specific area; Single Wide Mobile Home - $1200 to $2400 Double Wide Mobile Home - $2500 to $5000 (when the home is already separated) These estimates are for homes that are already on stable tires, wheels, chassis, and ready to hook up and leave, all further costs are discussed in section 2 of the guidebook.

The above prices vary based on the height and length of the mobile home, local regulations, and the location. The cost will be less if you move over fewer miles and of course more if you move further miles. For further information on additional costs, go to section 2 of the guidebook.

You have to try and save as much as possible but that does not mean that you go for the cheapest option to get to your final decision. The cheapest option is often bad. A professional moving company will not be the cheapest. Ensure that you rely on ratings, experience, knowledge, and other important factors to make sure you choose the best moving experience. You have to consider the total fee of moving and weighing options such as selling your mobile home and buying a new one. To get an estimate of how much it would cost to move your mobile home, you can go to our Marketplace on MobileHomeMovers.com.

Here, you should post information such as clear photos of all sides of your mobile home, a clear view of the axles, chassis, and the tongue. Provide accurate measurements of the length, width and height of your mobile home. In addition to that, you‘ll need to provide information about your origin and destination, whether it’s private land or a park. Make sure to provide a driveway and delivery location photo if you have one. You’ll start receiving bids from different movers. From that, you’ll have a rough estimate of how much moving your mobile home would cost.

For instance, if your current mobile home’s value is near the moving fee, you can consider selling your current one, combine the money with your moving fee and get a new one.

8. The Risk Factor Moving your mobile home is a risk by itself. Anything could happen along the way.

Although unlikely, your mobile home could be permanently ruined in case of an accident. Even with insurance, there’s still risk involved. Mainly with double-wide mobile homes as they have to be separated before moving. You can risk damage to your walls during the separation, water damage if not secured properly while in transit or at a pickup/delivery site during bad weather. In addition to that, general damages on the road depending on what type of home you’re moving. When you consider moving, always make sure your moving benefits outweigh the risk and time. If moving your mobile home in its condition or particular location already sounds scary, contact some movers for reassurance. We’re not saying that damages commonly occur, but hiring cheap inexperienced movers puts your mobile home at risk. To avoid this, we suggest you contact multiple experienced and verified movers, like the ones you can find on MobileHomeMovers.com to start!

Is Moving your Mobile Home Worth it??

If you love your mobile home, then it’s worth the move. If it’s cheaper to move your mobile home than to sell and buy, it's worth the move. Moreover, if you want to move your mobile home to a good and unique location, then you HAVE to move it!

The idea of having a mobile home is to move it any time you’d like until you find a permanent location. That may be right away or down the road or just stay on the road. Despite it being hectic and risky at times, with the right movers, your mobile home can arrive to any destination in the very condition it was picked up in. At MobileHomeMovers.com, we’ve eased everything for you by having top-rated and verified movers to having mobile home service providers all under the same roof for networking. For a stress-free move, make a point of getting top rated movers near you at MobileHomeMovers.com. In this mobile home transportation guidebook, use our tips and tricks to make your mobile home move a breeze.

Finding a Mobile Home Installation Company, The Installation Process, and The Installation Cost In this topic, we’re not only going to show you how to find a mobile home installation service provider, but also teach you the basics when it comes to mobile home installation and set-up services.

To find a reputable mobile home installation service provider, first look at our services providers directory as we have a list of currently licenced installers. You can always find local mobile home installation services by using your preferred search engine online. Make sure you follow our suggestion when choosing and hiring a mobile home installer: Search e service providers online reputation and presence.

Verify their HUD installer license (Find Which States Apply HERE) Verify their installation insurance (See Section 4 for similar insurance verification) You can always use FLHSMV List of Licensed Mobile Home Installers found on their website: https://www.flhsmv.gov/motor-vehicles-tags-titles/dealers-installersmanufacturers-distributors-importers/mobile-home-installer/list-of-licensed-mobilehome-installers/

Mobile Home Installation Process There are multiple elements to moving a mobile home and a variety of responsibilities when it comes to moving and installing a mobile home. Some of these steps include: 1. Inspecting mobile homes and both sites origin/Destination.

2. Potentially converting the mobile home onto chassis, wheels, axles, and tongue.

3. Potentially transporting the mobile home on the road.

4. Laying the foundation at its destination.

5. Installing and setting up the mobile home at the new destination.

Many mobile home installation companies are full service mobile home movers. A mobile home installation service provider usually provides all elements of a mobile home transport including conversion of a mobile home into wheels, axle & tongue (not always needed), breakdown, laying of foundation, and installation and setup of the mobile home at the new site. The actual installers of the mobile homes on site are called “set-up” companies. Each person setting up the mobile home is either contracted by the installation service provider or are direct employees of the full services provider.

Some of the installation service providers will simply outsource some of the project like the crane service to lift your mobile home onto it’s new foundation, the conversion of the mobile home onto axles with wheels and tongue or other agreements.

If the mobile home is headed to a new private land, the land itself must be prepared and the home’s foundation is built by what's called a “Site Preparation Contractor''.

This is usually the service provider building the mobile homes foundation alone, and/or preparing the land itself which we discuss further below. We suggest finding an installation company that provides both services, being the set-up and site preparation regardless if the services are done by a third party contracted by the installation service providers project manager or contractor, or directly provided by the service provider, it’s better rather than hiring 2 separate service providers. This will make the process as seamless as possible and less chance of failures sometimes found when working with multiple service providers.

Find the Right Installation & Set-Up Company Hiring the right installation service provider to make your mobile home look as best as possible is crucial. Depending on the chosen foundation, the job performed by the service provider will determine how your home looks. You want your home to be leveled according to your preference (although it’s not always your choice), its best to be a lower leveling which will allow smaller piers holding the home at a lower level for usually a better appearance, less skirting around the home, fewer steps to your door(s), and importantly, a more stable and sturdy foundation. Your aim should be to lower the mobile home as low to the ground as possible.

Provide The Mobile Home Set Up Instructions Specific setup instructions per mobile home should be included with the mobile home or from the manufacturer and provided to the installer. The instructions should already be approved by federal statutes. The installer must adhere to published requirements of local and state jurisdictions. You can always obtain this information from the manufacturer.

Setting Up The Mobile Home on it’s New Foundation Mobile home setup is the last and most important step where your mobile home is attached and set up for you to use it. When moving into a park, a mobile home set up is easier than when moving into a private land. This is because in a park, you’re not required to set up any permanent foundation. The park owner usually has already prepared the land for his/her tenants. Mobile home set up is a step that determines how happy you will end up being in your park or land. A poorly installed mobile home will lead to warping, bowing, leakages and more problems that will end up costing you even more through repairs.

