Please share your experience installing a mobile home.
The questions I have:
Should one contractor do all the job: foundation, set up, tie down? or Is it better to hire a general contractor to do piers and a licensed installer to do set up work?
When mobile home set-up costs are less: a) when one contractor does everything or b) when work is separated between contractors?
I requseted a qoute to install a tiny house, 24x12, in our park in Beaver Falls, PA. A contractor offered:
Cost for footers is $2500
Position, block, level $2500
Tie down $1000
The given price seems too expensive. Another guy offere to do piers for $1800, but I am not able to find other licensed installers: they are too busy, too far, install only homes they sell …).
The cost for position, block, level, and down does seem a bit high, but not so much. I think we pay about $2500 typically for this. However, the installers are very busy and sometimes it’s hard to get them to commit. If that’s your bid, and they are all super busy, then you don’t have much leverage to lower your price. Depending on how you pour the concrete it can be much more than $2500.
Whether you separate the work between one or more contractors depends on several factors. First, licensing requirements may require you to use several contractors. A concrete contractor may not have the license to set up a home and vice versa.
Second, when you divide work between more contractors than necessary, management becomes more complicated. You will have to coordinate all the work between all these different people, and each may need a separate permit.
Lastly, don’t forget the utility contractors, the skirting installation, and the deck installation.
In Ohio, we pay about $6,000-7,000 for a single wide set up including steps and rails. We are trying to negotiate but we don’t have much leverage because there are only two licensed installers (independent). We contacted a few other guys and they are only setting up homes for their own parks.
Interesting. Curious to better understand the benefits of pouring a large concrete pad for double wide homes vs. footers and piers - what are the pros and cons?
In NH any new mobile home has to be installed with a state specified pad with tie downs and rebar. A concrete pad allows for moisture barrier and ease of working on the underside of the home in the event that there is a water or sewer leak. I believe the law came into effect when a hurricane blew through and a home was lifted off its gravel pad torn apart and killed the occupants.