Good news! NEW Rules for On-Site Completion of Manufactured Homes

NEW Rules for On-Site Completion of Manufactured Homes

By Harry Odum

As manufactured homes have gotten more customizable, transporting them has gotten a little difficult. Certain features are impossible to transport installed, and must be constructed ‘on-site’, however, due to the definition of manufactured home completion, certain items MUST be installed at the factory, or the home would not be in
compliance. Good news, however - as of September 8, 2015, a final rule was published that created an On Site Construction procedure in 24 CFR 3282. This procedure allows manufactured home builders to place a home that is 'substantially' completed at the plant and the remaining construction is completed on-site.

So, what is ‘substantial completion’? HUD’s definition states, “manufactured home is substantially completed if all aspects of construction that can be finished in the manufacturer’s plant are completed, except as provided in 3280.603.” Since that definition is a bit broad, the following may help clarify: a manufactured home is substantially complete if all construction to the home is completed except for work that would be difficult to complete in the plant. Areas of difficulty mentioned by HUD are:

1) Transportation limitations,

2) Design requirements, and/or

3) Delivery of an appliance that was ordered by the homeowner.

An ‘On-Site Construction Approval’ must be obtained before the home can be placed in production. It is the manufacturer’s responsibility to make sure they have all their paperwork in order, so the process can move along quickly. In order to help you navigate the requirements, NTA has prepared a white paper (you can download the white paper here) explaining the entire process, including a list of the necessary paperwork, procedures and other responsibilities.

As a nationally recognized DAPIA/IPIA provider, NTA can process On-Site Construction Approvals, as well as perform HUD Installation Inspections*. For help with your On-Site Construction Approvals, please contact NTA! 

*In certain “conflict” states, NTA’s services may be limited due to state level conflict of interest laws.