This affects your mobile home’s lifespan and durability. Therefore, you should hire a professional mobile home installer. It’s important to note that in most states, you cannot move into your mobile home unless it has been installed by a HUD-certified installer. This means the installer is trained to follow local building codes, HUD codes and manufacturer’s instructions. To learn more about HUD, go to section 1 of our mobile home transportation guidebook. It’s important to note that you should not try to install a mobile home for yourself. It’s a complex task that requires professionals, permits, and only certified specialists are capable of setting up a mobile home legally.

Cost of Installing a Mobile Home At times you find that the cost of moving a mobile home includes the installation cost, and thats only with full services mobile home moving providers. However, if the installation fee is not included, you will have to pay for it separately. The cost will depend on the complexity of the installation. If you’re moving into a park for example, the cost is minimal because you don't have much to do other than set up your home onto a temporary foundation and hooking up to the utilities that are already available. The owner of the park will have already taken care of the site preparation including utility preparation which is already running to your temporary residence. However, if moving into a new piece of land that hasn’t been developed, you will have to pay a lot more. The tasks for a new piece of land will involve; Site excavation Laying foundation Well drilling Designing and installing septic tank Digging trenches for water, and routing Blocking Levelling and anchoring the home Laying a moisture barrier Sealing end seams and roof joints Connection to water, septic system and electricity Placing propane tank and plumbing gas connection to the home Gutters and downspouts Finishing interior trim Driveway construction And more...

The setup cost for a temporary foundation usually fall between; $1000 to $5000 depending on the type of the mobile home.

A foundation in undeveloped land usually is around the following; Single wides Double wides

$2,000 - $10,000 $7,500 - $20,000

Mobile Home Moving Estimates If you're looking for a shipping estimate for your mobile home move, look no further.

We've gathered you mobile home moving costs based on price-by-mile, local vs longdistance, mobile home type, set up or on wheels, and more.

Singlewide Mobile Home Moving Cost - Single wide mobile home on wheels under 50 miles: $1,000 to $2,000 - Full service single wide mobile home costs under 50 miles: $2,000 to $3,000 (full service meaning inluding disconnection, connection, + setup) Doublewide Mobile Home Moving Cost - Double wide mobile home split and on wheels under 50 miles: $2,000 - $4000 - Full service double wide mobile home moving under 50 miles: $8,000 - $18,000 (full service meaning splitting of mobile home, wrapping, foundation laying etc..)

Mobile Office/Trailer Moving Cost - Standard mobile office on wheels under 50 miles: $600 - $1,000 - Standard mobile office, no wheels, crane services under 50 miles: $2,500 - $3,500 - Extended mobile trailer (60ft+) on wheels under 50 miles: $2,000 - $3,500 Tiny House Trailer Moving Cost Bumper-pull tiny house moving Cost under 400 miles: $600 to $1,000 Bumper-pull tiny house moving cost over 500 miles: $2.00 Per Mile.

Pricing Terms

1. “On Wheels” meaning the home is on its axles and stable tires allowing the driver to connect, and leave without setup or breakdown.

2. “Bumper-Pull” also known as the a drag or a tagalong trailer, is the act of pulling a trailer behind a common truck using a vehicles bumber hitch.

3. “Mobile Home Splitting” is the act of professionally seperating a double-wide mobile home when preparing it for over the road transport.

Need a Custom Mobile Home Moving Esitmate?

If you need a moving quote from a professional mobile home mover, all you have to do is post your mobile home to the Mobile Home Movers Marketplace where licensed and bonded mobile home moving companies in your state will be notified and directed to your moving request where they will provide you with a moving cost (bid) and answer any questions you have using our durect messaging tool on MobileHomeMovers.com

Home Site Preparation Prior to moving your home, the new site should be prepared. Among the things that need preparation are;

Driveway/Access to Site The access should be clear and enough for the movers to easily get into your new location.

Clearance Getting rid of shrubs or anything else found in your new site should be done before moving.

Grading This mainly applies to anyone moving into undeveloped land. The site needs to be properly graded and sloped to avoid flooding in case of rain.

Type of soil The soil needs to be well packed and firm to prevent the foundation from shifting around. It’s important to consider the type of soil and it’s bearing capacity because it has an impact on size and type of foundation. This one is for people moving into undeveloped pieces of land.

Temporary needs While planning your land, do not forget to set aside strategic areas for needs such as dumpsters, portable toilets, delivery vehicle drop offs etc.

Some of the site work can be easily done by you like clearing the site and designating an entrance for the movers. However, most of the work should be left to professionals.

Foundation Installation There are two types of mobile home foundations. These include permanent and nonpermanent (temporary). When moving into a new piece of land, you will need to have a foundation installed. In most cases, you do not get to determine the foundation type because lenders, local building codes and communities determine the type of foundation to be laid.

Types of Foundations Floating Slab This is the most used permanent foundation. It's made of a concrete slab that’s 6 inches thick laid on the ground. It's mainly suitable in areas prone to frost.

This option usually costs $6000 - $ 15,000 for a standard double wide and less for single wides.

Pier and Beams Pier and beam is the most affordable non permanent foundation. They are shallow and are suitable in places that don’t freeze.

It usually costs $1000 for single wides and $2000 for standard double wides.

Basement Foundation This is the most expensive foundation that’s common for mobile homes with inside basements. Installation is done with cranes to lower the home into the foundation.

It costs $12,000 for a small mobile home and up to $25,000 for larger ones.

Block and Footing These are similar to the pier and beam foundation except for the masonry blocks put on the concrete to make it more stable.

It costs $1,500 to $2,000 which is slightly higher than pier and beam foundation.

For more information on mobile home installation and set up, speak to your mobile home installation and set-up service providers.

Mobile Home Inspection (FHA or Conventional)Not to be confused by the inspection needed for a mobile home permit, which you will find more information on in section 4.

We suggest you have the mobile home you’re looking to purchase, move, or sell, inspected to get accurate detailed information on the overall condition of the home prior to purchasing, selling, or moving it. To do this, you must find a qualified conventional home inspector or an FHA home inspector if you are using an FHA loan.

With a home inspector from either a conventional local home or the FHA, a qualified professional will provide you unbiased information related to your home. That specialist will inspect & report items such as;

Evaluate the home’s physical condition including constructions, all mechanical systems, and structure.

Identify key components that may need to be repaired or replaced.

Estimate the remaining lifetime of mechanical systems, equipment, structure, and finishings.

