What kind of skirting is required on permanent foundations for manufactured homes?

Written By: Paul Hayman, P.E.

This question rarely gets the same answer twice. It should be an easy question. What kind of skirting is required by HUD for a permanent foundation on a manufactured home. As usual, the answer is complicated by (1) misunderstanding of the September 1996 Permanent Foundations Guide to Manufactured Homes and (2) contradictory requirements in other HUD regulations.

The PFGMH references the skirting in one sentence in the definition of a permanent foundation where it says that the skirting shall be “a continuous wall (whether bearing or non-bearing) that separates the basement of [sic] crawlspace from the backfill and keeps out vermin and water.” That’s it. There is no discussion of materials or footings. It does say earlier that “permanent foundations must be constructed of durable materials; i.e. concrete, mortared masonry, or treated wood—and be site-built.”

There are some who interpret this phrase to require that the skirting be made of similar materials. However, they do not understand that the skirting, which in the vast majority of cases is non-load bearing, is not part of the foundation and therefore should not be required to be made of the same materials as the foundation. However, you will run into requirements that state that the skirting must be made of these materials and must have a poured concrete footer with frost protection.

The PFGMH is not the only HUD document that puts requirements on manufactured homes. HUD HANDBOOK 4150.2 Valuation Analysis for Home Mortgage Insurance for Single Family One- to Four- Unit Dwellings dated July 1, 1999 also has a section on manufactured homes. This is the document that appraisers must use when evaluating all single family homes. Chapter 8 includes requirements for manufactured homes. Interestingly enough, it requires the appraiser to inspect the foundation for the following: “appraiser must inspect the crawl space for the following: poured in place concrete footings placed below the frost line supporting the manufactured home carriage frame, tie-downs anchored to the footings, protection from the elements and enclosed with material imperious to rot and infestation and perimeter foundation-type construction with footings extended below the frost line [my italics].” This is a very interesting requirement.

Why would a crawlspace need a perimeter foundation-type construction with footings extending below the frost line if the perimeter wall is non-load bearing? There is no structural reason for it. And what exactly is “foundation-type construction?” It is not defined anywhere in this document. This requirement is mostly, but not universally, ignored because it is in conflict with the HUD PFGMH.

HUD 4150.2 also requires compliance with HUD PFGMH. “The home must be erected on a permanent foundation in compliance with the Permanent Foundation Guide for Manufactured Housing. All proposed or newly constructed manufactured homes must meet the standards set forth in the Permanent Foundation Guide. A licensed professional engineer's seal and signature (certification) is required to indicate compliance with the Foundation Guide.” Most lenders will accept the engineer’s certification of compliance with the PFGMH as sufficient whether it has a perimeter foundation-type construction with footings or not; however, lenders should be aware that the PFGMH is not necessarily the last word in foundations.

About the Writer. Paul Hayman, P.E., is owner of Hayman Residential Engineering Services, Inc. His company specializes in providing engineering certificates in 49 states. He can be reached at hresanswers@hayman-res.com or www.hayman-res.com.

SOURCE: Published by NAMP Publishing Group, a division of the National Association of Mortgage Processors (http://www.MortgageProcessor.org)