An inspection form for manufactured and mobile homes: HUD label and data plate, piers, tie-downs and anchoring, skirting and crawlspace, the marriage line on multi-section homes, roof, exterior, plumbing, water heater, electrical, heating and cooling, interior, and every addition or alteration — with what could not be inspected.
Home and Client
Which home, where it sits, and how many sections it came in.
Report title
Client
Address
Community or park, and lot number
How many sections — Single-section (single-wide), Multi-section (double-wide), Three sections or more
Manufacturer and model, if known
Year built
Land — Owned with the home, Leased lot in a community, Not known
Occupancy — Lived in and furnished, Vacant, Vacant with some belongings
Weather during the visit — Clear and dry, Overcast, Light rain, Heavy rain, Snow or ice on the ground, Rain in the last two days, Very hot, Below freezing
Outdoor temperature
Utilities on at the time — Electricity, Water, Gas, Propane or oil, Some were off
Who was there — Buyer, Seller, Agent, Community manager, Nobody
Inspection company
Inspector
Licence or certification number
Date of inspection
Start time
HUD Label and Data Plate
The proof of what the home is — photograph both if you find them.
HUD-code homes (built from mid-1976) have a metal label outside each section, usually at the rear end wall, and a paper data plate inside — try bedroom closets, kitchen cabinets and near the panel.
Outside certification label — Found on every section, Found on some sections, Not found, Home predates the HUD code
Label numbers as stamped
Inside data plate — Found and legible, Found, partly legible, Not found
Where the data plate is
Serial number
Date of manufacture
Wind zone on the plate — Zone I, Zone II, Zone III, Not shown or not legible
Roof load zone on the plate — North, Middle, South, Not shown or not legible
Thermal zone on the plate — Zone 1, Zone 2, Zone 3, Not shown or not legible
Photo of each outside label
Photo of the data plate
Foundation, Piers and Anchoring
What the home stands on, whether it is level, and how it is tied to the ground.
Foundation — Piers on pads, Piers on concrete runners, Perimeter block wall with piers, Engineered permanent foundation, Basement, Other
Pier material — Dry-stacked concrete block, Mortared block, Steel adjustable piers, Poured concrete, Wood blocking or cribbing, Other
Does every pier you could see stand plumb and bear tight under the frame?
Any shims or wedges loose, split or missing?
Any pad sunk, tilted or sitting on loose soil?
Does the home look level — frame straight, doors square, no sag along its length?
Tie-downs and ground anchors — Present and tight, Present, loose or rusted, Some missing, None seen, Could not see
Kinds of ties seen — Frame ties to ground anchors, Over-the-roof straps, Stabilizer plates, Engineered anchoring system, None
Any rust, bending or cut steel on the main frame?
What you saw at the foundation and anchors
Foundation, pier and anchor photographs
Skirting and Crawlspace
The skirting, then the space under the home if you can safely go in.
Skirting — Vinyl, Metal, Masonry or block, Wood or panel, None
Skirting condition — intact, attached, vented
Does the skirting have vents on opposite sides for air to cross?
Where the access panel is
Did you go under the home?
Why not, and what you could see from the opening
Is the bottom board (belly wrap) torn, hanging or missing in places?
Ground under the home — Dry, with a cover, Dry, no cover, Damp, Standing water
Are the supply ducts and crossover duct connected and unbroken?
Any drip or wet spot at the pipes, drains or traps?
Does the dryer vent run out past the skirting rather than ending under the home?
Any sign of animals, nests or droppings?
What you saw under the home
Skirting and crawlspace photographs
Marriage Line
Multi-section homes only — the seam where the sections were joined on site.
Ceiling seam inside, end to end
Any gap, step or cracked tape where the sections meet inside?
Roof ridge seam and cap
Seams at the outside end walls
Is there support under the seam at the wide openings between sections?
Are the plumbing, wiring and duct connections between sections secure?
What you saw along the marriage line
Marriage line photographs
Roof
The covering, the seams and fasteners, and whatever passes through it.
How you looked at the roof — Walked the roof, From a ladder at the eaves, From the ground with binoculars, Drone images, Through an upstairs window, Could not be seen
Roof — Metal, original, Metal with a coating, Shingle, Roof-over (a pitched roof built over the original), Membrane, Other
Covering condition
Seams, edges and fasteners
Vents, stacks and their flashing
Any sagging or water standing on the roof?
Any sign that the roof leaks now?
Gutters and downspouts
What you saw on the roof
Roof photographs
Exterior
Walls, doors, windows, steps and the ground around the home.
Siding — Metal, Vinyl, Hardboard or wood, Fiber cement, Other
Siding and trim
Windows you sampled
Exterior doors
Are there two outside doors, well apart, that both open freely?