The cost of an FHA Certified Inspection is somewhere around $300 to $600 depending on your location and size of your home. You can search for an FHA Home Inspector at this link on the HUD Government website: https://entp.hud.gov/idapp/html/insplook.cfm?in_fha=No If you're looking for a conventional home inspection service, you can find local inspectors using our service providers directory, your preferred search engine, or use an online search tool such as HomeAdvisor at https://www.homeadvisor.com/emc.Home-Inspection-directory.-12041.html Mobile Home Appraisal (FHA or Conventional) We suggest a mobile home appraisal be acquired whether you are buying or selling.

When buying, if the homeowner already has an appraisal, good, if not, you should discuss it with your seller. We also suggest you acquire a standard home inspection prior to an appraisal as it may not meet standards to begin with, and may drive the value down. This will help you or the homeowner fix or replace the items identified in the inspection prior to getting the appraisal for a more accurate figure.

Getting an appraisal before you buy a home, or before you list your mobile home for sale is a good idea, you will get an unbiased estimate of the home's value based on multiple factors from a professional. The four major factors being; Mobile Home Condition, Mobile Home Type, Mobile Home Location, Mobile Home Depreciation.

The cost of a mobile home appraisal is usually between $300 and $425.

You can search for an FHA Certified Home Appraiser at this link on the HUD Government website: https://entp.hud.gov/idapp/html/apprlook.cfm You can find conventional mobile home appraisers using your local search engine or using an online home appraiser search tool such as HomeAdvisor at https://www.homeadvisor.com/task.Appraisal-RealEstate.40175.html?501624=202132&502185=202010&sar=true

Radon Gas Testing and other Safety/Health issues The United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Surgeon General of the United States have recommended all houses should be tested for radon which is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that causes lung cancer. For more information on radon testing, call 1-800-SOS-Radon or 1-800-767-723 which is the toll-free National Radon Information Line.

Make sure to ask your home inspector for additional health and safety tests that may apply to your home.

Be Responsible and Stay Informed It’s your responsibility to be an informed buyer/seller. Know that you have the right to carefully examine your potential new home with a qualified home inspector. We suggest you find a qualified home inspector using your local online search engine, or our service provider directory. You can also ask for references from friends, realtors, local licensing authorities, and organizations that qualify and test home inspectors.

Make sure to do your research on that service provider's online reputation and presence.

Section 2 What to Prepare Before Moving Your Mobile Home

Parks vs Private Land, Confirming rules and regulations, utilities, insurance, common question, potential costs of moving and more...

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Rules and Regulations of The New Park, or Private Land.

Park Rentals When moving into a new park, there are different rules and regulations to adhere to.

Make sure that you contact your park, visit the site, and speak to the property manager and potential park owner in order to get all the moving details before you reach out to a mobile home mover. The specifics of that may determine details that should be passed to the movers before they bid. Some will require you to have specific hitches. Always ensure to carry a photo of your hitch with you while looking for a new park. Ask the owner if they allow it. Make a point of discussing in-depth both your requirements and the park’s requirements with the owner. From this, you will know if you want to move in or not. For example, you might intend on having a porch or a storage building outside your mobile home. In case your park owner does not allow it, you can always find the right park before reaching out to our movers.

Private Land Although you may own it, before putting a mobile home on your private land, it’s a requirement to have your Local Planning and Zoning office approve it, or provide you with necessary permits to do so. This category of information falls under what's considered as “property zoning and land use information”, or “planning, zoning and building Information” Or just “zoning information” per city or county.

To find this out easily, simply search the services on your preferred searching tool like Google for these services in your local city/county. You can commonly find the answer on government or organizational websites like our example presented in West Palm Beach, FL here: http://discover.pbcgov.org/pzb/FAQPages/Zoning.aspx, where it states you must obtain a building permit to do so and refers readers to an article explaining more in the Unified Land Development Code (ULDC) where you can read more about mobile home use and placement.

Prepare and Disconnect The Homes Utilities Prior to your move, you should have your utilities disconnected (electricity, water, gas, etc). It is important to notify your utility provider as early as two months before. Moving without notifying them to disconnect your utilities will lead to increased costs due to urgent unplanned services. Depending on if you opt to find a full-service mobile home mover or not. The moving company can either send an individual to disconnect the utilities for you or you can get your own. If you opt to hire someone yourself, ensure they are well experienced, licensed, insured, and in some cases depending on your location, they must be approved by the county.

At MobileHomeMovers.com’s service page, you can get well-experienced personnel near you at very affordable rates. All service providers on our service page are verified. If moving near your home’s current location, you can arrange with the person to reconnect them in your new location as well. If moving far from your current location, you can always find service providers including those to connect your utilities from our MobileHomeMovers.com’s service page or on your own local business searching resource.

Make Temporary Housing Plans, Just in Case Moving a mobile home takes time, more than a few days, specifically when moving a double-wide mobile home, and if you currently live in the mobile home you’re looking to move, you have to make your own arrangements to where you are going to temporarily reside during the disconnection, transport, conversion, setup, and building period. Sometimes this process can take up to a couple of weeks depending on how you’ve coordinated your utility disconnection and move.

Not to mention that plans do not always go accordingly. Moving of your mobile home could be delayed due to reasons such as adverse weather conditions or accidents.

This calls for an early preparation of somewhere you can layover until your mobile home is moved to the new spot and setup. When moving a mobile home, anything could happen. Harsh weather, accidents on the road preventing travel, or even worse, an accident involving your home which could keep you from moving back for weeks or months until fixed.

Therefore, it’s important to book and plan a hotel, bnb, or an extended stay for example in case of an emergency. You can also talk to family members or friends who live nearby to accommodate you in case your moving plan does not work accordingly.

With all this in mind, remember not to pack all your belongings together and instead, set a few clothes and personal items aside just in case you need to go to a hotel or a friend or family member’s house for easy access.

Inspecting, Replacing, and Converting to Hitch, Axle, and Tongue Ensure that you inspect your chassis, wheels, axles, hitch, and tongue to be sure it will withstand a toter truck hooking up and pulling a 24,000+ lbs trailer or how ever much your home weighs. It’s important that all components are triple-checked because these components usually deteriorate and rust over time and are sometimes even cut off when parked as many owners never planned on moving the home again, or in the near future. This piece of the chassis where the toter truck connects a hitch to is commonly called the TONGUE of the trailer. The mobile home tires and axles are usually removed when the home is at a temporary location where it is placed on blocks or other types of temporary set-up.

When inspecting the hitch and axles, ensure that they’re in good condition and have the capability to carry more weight than that of your mobile home. It is important to have hitches and axles with higher capacity because they are able to ship your mobile home comfortably. It’s also important to note that hitches and axles are best if not reused. When it comes to the tires, they should have very minimal wear and tear.

Depending on the distance, you need your tires to be as good as new to avoid them wearing out while your mobile home is already on its way, which is very common.

Contract a Repair Service, or Let The Mover Do It. The mobile home moving company can sometimes repair and/or replace these items for you, otherwise you can find a local company. Make sure to have a service provider do the inspection prior to the movers arrival. It’s best that you do your own inspection prior to hiring a transport company with a nearby repair company before contacting a mover. We suggest you call a few local mobile home repair companies near to you. They should provide you free estimates and you can take these estimates and compare them to any moving company’s cost for comparison. We suggest you obtain multiple estimates before choosing any services provider.

Removed The Porch Deck and Steps A mobile home can not be moved with its porch deck or steps leading to its door.

Porches, steps, and any decks have to be removed prior to the moving date and moved separately. You can either decide to remove the porch deck yourself or have a handyman do this for you. This could save you some money as the moving company may charge more than the local handyman. If this is not something you have done before, it’s advisable to hire a handyman to avoid ruining the deck.

Use MobileHomeMovers.com Service Providers To get a qualified handyman, you can get an affordable one from the MobileHomeMovers.com service page. Here, you will find a licensed and top-rated handyman right around your area. You can also find a handyman from the MobileHomeMovers.com service page to reattach your porch deck in your new park.

It is also important to ensure that when finding a new park, the owner allows a mobile home with a porch deck. In some parks, they do not allow porch decks.

Organize & Approve The Moving Date With All Parties It is important to organize your move with all parties involved to be sure that all are aware and available on your moving date, those parties include; 1.Your current park owner.

2.Your new park owner.

2.Your mover.

4.Your installation company (if installing)

You should alert the current park owner of your moving date so that they can be aware of the toter truck entering their property to move youa as property managers will need to guide and direct the mover. The same goes for the property manager at the delivery location.

It’s best to have the moving company meet the installation company, just in case the moving company needs to move the mobile home in a specific position for the installation company to lift the home from a certain area whereas the driver may not leave it in the right position, keep in mind that the installation company brings a crane to lift the home, and they’re not cheap.

Obtaining Backup Insurance Known as Rider Insurance Rider insurance is additional insurance you can pay for to ensure all risks are covered while in transport as a backup to the driver’s insurance. The insurance offered by most movers doesn’t cover everything, like hail and road debris. Movers should outline everything they can cover while providing you a proof of insurance. However, if you choose to obtain rider insurance, this is ALL-RISK insurance coverage for your mobile home while in transit. For an estimate, reach out to the MobileHomeMovers.com specialist team. The cost of the insurance is based on the value of your cargo, which is usually about .5% of the value of the mobile home or up to how much you want to cover.

With rider insurance, you can stay calm all along the way. There is nothing to worry about as you know in case anything happens, your rider insurance will cover it fully.

Reach the insurance team at Mobilehomemovers.com/Assistance.

Further Potential Costs When Moving Your Mobile Home Shipping a mobile home comes with additional costs that differ from one person’s mobile home to the other. For example, someone’s mobile home could simply require new tires while someone else’s could require an entire conversion on to a new chassis. Below are some of the estimated additional costs you can refer to depending on your needs. Know that many of these fees are included in movers bids and service fees, so it’s important to ask your mover if these fees are included in their estimate/bid.

1. Full-Service Mobile Home Transport Cost. If mobile home movers offer you all the services including disconnection and reconnection + Set up. The prices change to the following estimate for moves under 7 miles: 2. Single Wide Unit - $3000 - $5000 3. Double Wide Unit - $4000 to $10,000+

4. Mobile Home Moving Cost ONLY. If you’re only looking to move your mobile home, meaning hook up and go, the home must already be on a suitable chassis, and the driver will only deliver the home and not set it up. The costs are usually as follows; Single Wide, Tiny House, Office Trailer: $1000 to $3000 < 50 miles to > 300 miles and in-state.

5. Pilot & Escort Vehicles - All oversize, overweight, and wide loads must have dedicated guides to make sure they are following routes, standards, and keeping the public safe. $1.50 to $1.75 per mile for a standard Lead or Chase, this depends on the distance, price of the fuel, and the location of your chosen pilot’s headquarters.

6. Oversize Load Permits - All Oversize loads will need permits provided by the state that will determine the route the drivers take, moving companies will include this cost in their bid/service fee.

7. Permit Penalties - This applies when not acquiring the right permits or any at all. An example being $200 in Boulder County, CO. This varies depending on your location.

8. New Tires - For a mobile home to be moved, it’s tires need to be in good condition to avoid breaking down along the way. Therefore, if the tires are worn out, they need to be replaced with new ones. Depending on the size of your mobile home, a single tire would cost you $80 plus the wheels themselves if missing.

9. New Axles - The axles used during the move need to be as good as new and with the capacity above that of your mobile home weight. The type of axles varies depending on mobile homes and so does the price.

10. Disconnecting and Reconnecting Utilities - Prior to your move, the utility company will disconnect your utilities after notifying them. The fee varies depending on your location and if you had any outstanding charges.

11. Mobile Home Setup - You can either choose to hire a mover who includes the setup fee or you can hire a separate company to do so. To learn more about the setup fee and process, go to section 1 of the guidebook.

12. Permission to Install Your Mobile Home (building permit) - When building any new structure for your mobile home, you will have to apply for building permits. You will have to pay a standard fee depending on your location which is collected by the county. Usually, the installation service includes this.

13. Removing and Reinstalling External Features Such as a Porch - Anything external on your mobile home needs to be removed before moving to avoid imbalance while on transit. This calls for you to hire someone to do this or your mover at a fee.

14. Removing and Reconnecting Internal Features- Whether you choose to hire your mover or a local handyman to help you remove and reconnect your internal features, furnishings, and furniture, you will have to pay or do it yourself.

15. Removing and reinstalling the skirting- Skirting needs to be removed carefully to avoid ruining it. Most likely, you will have to hire someone who will charge you for it, it usually comes free of charge when purchasing new skirting.

Section 3 How to Effectively Find a Mobile Home Mover

Learn the Mobile Home Mover “Marketplace” and How To Find Your OWN Movers Too.