Steps, landings and handrails at each door
Ground around the home — Sheds water away, Flat, Water runs under the home
What you saw outside
Exterior photographs
Plumbing
Supply, drains, fixtures and the line that feeds the home from outside.
Water comes from — Community or public supply, Private well, Could not tell
Main water shutoff — where it is
Supply piping you could see — PEX, Copper, CPVC, Polybutylene (gray, crimp rings), Mixed, Could not see
Freeze protection on the supply riser — Insulated and heat tape working, Insulation or heat tape damaged, None — mild climate, Could not see
Sinks, tub, shower and toilets
With two fixtures running at once, did the flow stay usable?
Did every drain empty without gurgling or backing up?
Any leak seen, or soft flooring near a fixture?
What you saw at the plumbing
Plumbing photographs
Water Heater
Where it is, what it burns, and whether it is suited to a manufactured home.
Location — Closet opening to the outside, Inside the home, Separate shed or porch, Other
Fuel — Electric, Natural gas, Propane, Other
Capacity from the label
Condition, including connections and any venting
Temperature and pressure relief valve — Valve fitted, discharge pipe runs down to near the floor or outside, Discharge pipe missing, capped, threaded at the end or running uphill, No relief valve fitted, Could not see it
Labelled as suitable for manufactured homes — Yes, on the label, No — a standard unit, Label not legible
If it is inside: is there a drain pan with an outlet?
What you saw at the water heater
Water heater photographs
Electrical
Service, feeder, panel and a sample of outlets — with the hazards common in older homes.
Service — Meter pedestal or post beside the home, Pole, Meter on the home, Other
Panel rating — 50 A, 100 A, 150 A, 200 A, Could not tell
Panel — where it is
Panel and breakers
Does the feeder to the home have four wires — two hots, a neutral and a separate ground?
Branch wiring — Copper, Solid aluminum branch circuits, Mixed, Could not see
Any exposed splice, loose cable under the home, or missing cover?
Ground-fault (GFCI) outlets near water and outdoors — Every one tested tripped and reset, One or more would not trip or reset, Missing where you would expect them, Not tested
Smoke alarms — Present and sounded when tested, Present, one or more stayed silent, Missing from a bedroom, hall or level, Present, not tested
Carbon monoxide alarms — Present outside sleeping areas, Missing — the home burns fuel or has an attached garage, Not needed — all-electric with no attached garage, Not checked
What you saw at the electrical
Electrical photographs
Heating and Cooling
Run each system from its thermostat; note whether the furnace is the kind made for these homes.
Heating — Downflow furnace — gas or propane, Downflow furnace — electric, Heat pump, Oil furnace, Space heaters only, Other
Furnace labelled for manufactured homes — Yes, on the label, No — a standard unit, Label not legible, Electric or heat pump only
Heating, from the thermostat — Responded and ran, Did not respond, Not run — too cold, too hot or shut down
Cooling — Central split system, Heat pump, Ductless mini-split, Evaporative cooler, Window or wall units only, None
Cooling, from the thermostat — Responded and ran, Did not respond, Not run — too cold, too hot or shut down, No cooling system
Condition of the equipment you could see
Can air get back to the furnace from closed rooms — grilles or undercut doors?
Air filter — Clean, Dirty, Missing, Could not find it
What you saw at the heating and cooling
Heating and cooling photographs
Interior
Rooms, floors, doors and windows — where settling and leaks show first.
Wall and ceiling panels
Any soft or sagging floor — at tubs, toilets, the water heater, the kitchen sink or doorways?
Any ceiling or wall stain from a leak?
Do interior doors latch without binding?
Does each bedroom have a window or door big enough to get out through?
Windows you sampled — open, close and lock
Kitchen counters, cabinets and appliances
Bathrooms
What you saw inside
Interior photographs
Additions and Alterations
Anything built onto the home or changed since it left the factory.
Has anything been added to or changed on the home?
Additions
What it is — Room addition, Enclosed porch, Open porch or deck, Carport, Awning, Roof-over, Steps or ramp, Storage shed, Other
Where on the home
How it is supported — Stands on its own foundation and frame, Fastened to and leaning on the home, Could not tell
Permit or approval — Seen, Seller says there was one, None known
Condition
What you saw
Photo
Changes to the home itself — Interior wall removed, Window or door enlarged or added, Furnace or water heater replaced, Panel replaced, Floor decking replaced, None seen
Notes on additions and alterations
Not Inspected and Limitations
Anything you could not see, reach or run today, and why — so nobody reads silence as a clean bill.