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Take Photos, The More the Merrier After creating an account on MobileHomeMovers.com, get prepared to start your mobile home moving listing. To start, you’re required to post a photo of the mobile home on your listing. Make sure to take clear photos of your mobile home and we suggest the surrounding area of both locations to show potential bidders what they’re in for. Ensure your photos clearly display all four sides of your mobile home along with photos of the axles, wheels, chassis, tongue, and the surrounding area of the mobile home, as some mobile homes may be inaccessible due to land issues, or other obstructing homes. It’s important to show the delivery location if possible to make sure the land is accessible to drivers.

Properly displaying the pickup location, delivery location, your chassis, hitch, and tongue will inform drivers if they are able to take the home or not. Without these photos, you may get bids from movers that cannot take it, and the two of you will not know until some unnecessary back and forth communication determines the discrepancy.

If you’re only looking to purchase a mobile home, make sure to gather and save all photos you have available online about the mobile home and the surrounding area. The more photos you include, the more likely movers will successfully bid.

Describe Your Mobile Home On Our Mobile Home Movers Shippers Interface.

Our Mobile Home Movers Marketplace interface is very easy to use. Our requirements are direct to the point and very self-explanatory. When you’re ready to post your mobile home, head to our Marketplace. Here, you will post clear photos of your mobile home and it’s destination. You should have prepared these prior to posting. Afterward, describe the accurate details of your mobile home. You will be asked to include your mobile home’s length, width, height, and weight. You will identify if the home has wheels or no wheels, whether it is owned or not owned, your desired moving date and what type of trailer it is. Whether any of the following common trailer types or other; single wide, double Wide, tiny house, office trailer, modular building or others…

Make sure to give your mobile home any further description that includes other important details such as your origin and destination, park or private land and other specific trailer details. All this information will be seen by the movers before they bid on your home. It helps the movers evaluate their ability to move your home. It’s after looking at all the information you give, they decide whether they have enough resources and manpower to move your mobile home.

We cannot emphasize enough on how important it is to ensure your mobile description is as precise as possible. NOTE: Ensure to post it on the right date, which is when you’ll be available to utilize the marketplace listing the most and be available for feedback. You don’t want to discredit your credibility with potential carriers due to poor communication.

Successful Mobile Home Movers Marketplace Listing Example

Title: “2010 SingleWide Clayton Mobile Home”

Description: Looking to move my home to a new park. I’ve already been approved at both locations to move between 012/02/2020 and 12/19/2020. The home is on a new chassis with wheels and axles. Delivery is clear and prepared. Looking for transport only.

Moving Date: 09/02/2020 On Wheels? YES Origin: Fort Lauderdale, FL Owner?: YES

Weight: 25,000lbs LxWxH: 60x14x12

Destination: West Palm Beach, FL

Breakdown/Setup required?: NO

Trailer Type: Single Wide Trailer

Make sure to add additional photos of all sides, axles, tires, and tongue.

How To Choose The Best Mobile Home Movers This mobile home transportation guidebook not only tells you how to choose a mover on our marketplace, but you can apply these tips when working with a mover you’ve found yourself.

When choosing a mover, most people consider the cost as a priority, that should not be your only priority. At MobileHomeMovers.com, we’re going to give you more factors to consider in addition to the cost. After posting your mobile home on our Marketplace, you’ll receive bids from different movers bearing varying prices. You might feel compelled to accept the cheapest bid to save some money, but this option could end up costing you more. They say cheap is expensive and here is what that means…

A mover could place a cheap bid for many reasons, maybe they didn’t evaluate the work involved to move you home or maybe they are new to the industry and are not including the potential delays and costs to him/her. It could be their resources or their rating is poor. This puts your mobile home at a danger of getting stuck along the way causing delays and inconveniences because the mover may be inexperienced. Therefore, when choosing your mover, ensure that they are well rated with great reviews and a strong online presence.

Despite some movers being a little more expensive than the rest, it’s best to hire their services to have some peace of mind, a professional company, and a successful move. Know that all the movers on MobileHomeMvoers.com are rated and approved by us and previous customers to ensure you have an easy time evaluating your potential movers. Any time you get a bid from a mover, make a point of asking them questions using our messaging tool. Ask questions about their expertise as well as for some tips and basic questions relating to mobile homes. Ask about their insurance, and if they are willing to make you a “Certificate Holder” of their insurance ahead of time in case anything goes wrong, when a mover agrees to this, they are confident in their services. We talk more about being a certificate holder of movers insurances in section 4 of the guidebook.

Ask bidders and potential movers other questions like; 1. How long have you been moving mobile homes?

2. What type of truck and trailer do you have?

3. Do you have an office I can visit to discuss the move?

4. Do you have any photos or videos from previous moves?

5. Do you have any customers from successful moves that will be willing to review your services?

6. Can you show me your online business reviews?

7. Please tell me the process of moving to my home in particular.

8. Do you have a website describing your services?

With these answers, you can differentiate established, experienced and reliable businesses from the rest.

Discuss Your Move With Potential Movers After you’ve posted your mobile home’s details on our marketplace, a message notification of your listing will notify movers near its location by our notification tool. Moreover, an email will be sent to those movers directly. This will help your listing get attention on the very first day as well as days after from movers selecting their loads, once a mover has decided to bid on your move, you are allowed to reach out to the mover directly using our websites chat tool, movers can also reach out to you through the messaging tool prior to bidding.

Communication is Key You’ll receive notifications of bids from each mover that bids on your mobile home.

You should always ensure that you log into your account on MobileHomeMovers.com often to check your listing and any potential bids. Using our messaging interface, you will be given permission to communicate directly with movers who message you whether they bid or not, or you can message the bidders directly. Here, you can discuss the plan of transport with them before agreeing to do business.

Helpful Tip: Ensure that you optimize your listing based on what the bidders ask of you. If a mover asks you what size of hitch you have, make sure to add it in the description of your listing and maybe upload a photo of it. If one mover thinks of asking you, we’re sure others may be wondering as well, so take this opportunity to optimize your request as best as possible.

The bid notifications you receive will show the mover and the price they offer to move your mobile home for. Your listing should contain everything a mover needs to provide a moving estimate. This explains why we always ask shippers to provide accurate and clear information about their mobile homes. For all the bids you receive, will be in a position to discuss shipment with potential bidders as well as compare bids. We ensure our movers are rated, licensed, and verified which should make it easy for you while choosing a mover. You should never feel pressured to choose a mover as soon as the bids come in.

You can wait for as long as you want to choose a mover and proceed with any bid, all bids are valid for as long as the mover identifies them for, if they haven’t confirmed then make sure to ask them. Therefore make sure you communicate with your movers during this time, although usually, these estimates are definite during the quarter of the year it was bidded.

It’s completely up to you to choose the mover you want. Always remember, take time to thoroughly communicate with each mover noting their pros and cons. Finally, choose the mover you feel most comfortable to ship your mobile home. In the event you don’t get as much interaction as you’d like to, you can always optimize your listing to make it more approachable to bidders by adding clearer pictures and better descriptions.

Finding Your Own Mobile Home Mover Our mobile home transportation guidebook is helpful enough to walk you through your moving process on the Mobile Home Movers Marketplace. However, if you decide to find your own mobile home mover, ensure that you do thorough research on multiple moving companies before deciding which one to hire. You can simply lookup nearby “Mobile Home Moving and Transport” companies on your online searching tool, using resources nearby parks offer, or just word of mouth.

After contacting each mover, ensure that you ask for pictures, videos, and evidence of successful moves as this should show you that they are being genuine about their services and you are also able to evaluate their services based on how you see them carry out their services. Ask for their website to see a list of their services, and make sure to look up their online presence as a business because when it comes to finding your own mover, you can’t forget to read reviews about each company. Most clients served will leave comments about their experience on the company’s website or review websites like Google Reviews, or Yelp. This should be important because you are able to know if you can use their services based on other customers' experiences.

You should look up the company’s MC license number and also ask for certificate holders of their insurance like we will discuss in section 4. Contact multiple companies to get different quotes and from these, you can get the idea of how much moving your mobile home should cost. Remember as we have emphasized, cheap can be expensive. Hire a company with resources to ship your mobile home safely as opposed to the cheapest company to save money.

We do not suggest working with a company that does not have an online presence.

Section 4 Driver Found! Now What??

Verifying movers operating status, entering and exiting new property, inspections, and how to effectively verify a mover’s ability, expertise, insurance, and more..

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Verifying Movers Operating Status It’s important to verify your mover’s authority in the state they’re located by verifying their USDOT instate-only license by searching their DOT (department of transportation) license number, or their interstate license number called their Motor Carrier license number or “MC Number” on the FMCSA website. An “MC NUmber” or “Motor Carrier License Number” should be collected from your mover to verify their interstate operating authority for loads moving from one state to another. All drivers should have their own individual Commercial Driver's License.

At MobileHomeMovers.com, we ensure all movers on our website are licensed at the time of registration. In addition to that, we ensure that they all bear a rating based on their success moving on the Mobile Home Movers Marketplace if they have moved a mobile home on our Marketplace.

Although MobileHomeMovers.com verifies movers licenses are active and approved by MHM Standards at the time of the mover’s registration, it’s now your job to verify this license is active and withholds your standards by visiting the FMCSA (federal motor carrier safety administration) website https://safer.fmcsa.dot.gov/CompanySnapshot.aspx. At this tool called the “FMCSA Company Snapshot”, you can verify the companies operating status, the operating status should say “AUTHORIZED” if the business is operating under an active authority or “NOT AUTHORIZED” is the license has been revoked, expired or by other means not active.

Using this snapshot, you can also verify this mover is licensed to transport the right cargo, which is identified on this website displaying an “x’ next to the cargo they are approved to transport. Likely in your case, the “Mobile Homes” Cargo option should be approved under the “Cargo Carried” informational section like you see in the photo attached.

Other reports include the number of inspections/crashes the carrier has had in the last 24 months, the FMCSA Safety Rating, a link to the mover’s license information, insurer, insurance history and authority history with all authority actions of the mover since the mover has been granted their authority.

We highly suggest each person verifying their mover’s license information. Utilize each report offered to make sure you’re moving with an active, experienced, and safe mover.

How to Effectively Verify The Movers Cargo Insurance You should only hire a mover who is insured, and that should be all of them. But even if they claim to be insured, you can take some extra steps to verify this insurance yourself as an accident could happen by all means. For example, road debris, other drivers, unsecure mobile homes, it could be the driver’s fault directly, unlikely, but it happens. The movers can tell you they’re insured, but how do you know? Did they tell you over the phone? Paperwork from old folders? No no no, this is how it’s done…

You need to contact the mover and tell them you’d like to be issued a new insurance certificate listing you what's called a “Certificate Holder” of their insurance. This does two things, verifies their insurance at the time of the request, and gives you the authority to go directly to the insurance company yourself without having to go through the mover you contracted in the event of a claim.

Become a Certificate Holder You will have to request the mover issue a COI or Certificate of insurance listing you, the contracting party, the “certificate holder” of that issued insurance. This certificate should be provided to you directly from the policyholder’s insurance company, not the mover. You will have to provide the mover your name, address, and email as they will transfer the info to their insurance company and issue the insurance directly to you.

What does it cover? Each company's insurance coverage is different, but use these tips; Types of Insurance “Motor Truck Cargo” is the insurance that will cover your cargo, being the home, but nothing inside it. The Limit is usually between $100,000 and $250,000 coverage. Make sure to look at this coverage and not the general liability coverage, automobile liability coverage, and the other types of coverages as they each cover different liabilities unrelated to your home.

Expiration Date Policies are only active for 1 year. Therefore, make sure that the insurance does not expire nearing your shipping date. If it does and the mover is not actively updating their policy, your load could be on the road the days when the mover isn’t insured.

Insurance Producer This insurance producer should have their name, address, and phone number on the insurance for you to contact them in the event you want to file a claim.

Deductible Make sure to verify with your mover who is responsible for the deductible of the insurance in case there is any minor damage that will NOT go through the insurance provider, common practices place movers over-responsible for deductibles.

Has Your Mover Had Any Accidents?

Surprising to know that you can see the exact number of reported accidents any licensed mover has reported over the past 2 years. Simply research the mover’s MC or DOT license number on https://safer.fmcsa.dot.gov/CompanySnapshot.aspx, you will find the results on their snapshot.

Verifying Movers Insurance History You can verify the carrier’s insurance history at https://safer.fmcsa.dot.gov/CompanySnapshot.aspx.

This website will tell you if this business may have a pending insurance cancellation as well as the history of insurance companies by choosing the “Licensing & Insurance” link option. This option provides you an HTML or PDF printout report showing you all the insurance companies this business has used in the past.

Sometimes you will find that a single business went through dozens of insurance providers over a short period of time. A sign that you may want to be sure they are with a reliable insurance provider.

Requesting To Be a Certificate Holder is Key. Always refer back over to the insurance certificate for proper insurance verification.

You can request to be a certificate holder of their insurance where the insurance agent will send you a copy of insurance with your name and address located on the insurance certificate identifying you as the certificate holder. Having this, if there were to be any claim, you can file a claim directly with the insurance provider without having the carrier company do it for them. This eliminates any wasted time and potential conflicts of prior damage.