Name each area or item you could not get to and the reason. A report that leaves something out without saying so is read as if it was fine.
Areas or items not inspected
Area or item
Why — No safe access, Blocked by stored belongings, Utility off, Locked or no key, Weather or roof conditions, Covered by finishes, Outside the agreed scope, Occupant asked us not to, Too low or wet to crawl, Animals under the home, Other
What the client should do about it
Outside this inspection unless separately agreed — Mold sampling, Radon testing, Wood-destroying insect inspection, Asbestos or lead testing, Sewer line camera, Septic system, Private well or water quality, Pool or spa, Irrigation, Low-voltage, security and data wiring, Code compliance
Other limits on today's visit
Summary and Sign-Off
The few things the reader most needs to know, and who stands behind the report.
In a few sentences: the most important things from today
Specialists you recommend calling in — Structural engineer, Licensed electrician, Licensed plumber, HVAC contractor, Roofer, Chimney sweep, Foundation or pier contractor, Pest control operator, Drainage or grading contractor, None
Any other photographs
Inspector — signature
Client — name
Client — signature
Home Inspection
Mobile Home Inspection
An inspection form for manufactured and mobile homes: HUD label and data plate, piers, tie-downs and anchoring, skirting and crawlspace, the marriage line on multi-section homes, roof, exterior, plumbing, water heater, electrical, heating and cooling, interior, and every addition or alteration — with what could not be inspected.
✓Free — no account, no trial, no card.
Fill this in and download the finished PDF. Your answers stay on this device as you type. We ask for an email address once, at the download.
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A mobile home inspection form follows a manufactured home the way an inspector actually walks one: the labels that prove what it is, the piers and anchors it stands on, the skirting and the space underneath, the seam where two halves meet, and then the roof, the systems and the rooms. This one handles single and multi-section homes and lists every addition separately. Fill it in here and download a finished PDF without an account.
Mobile or manufactured — why the date matters
Homes built in a factory to the federal HUD code, which took effect in mid-1976, are manufactured homes. Older factory-built homes are usually called mobile homes, and many lenders and insurers treat them differently or not at all.
That is why the form starts with the labels. Each transportable section of a HUD-code home should carry a small metal certification label on the outside, and there should be a paper data plate inside — often in a bedroom closet, a kitchen cabinet or beside the electrical panel. The data plate gives the manufacturer, serial number, date and the wind, roof-load and thermal zones the home was built for. Photograph both.
What it stands on, and what holds it down
Most of the serious problems in manufactured homes come from the ground up: piers that have settled or leaned, shims and wedges that have worked loose, ties that have rusted or were never tightened, and skirting that hides it all. A home that is out of level shows it inside with doors that will not latch and cracks at the ceiling seams.
Look under the home if you can enter safely. Note the pier type, whether each pier bears tight under the frame, the ground anchors and straps, the condition of the bottom board, any water, and whether the ducts, pipes and dryer vent are connected.
The marriage line on multi-section homes
Where two or more sections are joined on site, the seam runs along the ceiling and down the end walls inside, across the roof ridge, and through the floor. Gaps, cracked tape or a step in the ceiling mean the sections have moved apart or settled differently. Underneath, the crossover duct and the plumbing and wiring connections between sections are common failure points.
Additions and alterations
Porches, carports, room additions and roof-overs are added to manufactured homes all the time. The question for each one is whether it stands on its own foundation and frame or leans on the home, which was not designed to carry it. Record each addition with that answer, whether you saw a permit, and its condition.
Common questions
What should a mobile home inspection include?
The HUD label and data plate, the foundation and piers, tie-downs and anchors, skirting and the space beneath, the marriage line on multi-section homes, the roof, exterior walls, doors and windows, plumbing, the water heater, electrical service and panel, heating and cooling, the interior, and any additions or alterations.
What if the HUD label or data plate is missing?
Record it. Labels are often painted over or removed with old siding, and data plates go missing in remodels. The home may still be perfectly sound, but lenders often require proof, and a letter of label verification can usually be ordered. The form treats a missing label as something to follow up, not as a defect.
Is this the same as a foundation certification for a loan?
No. Some loan programs require an engineer to certify that the foundation meets a federal guide. A home inspector can describe what they see, but the certification itself is an engineer's job.
Can I inspect a mobile home built before 1976?
Yes, with the same walk. There will be no HUD label, and many older homes have aluminum wiring, older heating appliances and lighter construction. Say what you see and recommend the right trade where it matters.
Do I have to go under the home?
Only if it is safe. Crawlspaces under manufactured homes can be shallow, wet, or home to animals. If you do not go in, say why in the not-inspected list and describe what you could see from the access opening.