BACKUP PLAN: Obtaining Backup Insurance Known as Rider Insurance from Mobile Home Movers, LLC that is an ALL RISK insurance coverage.

Rider insurance is additional insurance you can pay for to ensure all risks are covered while in transport as a backup to the driver’s insurance. The insurance offered by most movers doesn’t cover everything, like hail and road debris. Movers should outline everything they can cover while providing you a proof of insurance. However, if you choose to obtain rider insurance, this is ALL-RISK insurance coverage for your mobile home while in transit. For an estimate, reach out to the MobileHomeMovers.com specialist team. The cost of the insurance is based on the value of your cargo, which is usually about .5% of the value of the mobile home or up to how much you want to cover.

With rider insurance, you can stay calm all along the way. There is nothing to worry about as you know in case anything happens, your rider insurance will cover it fully.

Reach the insurance team at Mobilehomemovers.com/Assistance.

Mobile Home Moving Permit All previously owned mobile homes need a moving permit or application prior to moving it. Regardless of whether it’s on wheels, temporary foundation, permanent foundation, a single wide or double wide, it will need a mobile home moving permit to be moved. This permit is to make sure the mobile home meets certain criteria as well as verification of the following but not limited to; 1. The home was built after 1976 (standard from HUD).

2. The condition of the mobile home meets standards.

3. The new property is in a zoned area.

4. The bill of sale must be provided and include details not limited to: year, make, length, width, serial number, current exact location, location directions, and contact.

5. Sewer facility details as well as septic tanks must be approved.

6. The mobile home must meet HUD Code Standards and have a certificate or HUD Tag confirming items such as; - Manufactured homes must be at least 400 square feet in size.

- Must have a minimum height of habitable rooms meeting 7 feet.

- Storage areas must be at least 6 ft by 6 ft.

- Manufactured homes must meet body and frame requirements, thermal protection, plumbing, electrical fire safety, and other aspects of the home Standards.

And more…

The cost of a mobile home moving permit per state are usually between $5 and $100

How To Get a Mobile Home Moving Permit.

A moving permit is acquired from your local municipal government. Before getting one, you have to present the title of your property and a certificate showing that you have been paying all the taxes related to your mobile home from your county treasurer. As soon as you decide or inquire to move a mobile home, you should apply for a moving permit to be sure you can move it in the first place as it also may take time to get one and to avoid delays of moving, we advise you to start by acquiring your moving permit before proceeding anything else. As soon as you get one, you can proceed with the rest of your moving plans.

Each state has a different set of rules when it comes to moving permits. In Wake County North Carolina for example you only apply for a moving permit but you do not have to pay for one. In Wake County North Carolina, there is an exclusion of getting a moving permit based on certain criteria. So it’s important that you do your research based on your specific county as there is no general rule when it comes to mobile home moving permits other than you must apply. Each state has different rules when it comes to mobile home moving permits. Please understand the rules in your area while getting a moving permit by doing research on your local county government website.

In the event you move your mobile home without a moving permit, you will incur a fine.

Moving permit costs are different per city and state. In southeast Tennessee for example, to obtain a moving permit, you pay just $3 to $5. This depends on the size of your mobile home. However, moving a mobile home without permits will incur you $100 fine in some counties but vary per county. All movers should acquire the moving permit, yet we suggest you be vigilant and obtain it yourself, or verify the permit from your mover.

It’s important to note when moving across multiple states, you will need moving permits in both states.

Remove Your Furniture and Personal Items When moving a mobile home, it’s advised to remove all loose items and mandatory to remove all loose furniture for a number of reasons.

1. No personal belongings will be covered by the insurance company in the event of an accident inside of the mobile home while you are moving, lifting, and maneuvering the mobile home.

2. Movers toter trucks and alike hitches and trucks have a maximum capacity. Mostly, they are very near it. Providing this mover something even if only 1000 lbs heavier than the agreed home can result in broken hitches and a broken mobile home, or worse an accident on the road while in violation of your permit.

3. Moving permits only permit the weight of the mobile home without additional items.

Moving personal belongings will be in breach of your permit.

So it’s important to watch the weight, safety of the mobile home and safety of the driver.

Therefore, removing furniture is mandatory and removing unattached appliances is advised.

How do you move these items?

Some full service moving companies will also move these items, you can move them yourself or the last option would be to hire a home moving company, a different kind. These “Home Moving” companies have different licenses that will bring a team to safely remove, secure, and install your furniture and home items at its new location.

If you choose to find additional services, you should only hire professionals to ensure your items stay intact and insured. Take a look at some reliable service providers on the MobileHomeMovers.com service providers page. In our service page, you may find qualified service providers who will remove your furniture and appliances safely.

Fasten or Remove Loose Fixtures Aside from removing furniture and personal items, it’s also important to fasten or remove loose fixtures such as ceiling fans, TV mounts, shelving units, doors, drawers and other fixed items in the mobile home.

The level of vibration and shaking of the mobile home while in transit is enough to potentially loosen fixtures and puts these items at risk of loosening, disconnecting, and breaking. Make sure to pack everything you possibly can disconnect just in case. It’s advisable that you also remove items like cabinets, drawers, small appliances and pack them separately. Some full-service movers will provide this service for you but you must discuss with them prior to their arrival and have a plan ready for the items they do not move. You can also hire a separate service provider called a “home moving company” (not to be confused with a mobile home moving company) that will disconnect, pack, store, deliver, and reinstall all your home items professionally. Check out our service provider directory to see if one is available near you.

Prefer options like doing it yourself or with family/friends to save on cost. Just make sure you confirm with your mover which items need to be removed. Know that your judgment may overrule their direction based on the stability history of common items in the home you may know are not secure. Better safe than sorry.

Confirm Your Moving Date With All Parties As described in Section 2 “Organize The Moving Date”, now it's time to confirm your moving date with all parties involved being your current park owner. your new park owner, your mover, your installation company (if installing).

As soon as you get your mover from MobileHomeMovers.com Marketplace or elsewhere, it’s important to notify your current park owner about your moving (ideally ahead of time).

Set a date that the park supervisor (if moving from a park), the new park supervisor, installation company, and the mover agree on. Then, make sure to send a written letter to your current park owner/supervisor notifying them about your move and the date, a written acknowledgment from all parties is best. Failure to do this in advance can incur you a fine from your park and other service providers like your mover.

Avoid a Truck Order Not Used or “TONU”

You can be fined by the moving company for what's called a “Truck Order Not Used” fee or “TONU”. A TONU is applied when you contract a mover to show up and the load is not ready. This not only causes the moving company the time for that day but potential other jobs that would have earned them payment for their services. Make sure to be mindful of everyone's time by making an effort to organize the move with all parties appropriately.

Preparing Home For Breakdown and Installation NOTE: This Topic Applies to Homes That Are on Temporary and Permanent Foundations.

When referring to Mobile Home Break Down and Installation, we define the following: Mobile home breakdown is the process of preparing mobile homes in order to be transported, for example, double-wide homes require to be separated before transport and moved each portion one at a time. Single wide mobile homes also need to be properly cleared of debris, skirting and other items surrounding the house and temporary foundation. Mobile home Installation would be the act of converting the mobile home onto a chassis with axles and hitch if not already installed and installing it on a foundation at the destination.

By this time, you should have already contracted a mobile home conversion or installation service that will breakdown and set up your mobile home at both the origin and destination if your home is on anything other than wheels and chassis. If not, make sure to go back to section one of our mobile home transportation guidebook where it discusses how to find an installation company to convert your mobile home and to find out if you need one or not.

The main breakdown process will be done by your moving service provider, but what you can do to help your conversion/installation and moving company would be to remove skirting and anything surrounding the home as this is something you can do yourself. Some homeowners have skirting, gardens, bushes & flowers, air conditioning units, steps, porches, decks and other miscellaneous items around the home. The conversion/installation company or moving company anticipate moving these items for you, it’s suggested you get rid of them before they show up unless agreed otherwise.

Mobile Home Conversion/Installation Service Provider Inspection Your conversion/installation service provider should have already been to your location to provide you a quote on the conversion or wheel/axle/chassis replacement or repair depending on the condition of each along with any instructions before they arrive. In addition to that, inspection at the delivery end where they will be laying the foundation. Make sure to discuss everything expected for specific instructions prior to their arrival.

In most cases, the installation company should also have acquired a foundation certification commonly called an “Engineer's Foundation Certification” at the installation site which will verify the foundation has met all federal government regulations prior to installation. We suggest you request a copy of the certificate for your records in the event the foundation comes to question.

End Your Current Lease at The Right Time Many parks need a notification at least 2 months in advance even if your lease has already ended, this gives the park appropriate time to find a new tenant, and prepare the land if need be.

Each park or property is different, so make sure that you confirm your lease cancelation as soon as you’ve decided to move and after finding your mover. It’s important to keep in mind that there are still things to be confirmed even after your mover has been found like the following; 1. The mover has accessed your move and provided you a contract/agreement.

2. Your installation company has accessed your land and provided your agreement.

3. Your mobile home moving permit has been approved.

4. You’ve confirmed temporary housing in the event of a delay.

5. You’re absolutely confident with your provider’s ability to meet their agreement.

Once you’ve confirmed these 5 items, that would be the safest time to commit.

Time To Disconnect Your Utilities Prior to moving your mobile home, it’s important to have your utilities disconnected at the right time and by the right personnel. Utilities to be disconnected include the following; 1. Electricity 2. Water 3. Natural gas 4. Internet 5. Telephone Depending on where the mobile home resides, whether on private land or a mobile home park, there will be different personnel that will assist you. It can either be the mobile home park supervisor/property manager for common things like water and electives, or approved personnel from the utility provider’s company like FPL. When you decide to disconnect these utilities, you should already have the temporary housing in place in case of delays, and it’s suggested you have these items disconnected at least 72 business day hours in advance in case there are any delays doing so that will delay the move any time at all.

Written Contracts - When to Sign and What’s Included.

Your mover should have a written agreement showing everything your agreement involves. This should show details such as insurance, license information, expectations from you, expectations from them, dates and a list of all services included with your discussed cost. Some full-service providers can provide you these potential services and more; 1. Inspection.

2. Breakdown.

3. Transport.

4. Pilot Cars (if applicable).

5. Permit acquiring.

6. Certificates, like foundation certificates.

7. Site preparation.

8. Conversion.

9. Axle, wheel, tongue, and chassis replacement.

10. Fastening and removing of utilities, furnishings, and fixtures.

11. Insurance, and what’s covered.

Much More…

In your contract, the mover should indicate most of the items we instructed on how to verify yourself, like a copy of their insurance, license information, permits, and certifications. Although we advise you to verify these yourself, make sure it’s all detailed in your written contract just in case there’s any dispute. Make sure to request the new certificate from their insurance before signing the contract to be sure the proof of insurance in the contract is active ahead of time. Otherwise, you will have to sign a new contract with the verified insurance and policy number to be sure you’re covered under the agreement.

If you feel unconfident in the written contract or have a concern, make a point of hiring an attorney. An attorney can go through the written agreement and advise you on whether it is suitable or not. In case your mover does not meet your standards or does not provide you a written agreement that meets your standards, just look for one that meets every one of them and more. You should not be unsure of your choice.

Bill of Lading (BOL) - Obtain the Inspection Report A written contract should also include a Bill of Lading (BOL). A BOL is a document issued by your mover that reports any and all damages on the mobile home ahead of time. It should be provided at the time of pickup, inspection or ideally, anytime before the agreement signing and moving as it will verify that the carrier has fully inspected the mobile home’s conditions and agree to be liable for any damage to the mobile home not on the BOL, which will tell you, they’ve inspected it properly. You don’t want to hear that theft found something on it that may cause more work/investment once they inspect the mobile home right before transport.

Conclusion We hope the Mobile Home Movers Transportation Guidebook has provided you the solutions you may or may not have known you needed for your upcoming or potential mobile home transport. With the tips and tricks previously discussed, and the help of the mobile home movers marketplace, moving any mobile home doesn’t have to be difficult. From licensed movers and insured service providers to the missing instructions, tips, and tricks you need to get your mobile home moved safely and effectively. We hope you found the help you needed. Now allow the mobile home movers to do the work for you and make this part of your move hassle free. Most importantly, you now have the skills you need as a shipper to organize and monitor your move safely and effectively, take what you've learned and apply it.

If you haven’t already, start by posting your mobile home on our marketplace after you register as a shipper. Make sure you give as much details as possible to help the movers understand before bidding on your mobile home move. From there, you’ll start to receive bids from various movers near you and you can start utilizing what you’ve learned reading your Mobile Home Movers Transportation Guidebook!

We strive to one day be the sole solution to all country's mobile home moving problems and would also love to hear any feedback you have about our transportation guidebook at Feedback@mobilehomemovers.com.

Thank you, from the staff at Mobile Home Movers, LLC.